Al Jazira have appointed Dutchman Marcel Keizer as their new manager on a two-year deal, the Abu Dhabi club have announced.
The former coach of Ajax fills the vacant post of compatriot Henk ten Cate who retired after two and-a-half years with the club in May.
Ten Cate led Jazira to President’s Cup success in 2016 and the Arabian Gulf League title in 2017. In December he guided them to the semi-finals of the Fifa Club World Cup in the UAE, where they gave eventual champions Real Madrid a scare before losing 2-1.
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Ayed Mabkhout, a member of the club’s board of directors, said the club were keen to follow the Dutch school of football by signing Keizer as Ten Cate’s successor.
“We were successful with the style and system Henk ten Cate developed at the club and want to continue a similar type of football under Keizer,” said Mabkhout.
“Ten Cate promoted a lot of youngsters to the first team and it would be easier for them to continue with the brand of football they played under the new coach.”
Keizer, 49, was appointed as Ajax manager in June 2017, but dismissed six months later. Before that he has had spells in charge of other Dutch sides Telstar and FC Emmen, and was technical manager SC Cambuur.
Jazira finished the last season without a trophy and seventh in the league table, 25 points behind the champions Al Ain.
