Khalid Boulahrouz signed a two-year contract with AZ on Saturday. The former defender and former the Dutch international will definitely join the staff of the A-selection as an assistant and specialist trainer, in which he has been involved since the preparation.
As assistant coach of AZ Under-18, he was able to get a taste of the trainer’s profession. Since this season, the 39-year-old Boulahrouz has been part of the technical staff of Pascal Jansen’s A-selection. Both sides like this so much that this collaboration has been formalized. In addition, Boulahrouz, like Ron Vlaar, is working on the UEFA C trainer course.
“It is special to sign as a trainer at the club where I spent a large part of my youth,” says Boulahrouz on the club site. “This is a new phase in my career. I have always said that I never wanted to become a trainer, but Robin van Persie persuaded me to at least try it. I started doing that here at AZ and that is very good for me.” I really enjoy sharing my experiences with the guys on the pitch.”
“I am an assistant trainer at AZ 1, but based on the idea that I still have to get my trainer diplomas. So I am still learning from the head coach and the assistants. I still have a long way to go, but this is a great opportunity to gain a lot of experience.” Director of football affairs Max Huiberts is satisfied with the collaboration: “He has proved in a short period of time that he knows how to transfer his knowledge and extensive experience in the top of the football world to the players.”
Boulahrouz played in the youth of AZ. As a professional, he successively played for RKC Waalwijk, Hamburger SV, Chelsea, Sevilla, VfB Stuttgart, Sporting Portugal, Brøndby IF and Feyenoord. ‘De Kannibaal’ also has 35 international matches on behalf of the Dutch national team to his name. He made his the Dutch debut in September 2004 and was there at the 2006 and 2010 World Cups and the 2008 European Championship.
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