Stefanie van der Gragt will work as technical manager for AZ Women next football season. The Alkmaar club report that the 101-time Orange international will soon sign a three-year contract with the club which will return to the Eredivisie after twelve years. Van der Gragt (30) herself announced on Tuesday that she would end her football career after the World Cup next summer.
Van der Gragt, from Heerhugowaard, thus returns to the club with which she became national champion in the 2009-2010 season and won the cup a year later. After AZ, she played for Telstar, FC Twente, Ajax, Bayern Munich and FC Barcelona. With the latter club, she reached the Champions League final four years ago. She currently plays football in Italy at Internazionale.
With Orange, she became European champion in her own country in 2017 and the central defender reached the World Cup final two years later, in which the United States were too strong.
AZ will replace VV Alkmaar in the Eredivisie next season. “With the recruitment of Stefanie, we have taken a very important step. Stefanie knows the world of football inside and out and has a global network. With her at the helm of AZ Women, we will build a successful period in our way.” says Robert Eenhoorn, Managing Director of AZ. Earlier it was announced that Mark de Vries would become the manager and Veerle van der Most was the first player to be contracted for the next season.
“Introvert. Avid gamer. Wannabe beer advocate. Subtly charming zombie junkie. Social media trailblazer. Web scholar.”