Former Dutch national player Erwin Koeman has taken over the reins of the Hungarian national team. Koeman has been tasked with leading the World Cup runners-up of 1938 and 1954 to the 2010 FIFA World Cup™ in South Africa. This is his third post as head coach, following spells with RKC Waalwijk (2004-2005) and Feyenoord (2005-2007). The older brother of Ronald Koeman succeeds Peter Varhidi, who missed out on qualification for EURO 2008 in Austria and Switzerland. Germany’s most-capped national player Lothar Matthaus coached the Magyars in 2004-2005. Koeman, a European champion in Germany in 1988, will face Portugal, Sweden, Denmark, Malta and Albania with the Hungarian team in Group 1 of the FIFA World Cup™ qualifiers.

Former German international Carsten Jancker is prolonging his career as a striker with Austrian club SV Mattersburg. The former Bayern Munich goal-getter has extended his contract with the club from Austria’s easternmost province by a further two years. In 2001, the German won the UEFAChampions League with Bayern. “I feel at home in Mattersburg,” the 2002 FIFA World Cup™ finalist told Austrian daily Osterreich. Jancker recently held in-depth talks with Austrian champions Rapid Vienna, where coach Peter Pacult wanted the 33-year-old as a replacement for Stefan Maierhofer, who is currently on loan at Greuther Furth and looks set to leave the club. However, Jancker, who played for Rapid from 1995 to 1996 and shot the club into the European Cup Winners’ Cup final with six goals, turned down their offer. “Rapid really wanted me, but it wasn’t to be.” Jancker gained 33 caps for Germany and scored ten goals. He played for Cologne, Bayern Munich and Kaiserslautem in Germany’s Bundesliga, scoring 53 goals in 178 matches.

Four former Dutch internationals will soon find themselves back in the classroom – Patrick Kluivert, capped 79 times, is set to begin a football coaching course on 28 May. Joining the Lille striker in the classroom will be Dennis Bergkamp, Michael Reiziger and the future Netherlands assistant coach, Phillip Cocu, all of whom are doing the course, which has been shortened to a year for former Dutch internationals. According to figures released by the Dutch football association, the course will be attended by 21 former professional players in all.