At the end of a disappointing Sunday, on which the team from the Domstad lost 1-5 to Feyenoord and the grumpy howled through the Galgenwaard, there is also positive news. FC Utrecht has succeeded in getting Ron Jans as a new trainer, sources around the club confirm.
There are still a few conditions to be fulfilled, including the final staffing. The arrival of Jans is expected to be finalized on Monday or Tuesday, after which the new trainer can be presented.
The 64-year-old, born in Zwolle, took a sabbatical after his successful three-year period at FC Twente, but has been found willing to end it earlier than expected.
Bad start to the season makes Utrecht an interesting option
Jans made no secret of the fact that his coaching career was not yet definitively ended with his departure from FC Twente and in view of his private situation as a proud grandfather, a foreign adventure is not an option. FC Utrecht is also one of the more interesting options in the Netherlands, because there is potentially a good selection and there is real progress to be made after the bad start to the season.
Jans succeeds Michael Silberbauer, who was fired last week after eight months due to disappointing results. The northerner was previously head coach of FC Groningen, SC Heerenveen, Standard Liège, PEC Zwolle, FC Cincinnati and FC Twente. With FC Groningen and the past two seasons with FC Twente, the 64-year-old trainer made it to European football. At PEC Zwolle, Jans won the KNVB Cup and the Johan Cruijff Shield. He also went into Europe with the people of Zwolle.