Tuesday 27 March 2018 16:56, UK
Former Manchester United midfielder Jordi Cruyff will step down as boss of Maccabi Tel Aviv in the summer.
Cruyff, 44, has spent six years at the Israeli club, five of which were spent as director of football.
He was appointed as head coach at the beginning of this season and led the club to Israel's league cup.
Cruyff says he is leaving to embark on a new challenge, while stressing that he remains committed and focused on securing the Israeli league title with nine games of the season remaining.
He said: "I came thinking that I'd be here for just a couple of seasons and it's turned out to be six years. I love this city, this club and the country. We now feel as if the time has come to move on and I'm very grateful to everyone that has helped us, in both the good and the bad times.
"The season isn't over yet, we continue to fight for the league title and we must be fully focused and dedicate all of our efforts into that. There would be no happier way to bring an end to this chapter than by winning the league."
Former England manager Steve McClaren spent five months as a coaching consultant to Cruyff in Tel Aviv from August 2017.
In Cruyff's six years at the club, Maccabi have lifted three league titles, an Israel State Cup crown and sealed two League Cups, as well as clinching a place in the Champions League group stage in the 2015/16 season, which brought an end to an 11-season exodus from Europe's premier club competition.
