Maurice Steijn

{{Infobox football biography

| name = Maurice Steijn

| image = Maurice Steijn.jpg

| caption = Steijn as coach of ADO Den Haag in 2012

| full_name =

| birth_date = {{birth date and age|df=yes|1973|11|20}}

| birth_place = The Hague, Netherlands

| height =

| position = Midfielder

| currentclub = Sparta Rotterdam (head coach)

| youthyears1 = 1980–1981

| youthclubs1 = VIOS

| youthyears2 = 1981–1993

| youthclubs2 = ADO Den Haag

| years1 = 1993–1999

| clubs1 = ADO Den Haag

| caps1 = 98

| goals1 = 6

| years2 = 1999–2001

| clubs2 = NAC Breda

| caps2 = 36

| goals2 = 1

| totalcaps = 134

| totalgoals = 7

| manageryears1 = 2010

| managerclubs1 = ADO Den Haag (caretaker)

| manageryears2 = 2011–2014

| managerclubs2 = ADO Den Haag

| manageryears3 = 2014–2019

| managerclubs3 = VVV-Venlo

| manageryears4 = 2019

| managerclubs4 = Al Wahda

| manageryears5 = 2020–2021

| managerclubs5 = NAC Breda

| manageryears6 = 2022–2023

| managerclubs6 = Sparta Rotterdam

| manageryears7 = 2023

| managerclubs7 = Ajax

| manageryears8 = 2024–

| managerclubs8 = Sparta Rotterdam

}}

Maurice Steijn (born 20 November 1973) is a Dutch professional football manager and former player.{{cite web|title=Ajax heeft eindelijk nieuwe trainer: Steijn komt over van Sparta Rotterdam|url=https://www.nu.nl/voetbal/6267612/ajax-heeft-eindelijk-nieuwe-trainer-steijn-komt-over-van-sparta-rotterdam.html|website=nu.nl|access-date=12 June 2023}} He is the current head coach of Eredivisie club Sparta Rotterdam.

Managerial career

=ADO Den Haag=

Steijn has a Bachelor of Education and has taught in primary education. As a coach, he started as an assistant to Bob Kootwijk at the ADO Den Haag amateur branch and also coached youth teams. After this, he became assistant for the first team and until 30 March 2010 also coached the ADO reserves, before being appointed caretaker manager of the ADO first team after the dismissal of Raymond Atteveld.{{cite web |title=Atteveld toch weg bij ADO Den Haag |url=https://www.nu.nl/sport/2216201/atteveld-toch-weg-bij-ado-haag.html?redirect=1 |publisher=NU.nl |access-date=3 October 2020 |language=nl |date=30 March 2010}}

After the departure of John van den Brom to Vitesse on 30 June 2011, Steijn was appointed head coach of ADO. On 5 February 2014, after three years as head coach, Steijn was dismissed after a loss against Heracles, and was succeeded by his assistant, former defender Henk Fräser.{{cite web |title=Fräser vervangt Steijn in Groningen |url=https://www.ad.nl/nederlands-voetbal/fraser-vervangt-steijn-in-groningen~af47ce7e/ |publisher=Algemeen Dagblad |access-date=3 October 2020 |language=nl |date=9 April 2013}}

= VVV-Venlo =

Maurice Steijn was appointed head coach of VVV-Venlo in July 2014{{Cite web |date=2020-03-09 |title=VVV-Venlo - Trainerhistorie |url=https://www.voetbal.com/teams/vvv-venlo/9/?utm_source=chatgpt.com |access-date=2025-06-01 |website=voetbal.com |language=nl}} and held the position until June 2019.{{Cite web |last=m.broersma |date=2019-06-09 |title=Officieel: Maurice Steijn van VVV-Venlo naar Al-Wahda |url=https://www.fcupdate.nl/voetbalnieuws/2019/06/officieel-maurice-steijn-van-vvv-naar-al-wahda |access-date=2025-06-01 |website=FCUpdate.nl |language=nl}} In his first two seasons, the team finished seventh and second in the Eerste Divisie, but failed to secure promotion through the play-offs. In the 2016–2017 season, VVV-Venlo won the Eerste Divisie title under his leadership, earning promotion to the Eredivisie. The club maintained its top-flight status in the following two seasons, finishing fifteenth and twelfth respectively.

In June 2019, Steijn left VVV-Venlo to become the head coach of Al-Wahda in the United Arab Emirates.

= Al-Wahda =

Maurice Steijn was appointed head coach of Al-Wahda in June 2019 but was dismissed in October 2019 after just a three games in charge.{{Cite web |title=DPG Media Privacy Gate |url=https://myprivacy.dpgmedia.nl/consent?siteKey=V9f6VUvlHxq9wKIN&callbackUrl=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.ad.nl%2Fprivacy-gate%2Faccept-tcf2%3FredirectUri%3D%252Fnederlands-voetbal%252Fmaurice-steijn-al-na-drie-duels-ontslagen-bij-al-wahda%7Ea4386ed4%252F%253Freferrer%253Dhttps%253A%252F%252Fwww.google.com%252F |access-date=2025-06-01 |website=myprivacy.dpgmedia.nl}}

= NAC Breda =

Maurice Steijn was appointed head coach of NAC Breda in July 2020, signing a three-year contract. During the 2020–2021 season, the team finished fifth in the Eerste Divisie and failed to secure promotion after losing to NEC in the play-off final.

His tenure was marked by internal conflicts, including disagreements with technical director Ton Lokhoff and criticism from supporters over the team's defensive playing style. In June 2021, Steijn resigned from his position due to threats directed at him and his family.{{Cite web |date=2021-06-19 |title=Steijn stapt na bedreigingen op als trainer van NAC Breda |url=https://nos.nl/artikel/2385819-steijn-stapt-na-bedreigingen-op-als-trainer-van-nac-breda?utm_source=chatgpt.com |access-date=2025-06-01 |website=nos.nl |language=nl}}

= Sparta Rotterdam =

Maurice Steijn was appointed head coach of Sparta Rotterdam in April 2022, taking over from Henk Fraser with four matches remaining in the season and the club at the bottom of the Eredivisie table.{{Cite web |title=DPG Media Privacy Gate |url=https://myprivacy.dpgmedia.nl/consent?siteKey=ucf98legs1caotgh&callbackUrl=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.nu.nl%2Fprivacy-gate%2Faccept%3FredirectUri%3D%252Fvoetbal%252F6197085%252Fsteijn-stapt-door-vertrek-fraser-nu-al-in-bij-degradatiekandidaat-sparta.html |access-date=2025-06-01 |website=myprivacy.dpgmedia.nl}} Under his leadership, Sparta secured 10 points from those four games, finishing 14th and avoiding relegation. In the 2022–23 season, Steijn guided Sparta to a sixth-place finish and reached the final of the European play-offs.

In June 2023, he departed to become head coach of Ajax after the Amsterdam club activated a clause in his contract.{{Cite web |date=2023-06-14 |title=Maurice Steijn vertrekt naar Ajax |url=https://www.sparta-rotterdam.nl/maurice-steijn-vertrekt-naar-ajax/ |access-date=2025-06-01 |website=Sparta Rotterdam |language=nl}}

=Ajax=

On 14 June 2023, Steijn was hired by Ajax on a three-year contract.{{cite web |url=https://www.espn.com/soccer/story/_/id/37851264/ajax-hire-maurice-steijn-new-manager-woeful-season |title=Ajax hire Maurice Steijn as new manager after woeful season |publisher=ESPN |date=14 June 2023 }} On 23 October 2023, a day after a 4–3 loss to Utrecht placed it second-from-last on the Eredivisie table, Ajax announced that it was parting ways with Steijn after just two wins through eleven matches in charge.{{cite web |url=https://english.ajax.nl/articles/ajax-and-maurice-steijn-part-ways/ |title=Ajax and Maurice Steijn part ways |publisher=Ajax |date=23 October 2023 }} The club under Steijn experienced their worst ever start of a season, with only five points in seven matches, taking into consideration that the 1964–65 season was during a standard of two points for a win.{{cite web |url=https://www.vi.nl/nieuws/historisch-slechte-start-ajax-onder-de-streep-en-minder-punten-dan-ooit |title=Historisch slechte start Ajax: onder de streep en minder punten dan ooit |publisher=vi.nl |language=nl |date=8 October 2023 }}{{cite web |url=https://www.france24.com/en/live-news/20231023-crisis-hit-ajax-split-with-coach-maurice-steijn |title=Crisis-hit Ajax split with coach Maurice Steijn |publisher=France 24 |date=23 October 2023 }}

=Return to Sparta=

On 2 November 2024, Sparta Rotterdam announced that Steijn would return to the club on a contract until the end of the season.{{cite web |url=https://www.vi.nl/nieuws/sparta-schakelt-snel-steijn-keert-terug-als-opvolger-rijsdijk |title=Sparta schakelt snel: Steijn keert terug als opvolger Rijsdijk |trans-title=Sparta moves fast: Steijn returns to succeed Rijsdijk |language=Dutch |date=2 November 2024 |access-date=3 November 2024}}

Personal life

Steijn is the father of the Dutch footballer Sem Steijn, and managed his son's debut at VVV-Venlo on 6 December 2018.{{cite web|url=https://www.venlonaren.net/jeugdspelers-sluiten-aan-bij-selectie-vvv-venlo-sem-steijn-gehuurd-van-ado-den-haag/|title=Jeugdspelers sluiten aan bij selectie VVV-Venlo, Sem Steijn gehuurd van ADO Den Haag|date=28 June 2018|website=Venlonaren}}

Managerial statistics

class=wikitable style="text-align: center" \|+ Managerial record by team and tenure
rowspan=2\|Team !rowspan=2\|From !rowspan=2\|To !colspan=5\|Record !rowspan=2\|{{abbr\|Ref\|Reference}}
{{abbr\|P\|Matches played}}	{{abbr\|W\|Matches won}}	{{abbr\|D\|Matches drawn}}	{{abbr\|L\|Matches lost}}	{{abbr\|Win %\|Win percentage}}
align=left\|ADO Den Haag (caretaker) \|align=left\|30 March 2010 \|align=left\|30 June 2010 {{WDL\|5\|2\|0\|3\|decimals=2}} \|
align=left\|ADO Den Haag \|align=left\|30 June 2011 \|align=left\|5 February 2014 {{WDL\|100\|29\|23\|48\|decimals=2}} \|
align=left\|VVV-Venlo \|align=left\|1 July 2014 \|align=left\|8 June 2019 {{WDL\|197\|88\|47\|62\|decimals=2}} \|
align=left\|Al Wahda \|align=left\|9 June 2019 \|align=left\|10 October 2019 {{WDL\|8\|3\|2\|3\|decimals=2}} \|
align=left\|NAC Breda \|align=left\|10 July 2020 \|align=left\|19 June 2021 {{WDL\|42\|23\|8\|11\|decimals=2}} \|
align=left\|Sparta Rotterdam \|align=left\|25 April 2022 \|align=left\|12 June 2023 {{WDL\|43\|21\|11\|11\|decimals=2}} \|
align=left\|Ajax \|align=left\|14 June 2023 \|align=left\|23 October 2023 {{WDL\|11\|2\|4\|5\|decimals=2}} \|
align=left\|Sparta Rotterdam \|align=left\|2 November 2024 \|align=left\|present {{WDL\|24\|7\|8\|9\|decimals=2}} \|
colspan=3\|Total {{WDLtot\|430\|175\|103\|152\|decimals=2}} !—

class=wikitable style="text-align: center"

|+ Managerial record by team and tenure

rowspan=2|Team

!rowspan=2|From

!rowspan=2|To

!colspan=5|Record

!rowspan=2|{{abbr|Ref|Reference}}

align=left|ADO Den Haag (caretaker)

|align=left|30 March 2010

|align=left|30 June 2010

align=left|ADO Den Haag

|align=left|30 June 2011