After HSV speculation
©IMAGO
This article was first published on November 28th at 6:32 a.m. and has been updated following confirmation from the club.
Ruud van Nistelrooy will soon continue his coaching career, but not at his former club HSV, as was recently speculated. A new task awaits in the Premier League. The Dutchman, who was temporarily in charge of Manchester United for a number of games, will join Leicester City on Sunday. He signed a contract there until 2027 on Friday, but will not be on the bench in the away game against Brentford FC on Saturday.
Van Nistelrooy had held intensive discussions with the club management this week, as previously reported by the English newspaper The Telegraph. The search for a successor was on the agenda for the Foxes after the separation from Steve Cooper, who had taken over from Enzo Maresca, who had moved to Chelsea, after promotion to the Premier League.
Leicester is above the line in the English elite league, but is only one point ahead of the first relegation place 18, where co-promoted Ipswich Town currently sits. Cooper had to pack his bags after a 2-1 home defeat against Chelsea – i.e. against his predecessor Maresca. He was only in office for twelve league games. With two wins and four draws he scored ten points.
It was becoming apparent that van Nistelrooy would now end up at Leicester City. In the summer before Cooper was signed, Belgian reporter Sacha Tavolieri had reported on van Nistelrooy as a candidate for the East Midlands club. Now the journalist once again shared information that goes even further than that of the English paper. The discussions had already been very concrete in the summer, but now they quickly got down to business.
During his stint at Man United as interim coach, the previous assistant coach van Nistelrooy made a good impression. At the crisis club, Erik ten Hag was 14th in the table after the 9th matchday. The ex-professional was able to get three wins from four competitive games and with a draw against Maresca’s Chelsea and a win in the league at least rekindled hope of a quick connection to the international places. His team won on matchday 11 – van Nistelrooy’s last game with the Red Devils – against his expected new club, Leicester City.
