Jimmy calls it quits after Dutch job turns sour
JIMMY CALDERWOOD has walked out as the manager of Dutch side De Graafschap after just 29 days in charge, following a bust-up with the Board.
The former Aberdeen, Kilmarnock, Ross County and Dunfermline boss returned to management only last month at the troubled Dutch Second Division club.
But his time in charge lasted just four weeks after an argument erupted at th e cl u b ov e r Calderwood’s assistant manager, Richard Roelofsen.
Calderwood says the club wanted him to change his backroom staff but the 58-yearold refused and, after initially claiming Calderwood was on sick leave, De Graafschap then admitted he’d resigned.
But De Graafschap Managing Director Henk Bloemers said: “Jimmy Calderwood wanted a change in the technical staff, under pressure from a sponsor.
“Unfortunately, he did not mention the name of the sponsor. This is unacceptable to us.
“We asked him to come back, but he refused and then we both decided it would be better if he left.”
But that drew an outraged response from Calderwood.
He explained: “The club wanted me to say I was sick, but I’ve never been sick in my whole life.
“As for the claim about a sponsor, that is nonsense. I came to the conclusion I didn’t want all this.
“It’s better to walk away with honour. It’s a shame because they are a great club – maybe the timing wasn’t right for me.”
And Calderwood insisted he was not behind the move to replace Roelofsen. He said: “Some people had problems with Richard, but I do not.
“The Board wanted me to be a messenger of bad news.
“When I finally told him that the Board wanted him to leave, Richard was really upset.
“The rest of the staff would have blamed me for making the decision, and that wasn’t fair.”