Dutch tactician Martin Jol has switched from Hamburg to become the new head coach of Ajax on a three-year deal.
Former Spurs boss returns to his homeland to manage Ajax
Dutch tactician Martin Jol has returned to his homeland to become the new head coach of Ajax.
The former Spurs boss has signed a three-year contract with the Dutch giants after impressing with his latest club Hamburg.
The 53-year-old led the Bundesliga outfit to the semi-finals of this season's Uefa Cup, where they lost out on away goals to Werder Bremen.
He also secured a fifth-placed finish in the Bundesliga - earning a Europa League spot for next season.
Jol replaces Marco van Basten, who resigned with one game of the Eredivisie season remaining after missing out on a UEFA Champions League berth.
As head coach, he will also be responsible for other football matters such as transfers, scouting and the youth development program of the club.
Ajax CEO Rik van den Boog said they acted "very carefully" in selecting Jol for the post.
Qualities
He told the club's
official website: "Martin has all the qualities that the new coach of Ajax should have in our opinion. He is experienced and has gained that experience both in Holland and abroad.
"He has worked for big and not so big clubs and has shown he can get the maximum potential out of his players.
"He is furthermore a coach who has proven that he is willing to give talented young players a chance, which is of the utmost importance for us.
"As the club's management we have not been working together in this structure for very long, but I am very happy with the way we collaborated to make this possible. It was an exciting and fascinating period, with an excellent result for Ajax.''
Fantastic club
Jol added the club have offered him "a great chance, with a long-term perspective" where he will have an "extended package of responsibilities."
"Ajax is a fantastic football club and I am really looking forward to getting started. I had a great time at HSV, it is a big club and Hamburg is a nice city to live in," he added.
"I have worked abroad the past years and now I get to return to Holland, I am looking forward to that too."
