Gent release Olde Riekerink
Monday, November 3, 2003
Article summary
Belgium's KAA Gent have fired coach Jan Olde Riekerink and replaced him with his assistant, Herman Vermeulen.
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Negative style
"This is a sad thing, but a decision had to be made," said Gent chairman Ivan De Witte. "We had hoped to continue with Olde Riekerink until the end of the season but we could not continue like this." Although Gent are ninth in the 18-team top flight and have lost just two of their eleven league matches, the fans had become disillusioned at the team's negative style of play.
Low morale
Friday's 0-0 draw at K. Lierse SK was Gent's fourth successive game without a goal. De Witte said of the display: "We have seen no improvement in recent weeks and I saw with my own eyes on Friday that morale among the players was below zero."
Vermeulen returns
A former Sparta Rotterdam player and key member of AFC Ajax's technical staff, the 40-year-old Olde Riekerink, 40, had joined Gent from the Amsterdam club in July 2002, ironically as a replacement for Vermeulen, who will be assisted by goalkeeping coach Philippe Vandewalle in his new role.