Ted van Leeuwen steps down as technical director of NEC. After a year and a half of employment, the experienced director is of the opinion that all set goals have been achieved under his leadership.
Van Leeuwen, 69, submitted his resignation to NEC’s supervisory board in April. On request, the technical director continued until the summer transfer period, in which he recorded Jasper Cillessen, among others. At the end of October his period in Nijmegen will come to an end.
“NEC can no longer be compared with the club from a year and a half ago,” Van Leeuwen said in a statement. “With everyone’s help, a lot has changed for the better. Not only has NEC been promoted, but the entire organization has been brought to Eredivisie level. In terms of facilities and thinking.”
When Van Leeuwen took office in February 2021, NEC was still playing in the Kitchen Champion Division. The Nijmegen team forced promotion through the play-offs in May of that year and immediately showed themselves to be a stable Eredivisionist last season. NEC finished in eleventh place.
“All set goals have been achieved. And faster than expected. For those who have been in the business for as long as I have, there is little attraction of looking after the store. At my age, time is ticking a bit faster. The club is ready for the third phase of the project: fixing and expanding,” says Van Leeuwen.
De Gelderlander was previously technical director at Vitesse and FC Twente, among others. It is not yet known who will succeed Van Leeuwen at NEC, the current number eleven in the Eredivisie.
Technical director Ted van Leeuwen brought Jasper Cillessen back to NEC last summer.
Technical director Ted van Leeuwen brought Jasper Cillessen back to NEC last summer.
Photo: Getty Images
