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Doha – The Royal Dutch Football Association (KNVB) announced in a statement on Monday the appointment of Moroccan coach Adil Ramzi, 46, as the new head coach of the Netherlands’ Under-18 national team.
Ramzi, who previously managed Wydad AC, will succeed Dutch coach Mischa Visser and assume his new role on July 1, as he prepares the team for the upcoming European competitions.
Expressing his pride in the trust bestowed upon him by the Dutch football authorities, Ramzi, in a statement to the KNVB’s official website, emphasized his commitment to nurturing a generation of talented players capable of making a significant impact on the Netherlands U-18 team.
Nigel de Jong, the general manager of the KNVB, praised Ramzi’s personality, stating that it qualifies him to make a difference with the Dutch national teams.
The KNVB’s decision to appoint Ramzi as the U-18 coach is seen as a strategic move to prevent Morocco from attracting the majority of the rising talents in the Netherlands, as has been the case in recent years.
By leveraging Ramzi’s strong relationships with the families of players of Moroccan descent, the Dutch football association aims to prevent more young stars from joining the Moroccan national team, known as the “Atlas Lions,” in the future.
Adel Ramzi, born on July 14, 1977, in Marrakech, holds both Moroccan and Dutch citizenship. He began his professional career in the 1995-1996 season with Kawkab Marrakech before embarking on his successful football journey.
This included stints at various clubs such as Udinese (Italy), Willem II (Netherlands), PSV Eindhoven (Netherlands), Córdoba (Spain), AZ Alkmaar (Netherlands), FC Twente (Netherlands), FC Utrecht (Netherlands), and NAC Breda (Netherlands), where he eventually retired.
Prior to his appointment as the Netherlands U-18 coach, Ramzi had a brief stint as the head coach of Wydad AC at the beginning of the current football season. However, he parted ways with the Moroccan club in December due to a mutual agreement, following a series of mixed results.
Under his leadership, Wydad played nine matches in the Moroccan professional football league, winning six, drawing one, and losing two. The team also reached the final of the inaugural CAF Super League, participated in three matches in the CAF Champions League, and competed in three matches in the Arab Club Champions Cup — also known as the “King Salman Cup.”
Ramzi’s coaching experience also includes working as an assistant coach to Mark van Bommel at PSV Eindhoven and managing the club’s reserve team.
His extensive playing career, coupled with his coaching experience in both Morocco and the Netherlands, positions him as a valuable asset to the KNVB in their pursuit of nurturing and retaining young talent.
