Anthony Correia is the leading candidate to succeed Ron Jans at FC Utrecht, according to De Telegraaf. The Telstar manager saw his side lose 0-2 to FC Groningen on Saturday evening, but after the match the talk centred mainly on his possible future in Utrecht. Correia himself confirms that talks have already taken place.
The 43-year-old manager acknowledged that he is in talks with several clubs at this stage of the season. “At this stage of the competition, you sometimes have a coffee with various clubs,” the coach told ESPN.
“Everyone at Telstar knows that I think Utrecht is a very nice club, so we’ve certainly had a coffee,” said Correia.
According to sources close to the manager, FC Utrecht has put him at the top of their list. The club is looking for a successor to Ron Jans, who is retiring at the end of this season, and sees Correia as the ideal candidate. Talks between the two parties are now at an advanced stage.
According to De Telegraaf, FC Utrecht and Correia have already reached broad agreement. The biggest obstacle currently lies with Telstar, which is holding out for a high fee in the negotiations. As Correia has no release clause in his contract, the club can demand a substantial transfer fee. As a result, the clubs are still far apart for the time being.
Meanwhile, FC Utrecht is also keeping other options open. Rick Kruys of FC Volendam and a foreign candidate are also part of the final shortlist. Nevertheless, Correia currently has the edge.
AZ has also been mentioned as a possible destination for Correia, but that interest appears less concrete. The focus is currently mainly on FC Utrecht, where he is seen as the leading candidate to succeed Jans. That makes the coming weeks crucial for his future.
Correia himself remains calm amid all the developments. “I don’t know how far this will go, but that’s not relevant at the moment,” he said. “For now, my focus is solely on Telstar. I really enjoy working here, because this is the place where I actually have an influence.”