Go Ahead Eagles have announced the departure of Paul Simonis, after he has signed a contract with VfL Wolfsburg. Assistant coach Tristan Berghuis and video analyst Martin Darneviel are also making the move to Germany.
Simonis was head coach in Deventer for one season, where he had previously been an assistant for two years under Kees van Wonderen.
This season, he and his staff guided Go Ahead Eagles to seventh place in the Eredivisie. He also won the TOTO KNVB Cup. Speaking to the clubโs media, the coach said, โItโs a mixed feeling. On the one hand, I am happy that I am going to work for such a big club that plays in a major European competition. It is a unique opportunity for me. I wanted to seize it.
โOn the other hand, you are leaving behind a club that is really in your heart. In the three seasons that I have worked here, I have experienced so much: promotion, survival and of course the past season in which we won the cup. It was unforgettable. And I am not the only one who has this club in my heart. My entire family has always had a very warm feeling about Go Ahead Eagles.โ
In a lengthy, emotional statement, the departing boss continued, โI am extremely grateful that I have always felt the support of the supporters, even in lesser phases. That has sometimes really kept me going. Despite my inexperience, I have been supported from minute one and have been approached positively. I am very grateful for that. Finally, I would like to thank the club very much for the trust they have had in me and the opportunities they have given me here.โ
General Manager Jan Willem van Dop: โWe regret that Paul Simonis is leaving, but we realise that we cannot stop it at this stage of his career. As much as we would have liked to keep Paul for another year, a club like Wolfsburg is so interesting to Paul that he could not pass up that opportunity.โ
GBeNeFNย |ย Max Bradfield
