Mitchell van der Gaag has announced that he will stand down as Excelsior Rotterdam coach at the end of the season.
- By Michael Bell
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The 46-year-old has been in charge of Excelsior since 2016 and guided the club to safety last season on the last day of the season. This year the club sit safely in 12th and are set to remain in the Eredivisie comfortably.
Van der Gaag told the official Excelsior website, ‘The decision to leave was not easy for me, but I’m ready for a new challenge after this season. I would like to go abroad again, but at the moment I do not really know where my future lies. The club has the right to know it now. They must also continue. Now that I have made the decision, it is good for everyone that there is clarity.
I wanted to go back home to Portugal after the year at Eindhoven, but then Excelsior offered me this opportunity. This was investing in myself. I’m really enjoying myself at Excelsior. I want to thank the club for the opportunity they have given me in the Eredivisie and for the support in the past two seasons. For the next few months my decision does not change anything. We want to continue to play safely as quickly as possible and to give a good follow-up to what we have achieved in recent months.”
Van der Gaag started his managerial career in Portugal with Maritimo before spells with Belenenses, Ermis and FC Eindhoven.
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