Fortuna Sittard wants to continue with Sjors Ultee for longer. Football International reports on Monday afternoon that the head coach has reached agreement on a new contract until mid-2023. Ultee’s current contract in Sittard will continue for more than a year. The successor of Kevin Hofland, who was fired, is making an impressive advance with the Limburgers, which has resulted in tenth place in the Eredivisie.
After the 1-3 victory over VVV-Venlo on Sunday, the revived Fortuna is even still in the race for a ticket for the play-offs for European football. The club management would therefore love to continue with Ultee, who could have left the middle engine after the end of this season due to an escape clause. Fortuna wants to exclude that risk with the upgraded contract. In addition to Ultee, assistant coach Rob Alflen will eventually sign a new deal in Limburg, with the difference that his contract will then run until mid-2022.
Football International expects Fortuna to officially announce the contract extension of Ultee and Alflen this week. Ultee, who previously worked at FC Utrecht and FC Twente, joined Fortuna in mid-2019, with the idea that he would start working with Hofland. Due to the disappointing results, the latter was fired in November and Ultee was only in charge on a technical level. Under his leadership Fortuna left seventeenth place and the road towards the middle bracket was started.
Hofland entered on Sunday morning Good morning Eredivisie from ESPN are still complaining about Ultee’s behavior after his dismissal. Analyst Hans Kraay junior asked what Hofland’s biggest irritation is towards Ultee. “At one point you say: ‘I’m out of here too, this is not going to happen’. He said that not only to me, but to everyone. And two days later he is in front of the camera like: ‘Yes, I’m a candidate. ”And I don’t mind, because I understand that. One person’s death is another’s bread”, Hofland continued his review of the interim departure from Fortuna. “But then give a call. Like:” Kevin listen, the situation has changed. They approached me and I’m going for it. “Maybe I think differently, because I would do it,” said the former defender ,
However, according to Hofland, there is no irreparable rift between him and Ultee. “But it’s okay now, because we just had contact afterwards and talked about it. It all went very quickly and it was a roller coaster for him, I believe that too. At one point a lot came towards him. But again: I think like this and that doesn’t mean he should think like that to give me a call. We’ve said it and it’s just done “, emphasized the clubless coach.