Soccer: Wouters to leave Utrecht at end of season

Jan Wouters will step down as Utrecht coach at the end of a disappointing season, the Dutch club announced on Thursday.

The former Netherlands midfielder, who last season took Utrecht to a fifth place finish in the league, will leave the club after 2-1/2 years in charge.

Utrecht started this season with a shock defeat to Differdange of Luxembourg in the Europa League and never recovered as they were hampered by a long list of injuries to key players.

They are 11th in the Dutch championship standings with 38 points and with two games left to play.

Three of Wouters' former international colleagues are also quitting their respective Dutch league jobs at the end of the season - Ronald Koeman at second placed Feyenoord, his brother Erwin Koeman at RKC Waalwijk and Marco van Basten will depart Heerenveen.