Netherlands coach Marco van Basten has signed a four-year deal to become manager of Ajax Amsterdam, the Dutch club said on Friday.

Van Basten announced in December he would step down from the national team after Euro 2008 in Austria and Switzerland. The Ajax Website said he would take over on July 1 from Adrie Koster who succeeded Henk ten Cate on a temporary basis after the latter joined Chelsea last October. It will be the 43-year-old van Basten’s third spell at the Amsterdam club where he began his playing career in 1981 and remained until 1987 when he joined AC Milan. He scored 151 goals in 172 games for Ajax, winning the Dutch title several times as well as the league and cup double in 1983 and the European Cup Winners’ Cup in 1987.

After a trophy-laden career, including two European Cups with Milan and a European Championship, van Basten retired from playing in 1995 aged 28 after a series of ankle operations. He rejoined Ajax in 2000 as youth coach. In 2004 the former European and World Player of the Year succeeded Dick Advocaat as Netherlands coach and has led the national team to the 2006 World Cup and Euro 2008. Van Basten’s assistant coaches at Ajax will be the club’s former players John van’t Schip and Rob Witschge.

“We are very pleased with three ambitious coaches who have a history at Ajax,” said team technical director Martin van Geel.

Van Basten had also been tipped as a possible coach for FC Barcelona, after Frank Rijkaard came under pressure following inconsistent play this season. However, he emerged this week as the favorite to take over from Koster after Johan Cryuff, a close friend of van Basten, agreed to help overhaul the ailing club.

“Johan and I have an extremely good relationship. He trusts my feeling and professional insight,” van Basten said. “We are in regular contact and have discussed the situation at Ajax.”