Barcelona hire Kluivert as youth football chief

By Can Erozden

ANKARA (AA) - Spanish football club Barcelona hired their ex-forward Patrick Kluivert as the youth football chief on Thursday.

Barcelona said on website that Dutch veteran Kluivert, 43, was appointed as the club's youth football director until June 2021.

"I am very happy to be back home and looking forward to this new era, with the challenge of keeping Barça among the top teams in the world," Kluivert said and adding that he can contribute a lot to the development of youngsters.

"I grew up at the Ajax academy, which is very similar to La Masia (Barcelona's youth setup), and I think I can do a lot for the development of young Barça players," he added.

Kluivert played for Barcelona from 1998 to 2004, scoring 145 goals in 308 appearances in this term.

The former Netherlands striker won the Spanish top-tier La Liga title with Barcelona in 1999.

Kluivert last assisted Dutch coach Clarence Seedorf at Cameroon national football team but the duo were sacked by Cameroonian Football Federation after this team failed in the 2019 Africa Cup of Nations this summer.