PSV has appointed Ibrahim Afellay as the new assistant coach of the first team. The former player of the Eindhoveners signs a contract for two and a half years. Afellay will join the staff of head coach Peter Bosz during the training camp in Estepona (Jan. 2-6).
The 53-time international of the Dutch national team had a brilliant playing career. As an attacking midfielder, besides PSV, he played for FC Barcelona, Olympiakos, Schalke 04 and Stoke City. With those clubs, he conquered four Dutch championship trophies, the Greek national title, the Spanish championship, the KNVB Cup and - last but not least - the Champions League, among others. Afellay played more than 200 official matches for PSV, the club where he joined the youth academy at the age of ten.
In recent years, the born Utrechter gained experience as an assistant coach, including in the youth training of Feyenoord and with the Netherlands Under 19. With the latter team, he was closely involved in winning the European Championship last summer. Under the guidance of Peter Bosz , Afellay hopes to take the next steps in his development as a coach at PSV.
"I am looking forward to that immensely," the former PSV captain assured. "When Director of Football Affairs Earnest Stewart approached me for this role, it immediately started itching. PSV is of course my club and besides that I find Peter Bosz a very interesting trainer. Moreover, I like the way PSV is managed. That was only confirmed during the talks in the Philips Stadium and at De Herdgang. I can't wait to start after the winter break and hopefully contribute my bit to nice successes."
Afellay is the successor to André Ooijer, who has decided to quit as assistant coach by mutual agreement with PSV. "For some this news will come as a surprise, especially after only last summer I returned to this role that I previously held for many years," Ooijer said. "It was not an easy decision for me; I struggled with it quite a bit. But one thing always comes first for me: to be honest with myself and with the people around me. And the honest conclusion is that, in this position, I no longer feel the drive and pleasure needed to go for it full force every day. And precisely that 110 percent commitment is essential for me to be able to be maximally successful together within a top club like PSV."
Ooijer continued: "To avoid any misunderstandings: this is entirely down to myself and not to the club, my colleagues or other circumstances. On the contrary, I am impressed with the level at which PSV works. The club is doing really well and that makes me genuinely proud. At the same time, I know that my own future lies outside football. I made that known to the head coach and the board at an early stage, so that they had enough time to find a suitable successor. Their reaction was typical of PSV: they were sorry, but also showed exceptional understanding for my situation. I appreciate that humanity enormously. I wish Ibrahim Afellay, my old teammate, every success and happiness. The same goes for PSV. Thanks for everything and I will continue to follow the club closely."