"I am waiting for the first football club that says: we have a technical director and a sporting director" - Merijn Zeeman about stepping into the world of football

At the end of this season, architect of Visma | Lease a Bike's success Merijn Zeeman will leave the team and start working as general manager at football club AZ Alkmaar. A dream is coming true for him, because he has always seen a challenge in the football world.

It was mid-March 2024 when WielerFlits asked Zeeman about his ambitions in football during the premiere of the new Amazon documentary, after there were rumors about a move to AZ. "I haven't received a call from them yet. They can always call me, but whether I answer is another matter."

He continues: "I think football is a very nice sport and I certainly think that I would like to switch to football someday, but that is not current at the moment. I will definitely be at Visma | this year Lease a Bike. I don't know what I think about it. I have already been associated with FC Twente, that is a compliment."

As an outsider, he often sees that a football coach is screwed when a team is performing poorly. Zeeman would like to approach this differently. "In football, the role of technical director is 80% buying and selling players, negotiating contracts and maintaining relationships with managers. The sporty aspect no longer receives any attention at all. I am waiting for the first football club that says: we have a technical director and a sporting director," he noted in Met Open Vizier.