Former Netherlands coach Knobel dies

Former Netherlands coach George Knobel, who led the Dutch to third place in the 1976 European Championships, died on Saturday aged 89.

Knobel coached Ajax during the 1973-74 season but was sacked when he said in an interview that the club, which had been European Champions in 1971, 1972 and 1973, would be relegated through “booze and women”. He took the national reins and in 1976 the Oranje lost 3-1 to eventual champions Czechoslovakia in the semi-finals, but beat hosts Yugoslavia 3-2 in the play-off.