Johan Neeskens has been sacked as coach of NEC Nijmegen, the struggling Dutch first division club have revealed.

NEC lie 14th in the standings following a 3-2 defeat at bottom club Graafschap Doetinchem on Sunday.

The former Netherlands midfielder took over at NEC in 2000 after being assistant coach of the Dutch national side for several years and helped the club qualify for the UEFA Cup in 2003.

Neeskens, a member of the Dutrch teams which reached both the 1974 and 1978 World Cup finals, had already said that this would be his last season in Nijmegen.

Assistant coaches Cees Lok and Ron de Groot will take over while the board use the winter break to find a successor.