Mitchell van der Gaag becomes new coach of FCZ

(sda) FC Zurich has found a successor to coach Ricardo Moniz. His Dutch compatriot Mitchell van der Gaag will be in charge of the Super League team for the next two years.

Van der Gaag, 53, began his coaching career in Portugal in January 2008 with CS Maritimo's reserve team. He was promoted to head coach of the first team at the same club in September 2009. Van der Gaag's next position was also in Portugal. He helped Belenenses achieve promotion to the top national league in the 2012/13 season. He later worked as a coach in Cyprus with Ermis Aradippou and in his home country with Eindhoven, Excelsior Rotterdam, NAC Breda, and Ajax Amsterdam's reserve team.

From 2021 to 2024, Van der Gaag was Erik ten Hag's assistant, first for one season at Ajax Amsterdam and then for two years at Manchester United, where he had Cristiano Ronaldo, Bruno Fernandes, and Christian Eriksen under his wing, among others, and won the English League Cup in 2023. He also participated in the Champions League with both clubs.

As a player, Van der Gaag played as a central defender and made 208 competitive appearances in the Dutch Eredivisie for Nijmegen, PSV Eindhoven, Sparta Rotterdam, and Utrecht, among others. He also played for Motherwell in Scotland, Maritimo in Portugal, and Al-Nasr in Saudi Arabia.

According to FC Zurich President Ancillo Canepa, Van der Gaag was the preferred candidate to succeed Ricardo Moniz. "We are therefore very happy that we were able to hire such an experienced and competent head coach who can continue on our chosen path," Canepa is quoted as saying in the press release.

Moniz was forced to leave his post after a disappointing season and only 13 months of working with the club. FC Zurich finished the Super League championship first in the relegation group, finishing seventh. The club's management announced the departure earlier this week.

More to follow.