PATRICK KLUIVERT HAS been appointed director of youth football at Barcelona on a two-year contract.
The role marks a return for the former Netherlands international to the club where he spent six seasons as a player.
Kluivert will be responsible for overseeing the famed La Masia academy, which produced Lionel Messi, Gerard Pique and Sergio Busquets.
“I am very happy to be back home and looking forward to this new era, with the challenge of keeping Barca among the top teams in the world,” Kluivert said.
“I grew up at the Ajax academy, which is very similar to La Masia, and I think I can do a lot for the development of young Barca players.”
The announcement comes just over a week after the 43-year-old was dismissed by Cameroon. Head coach Clarence Seedorf and assistant Kluivert had their contracts terminated after failing to guide the Indomitable Lions beyond the last 16 at the Africa Cup of Nations.
Since retiring from playing in 2008, Kluivert has been involved at various Eredivisie clubs and was part of Louis van Gaal’s coaching staff when Netherlands finished third at the 2014 World Cup.
He was briefly at the helm of the Curacao national team and spent a season as director of football at Paris Saint-Germain.
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