Alkmaar suffer Adriaanse blow
Thursday, January 6, 2005
Article summary
Co Adriaanse will stand down as coach of Dutch leaders AZ Alkmaar when his contract expires at the end of the season.
Article body
Co Adriaanse has announced that he will stand down as coach of Eredivisie leaders AZ Alkmaar when his contract expires at the end of the season, despite the club wanting him to sign a new one.
Major force
The 57-year-old has turned Alkmaar into a major force this season. The club ended 2004 leading the Dutch top flight and look to have the talent to emulate their success of 1980/81 when Alkmaar became the only club outside the dominant trio of Feyenoord, PSV Eindhoven and AFC Ajax to win the championship in the last 40 years.
Comments
Adriaanse, who took charge in November 2002, had warned last summer that he was reluctant to stay too long at the club. "I should not stay too long, because by then I will have dragged so much out of people," he said. "Not only from the players, but also from the organisation."
UEFA Cup
In addition to their domestic success, Alkmaar have progressed to the last 32 of the UEFA Cup and will play German 2. Bundesliga side TSV Alemannia Aachen over two legs next month. Their Eredivise campaign resumes against NEC Breda on 21 January when Adriaanse's side will attempt to win their eleventh consecutive league game.
