Van Basten quits Ajax

Marco van Basten has resigned as Ajax head coach following the club’s failure to qualify for next season’s Champions League.

The 44-year-old took over at the Amsterdam ArenA last summer after guiding the Netherlands to the quarter-finals of Euro 2008, but has quit after less than one year of his four-year contract.

Sunday’s 4-0 reverse at Sparta Rotterdam, coupled with FC Twente’s 3-0 win over newly-crowned Eredivisie champions AZ Alkmaar, consigned Ajax to third spot and a place in the Europa League next term.