Ajax appoint Steijn as head coach

New Ajax head coach Maurice Steijn. Pic: Jeroen Putmans / ANP / AFP

Maurice Steijn has been appointed as Ajax Amsterdam's new head coach on a three-year contract, the Eredivisie club said on Wednesday following a poor season in which they failed to qualify for the Champions League for the first time in 13 seasons.

Steijn made his mark last year as he led modest Sparta Rotterdam to a sixth place finish in the Eredivisie, which was the team's best result in 27 years.