Intro:

Marco van Basten steps down as head coach of AZ Alkmaar because of stress, but remains as assistant coach.

Script:

Marco van Basten stepped down as AZ Alkmaar coach on Tuesday because of stress but will stay on as assistant coach.

The 49-year-old took charge of the Dutch Eredivisie side this summer.

However he'd been on sick leave since the 28th of August and decided he could no longer continue as head coach, with his former assistant Alex Pastoor taking over.

The former Ajax and AC Milan striker retired as a player in 1995. Van Basten was coach of the Ajax reserve team before becoming Holland boss in 2004.

He led the Dutch to the last 16 of the 2006 World Cup and the quarter-finals of Euro 2008 before leaving to take charge of Ajax.

Van Basten also managed Heerenveen for two years before becoming AZ Alkmaar coach. But the 1992 world player of the year said heart palpitations brought on by stress had convinced him to step down.