FC Twente fires coach Co Adriaanse

AMSTERDAM (AP)—FC Twente fired coach Co Adriaanse on Tuesday and club chairman Joop Munsterman said former England coach Steve McClaren was “on the list” of candidates to replace him.

Adriaanse, who also has coached Ajax, Red Bull Salzburg and FC Porto, was halfway through a one-season contract at Twente.

He began his tenure by winning the season-opening Johan Cruyff Shield and the team is currently third in the Eredivisie, five points behind leader AZ Alkmaar. But relations between Adriaanse and the players and assistant trainers have been strained.

“The synergy and chemistry we hoped for never happened,” Munsterman said at a news conference.

McClaren, 50, remains popular in Enschede after he coached Twente to its first Dutch league title in 2010.

Despite reports in the Dutch media that McClaren was already lined up to succeed Adriaanse, Munsterman said he was only one of a list of possible candidates.

“We want to talk (with McClaren) and we will do that in the coming days,” he said. He did not name any other possible candidates.

McClaren has been out of work since leaving English second-tier side Nottingham Forest in November, after just 10 matches in charge.

McClaren became England coach in 2006 but was ditched by the Football Association after just 18 months when the team failed to qualify for Euro 2008.