Van Marwijk to succeed Van Basten as Dutch coach

By Theo Ruizenaar

AMSTERDAM (Reuters) - Feyenoord coach Bert van Marwijk has agreed a two-year contract from July 1 to succeed Marco van Basten as coach of the Netherlands, the Dutch football association (KNVB) said on Monday.

Van Basten, who took charge in 2004, had said after the Dutch qualified for Euro 2008 that he would step down following the June tournament in Switzerland and Austria. He will take over as coach of Ajax Amsterdam next season.

"We are pleased with this agreement as Bert was on our shortlist from the beginning," KNVB director Henk Kessler said in a statement.

"He made his name on a domestic level but also internationally. Now we will handle the final details about the composition of the technical staff."

Van Marwijk played once for the Netherlands during his career as a left winger, with spells at club level for Go Ahead Eagles Deventer, AZ Alkmaar, MVV Maastricht and Fortuna Sittard.

As a coach, he spent two years with Sittard before joining Feyenoord in 2000 and going on to win the UEFA Cup with the Rotterdam side in 2002.

He moved to Borussia Dortmund in 2004 but was sacked in December 2006 before returning to Feyenoord in June the following year.

His new task will be to steer the Dutch to the 2010 World Cup finals in South Africa.