FC Groningen presses charges against fan who punched Willems
NOS Football––Customized
FC Groningen and Jetro Willems filed a police report against a fan of the club on Monday. The underage boy dealt a blow to the defender during the match against Heerenveen (0-2 defeat) and was arrested by police.
Managing director Wouter Gudde condemned the out of control situation and described the suspect as “a mindless imbecile.” Television footage clearly shows Willems being beaten by the fan.
Willems gets hit by own supporter, Groningen-Heerenveen halted
It was an eventful weekend at all for Groningen, which is fighting relegation as number 17 in the premier league. Things have long been unsettled at the club, which fired technical director Mark-Jan Fledderus in February.
New organizational structure
Groningen announced Monday that it is moving forward in a new organizational structure, without a technical director. A technical director helps determine the club’s short- and long-term goals. But Groningen will now fill in that part in a different way.
General director Wouter Gudde will lead the new technical organizational model. The head coach (as of next season Dick Lukkien), the manager soccer and education (Art Langeler) and a yet to be appointed soccer technical person, who will deal with the transfer policy and the first selection, will fall under Gudde.
Lukkien has been appointed head coach for the next three years. The 50-year-old Groninger comes over from FC Emmen after this season. Langeler, the former youth national team coach, will be promoted within FC Groningen. Since last year he was responsible for the youth academy.
Dennis van der Ree will be missing from the new organization next year. The current interim coach has been the successor to the fired Frank Wormuth since November, but failed to lead Groningen out of the relegation zone. He chooses to leave Groningen after the summer.
