Said Bakkati, formerly of Ajax, will join Maurice Steijn’s technical staff at Sparta Rotterdam with immediate effect.

The club have reported that the former footballer will become assistant coach in Rotterdam and that an agreement has been reached with the Amsterdam club about the transfer.

Bakkati was last active in football at Ajax, where he worked with Steijn. The two will work together again at Het Kasteel. Bakkati ended his playing career in 2015 and worked as a youth coach at FC Emmen, before he became assistant at Jong Ajax under Andries Ulderink.

At Sparta, Bakkati will be the assistant coach for a total of eight times. After Jong Ajax, he was also at Reading, PEC Zwolle, Feyenoord and FC Cincinnati (under Jaap Stam), ADO Den Haag (under Dick Advocaat) and then Ajax. Jay Driessen is Steijn’s other assistant, and Max de Jong is the new goalkeeper coach. He came over from Vitesse.

Sparta will start their season visiting champions PSV on the 9th of August. Before that, there will be pre-season games against FC Dordrecht, ADO Den Haag, De Graafschap and Willem II.