McClaren takes up Twente challenge
Friday, June 20, 2008
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Eredivisie side FC Twente have appointed former England manager Steve McClaren as coach ahead of their debut UEFA Champions League qualifying bid.
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Play-off success
McClaren has agreed a two-year deal with the Eredivisie club, who were without a coach after Fred Rutten left for FC Schalke 04 following Twente's success in the Dutch play-offs for European places, which left them in August's 2008/09 UEFA Champions League third qualifying round. The 47-year-old, who assisted Sir Alex Ferguson in Manchester United FC's 1998/99 treble-winning season, managed Middlesbrough FC from 2001 until the 2006 UEFA Cup final defeat by Sevilla FC, when he left for the England job, only to be sacked last November after failure to qualify for UEFA EURO 2008™.
'Cannot wait'
"I am delighted that I have got the chance to become coach of FC Twente," McClaren said. "I noted from the first meeting with chairman Joop Munsterman and other people at the club that they were very co-operative. It's an exciting time for the club, they were very successful under Fred Rutten and I cannot wait to meet the players and technical staff and to get to work."
