Louis van Gaal is to return to Ajax Amsterdam, this time as technical director, the Dutch league leaders announced this evening.
The former Ajax, Barcelona and Dutch national team coach, who has been linked with the vacancy Tottenham following the departure of Glenn Hoddle, will start on November 1st, replacing Leo Beenhakker, who left Amsterdam in June to coach America, Mexico's richest club.
Van Gaal, 52, will work with head coach Ronald Koeman managing director Arie van Eijden and head of the youth department, Danny Blind.
Koeman, an assistant to van Gaal in 1998-99 in his Barcelona days, said: "I am firmly of the opinion that this job will be his final one. He has said goodbye to his coaching career."
After a modest playing career, van Gaal started as assistant coach with Ajax in 1987 and became head coach in 1991.
That signalled a glorious period, highlighted by victories in the finals of the 1992 UEFA Cup and the European Cup in 1995.
In 1997 van Gaal joined Barcelona for three seasons and won the league twice. In 2000 he became Dutch national coach, but failed to qualify for the 2002 World Cup, quitting in late 2001.
In May 2002, he re-joined Barcelona but despite 10 consecutive Champions League wins, poor domestic form let him down and he stepped down in January this year.