Marco van Basten has claimed that stress caused by being a head coach nearly led to him quitting football altogether as he wasn't "having a good life".
The 50-year-old has managed the Netherlands national team and Dutch clubs Ajax, Heerenveen and AZ before stepping down to the role of assistant manager for the Alkmaar side amid health problems.
Van Basten told The Express: "I was not happy any more as a head coach. The responsibility did not make me happy.
"I have been a trainer for 10 years and I tried to become a better trainer, but in the end I had the feeling that I didn't have all things under control and when I don't have things under control I am not happy.
"I was thinking about leaving the game. I wasn't able to cope with [defeat] in a good way and in the end I wasn't really having a good life."
John van den Brom is the current manager of AZ, whom Van Basten now works under.
Written by
Giuseppe Labellarte
Giuseppe Labellarte
