Ajax coach Bosz moves to Borussia Dortmund

AFC Ajax and Borussia Dortmund have reached an agreement on the transfer of chief coach Peter Bosz to the German fotball club as successor of Thomas Tuchel, both clubs announced on Tuesday.

The 53-year-old Dutchman will sign a contract until 2019 at Dortmund. His contract at Ajax expired in 2019. Assistant Hendrie Kruzen makes the same step from Ajax to Dortmund, reports Xinhua news agency.

The departure of Bosz comes after only one season in Amsterdam. Ajax had lured Bosz away from Israeli side Maccabi Tel Aviv last year. Under Bosz Ajax had a difficult start of the season, but he got the Amsterdam based team on track and with an attractive, attacking style of football he led his team to the final of the Europa League and the second place in the Dutch league.

Reports in Dutch media claim that Bosz actually wanted to stay at Ajax, but that the difficult relationship with part of his staff, with among others assistant coach Dennis Bergkamp, also part of the 'technical heart' as guard of the club culture, was one of the main reasons for his departure.

"I have mixed feelings. When we signed Peter last year we didn't have the intention to stop after one season. Especially in the Europa League we had a fantastic season," reacted general director Edwin van der Sar in a press release by Ajax.

"However, just like our players our coach also attracts the attention of club from top leagues in Europe," Van der Sar added. "For us it was one step too far to hold him to his contract with us. It is up to us to contract a good successor."

In January last year the former Dutch international Bosz left Vitesse Arnhem to move to Maccabi, with which he finished second in the Israeli league. As a head coach he previously also worked for De Graafschap and Heracles Almelo in the Netherlands and he was technical director at Feyenoord.

Bosz is known for his attractive and attacking vision and has the late Johan Cruyff as one of his inspirations. Attractive football with results will also be his mission in Germany.

By the end of May the eight-time German champions Dortmund decided to part ways with coach Thomas Tuchel after two seasons. Dortmund had finished third in the Bundesliga this season and won the German Cup.

--IANS

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