Marcel Keizer promoted as Ajax football club head coach

Marcel Keizer, coach of the Dutch football club Ajax reserve side, has been promoted as head coach of the first team and will sign an initial two-year contract on July 1, with an option to extend one year

"Marcel Keizer has been appointed as the head coach of Ajax's first team. He will soon be signing a contract which will take effect on July 1, 2017, for two years, until June 30, 2019. An option for an additional year has been included in the contract," Ajax said in a statement.

Kierzer replaces Peter Bosz, who left the club after the Europa League final appearances to coach Borussia Dortmund.

Kiezer has earlier coached Dutch club SC Cambuur and initially played as a defender for the same club making 282 appearances and scoring 34 goals.

The club's General Manager Edwin van der Sar was delighted and has expressed his views in the statement on promoting Keizer.

"From the moment that there was a chance that we would need to find another head coach, Keizer was immediately a good candidate in the eyes of the Technical Heart. It's fitting for Ajax to first look internally, and in the past, several head coaches have come from our own organization," van der Sar said.

Keizer has told the club's website, he will proudly sign the contract despite having planned his upcoming season with the reserve team.

"The meetings we had were very positive, and I feel a lot of trust from the organisation. I had planned to achiever more good results with the Ajax Reserves next season in the Jupiler League, but things can change quite suddenly in football," he said.

This is, of course, a fantastic opportunity, and I grabbed it with both hands. Right now I'm still on holiday but soon I'll proudly sign the new contract."