Bosz, a former player and technical director at Ajax’s arch rival Feyenoord, is leaving Maccabi Tel Aviv to join the Amsterdam club on a three-year contract.

In a statement late Tuesday, Bosz says it is an honour to join Ajaxe. He says, "I am very ambitious and so is Ajax."

Ajax director Edwin van der Sar says that in Bosz, Ajax has hired a coach "who can make our talented squad even better."

Ajax finished second behind PSV Eindhoven in the top flight Eredivisie season that has just ended.

The club announced Thursday that the 45-year-old former Netherlands international would not extend his contract, which still had one year to run.

De Boer led the Amsterdam club to four straight league titles in his first years in charge, but saw rival PSV Eindhoven win the Eredivisie in the past two seasons.

De Boer said he has no immediate plans and "a year without a club is an option."

No successor was immediately named.

Police made the arrests late Tuesday as fans damaged cars, burned garbage containers and were involved in fights after their team’s shootout loss to Atletico Madrid in the Champions League.

A second group of fans is to be investigated for throwing coins for women begging in Madrid’s central Plaza Mayor, Madrid’s regional prosecutor said Thursday.

The incident was also discussed in Spain’s Parliament. Toni Canto, the president of Spain’s culture commission, read a statement Thursday saying the actions witnessed and filmed in the square were "racist and xenophobic."

Acting Prime Minister Mariano Rajoy said he was disgusted by the "repugnant" and "sickening" behaviour of fans.

"I honestly think we should proceed judicially against these absolute barbarians," said Rajoy, who leads a caretaker government after an inconclusive Dec. 20 general election.

In a statement on its website, PSV distanced itself from the fans and promised to find and punish those responsible for some "nasty incidents" with beggars in Madrid.

"PSV will do their utmost to track down the people who have caused these incidents and if we identify them, they will be in trouble," the statement said.

Police said all six of the supporters arrested were of Dutch nationality and were also involved in inflicting bodily harm to others and resisting arrest.

Several people had filed formal complaints against fans, police said.

The Royal Dutch Football Association announced the 39-year-old Van Nistelrooy’s departure Wednesday.

The former PSV, Manchester United and Real Madrid forward joined the Dutch coaching staff after the World Cup in 2014. After reaching the semifinals in Brazil, the team’s form slumped and it failed to qualify for this year’s European Championship in France.

No replacement for Van Nistelrooy was immediately announced.

It’s a huge opportunity for every player here, but only a select few, Thomas included, look like they have a chance to crack the roster for the Raptors brand new NBA Development League team and take one step closer to the biggest and best pro basketball league on earth.

There’s plenty on the line but Thomas doesn’t radiate stress like those around him. It’s not that he’s better at hiding it; he just knows everything—good or bad—happens for a reason.

In May, Thomas, a native of Ajax, ON, graduated from Troy University after two seasons with the Trojans, averaging 30.2 minutes and 9.7 points per game. When he received his degree (in Social Science, with a minor in Recreation), he was faced with an all-too-familiar question: What now?

Raptors 905 could be the answer.

Raptors 905 is the newest addition to the NBA’s minor league, which has existed since 2001. Last season, 47 players from the D-League were called up to the NBA. In August, Raptors 905 selected the rights to 16 players in the 2015 Expansion Draft, and though none of them may wind up in the roster, nearly half of them have NBA experience. That same month, the team announced an open tryout to fill five roster spots at training camp. For Thomas, the tryout is a potential lifeline.

“[The team] got in contact in early July,” Thomas recalls. “They must have remembered me from a workout this summer, and they wanted me to come out and showcase my skills again. I think God opened a door for me with that one.”

And, as you can imagine, playing for a Raptors affiliate would be especially sweet for the local kid. “Growing up, I used to watch the Raptors a lot,” says Thomas. “Of course, there were the big names like Vince Carter and Chris Bosh. I always loved how flashy they were. I’d go outside [to the family hoop] and try to imitate what I saw.”

But growing up north of the border, getting noticed hasn’t always been as easy for Thomas as it’s been for some of the nation’s marquee hoops talent. “As a Canadian, [scouts] think you’re probably soft, the skill level is probably not there,” he says. “They might skim over us and leave us in the dirt, not really give us a chance.” Though he acknowledges the landscape is changing rapidly. “I know that stereotype is shifting,” says Thomas. “A lot of us are pushing through, being hard-headed and pursuing our dreams.”

A wide range of talent (not to mention age—the oldest guy is 39) has shown up to the tryouts. But in team drills and scrimmages, Thomas is clearly a cut above. His run is more of a lope and his long arms hang loose at his side. Thomas, whose smile rarely leaves his face, isn’t focused on doing it all himself and moves the ball at every opportunity, eager to get his teammates involved.

It’s a valuable trait in a player, but it doesn’t make it any easier to spot him in the swirling crowd, highlighting the most difficult element of this tryout: standing out.

According to Raptors 905 head coach Jesse Mermuys, who spent the last three years as an assistant on Dwane Casey’s staff, the best strategy is to stick with what you know. “We’re looking for versatility, guys who can play and guard multiple positions,” he explains. “We want to see good teammates, [guys who are] energetic, passing the basketball [and] not trying to do things that they can’t.”

GM Dan Tolzman says the creation of the D-League team is “a clear sign of the upward trajectory of the interest in the game [in Canada] that will only get bigger and bigger.” According to Tolzman, having a team that feeds direction into the Raptors means the goal of making it onto an NBA roster has suddenly become more attainable.

The day after the tryout, Thomas reflects on his effort: “I think I did pretty well. I feel confident in my performance. I believe I can be a great part of their organization. I’ve just got to pray and hope for the best and keep working hard.”

For now, at least, it seems his prayers have been answered. On Wednesday morning, Raptors 905 released the list of five athletes whose performance at the tryout earned them an invitation to training camp. The last name on the list: Kevin Thomas.

Shakhtar Donetsk also must travel in the first leg to face Fenerbahce, which returns to UEFA competitions after a two-year ban for match-fixing.

Ajax is away first against Rapid Vienna, and CSKA Moscow hosts Sparta Prague.

Panathinaikos was drawn at home to Bruges, through could yet go directly to the group stage. Greek champion Olympiakos is implicated in an ongoing criminal match-fixing investigation and could be expelled.

In a separate draw for national champions, Basel, which reached the last 16 last season, is away first against Lech Poznan or Sarajevo.

First-leg matches will be played July 28-29. Return matches are Aug. 4-5.

Winners advance to the playoff round.

But the veteran Canadian midfielder, who plays his club football for Besiktas in Turkey, moves with purpose on the soccer field. A deceptive shuffle turns into a timely tackle. He finds the ball and then a teammate.

At a recent Canada practice, he received the ball in traffic and fought his way through defenders until he began to tip over. But as he went down, he didn’t lose possession. Instead he turned as he began to fall, protecting the ball until he could get his legs under him again to keep going.

“Atiba is our best player,” says Canadian coach Benito Floro. “He is the best player in Besiktas.”

Floro, whose club coaching resume includes Real Madrid, is not alone. After seeing Hutchinson in action in against Arsenal in a Champions League playoff, Arsenal manager Arsene Wenger was equally taken by the Canadian.

“The best player on Besiktas?” Wenger said during the post-game news conference. “I was impressed by Hutchinson.”

Mention the comment and Hutchinson looks bashful.

“Some people have told me about it,” he said. “It’s a very good compliment coming from one of the best coaches out there.

“It doesn’t hurt to have my name come out of his mouth.”

Hutchinson has drawn praise for years now. After seeing him at the CONCACAF under-20 championship back in 2002, then Canadian senior coach Holger Osieck said: “I am actually convinced – and you know that I’m always pretty cautious in my predictions – that he has the tools to play first division football in Europe.”

Now 31, Hutchinson has done just that, building his career carefully starting in Scandinavia with Osters and Helsingborg in Sweden and FC Copenhagen in Denmark.

“I really enjoyed it. That’s really where everything got started for me,” said the native of Brampton, Ont. “I just kind of took the right steps.”

Rather than moving to a big league or club where he might languish on the bench, Hutchinson moved to clubs that would use him.

“That helped me a lot, just learning the game really, playing with the first team and getting a lot of games,” he said. “I kind of look at it like climbing the ladder. That’s exactly what I did. Every club I went to was a bit bigger and better than the previous club.”

Hutchinson’s next move was to the Netherlands and PSV Eindhoven in 2010, a stint that was interrupted by three surgeries to his left knee. He also was asked to spend time as a right back rather than central midfielder.

That aside, he saw his time there as valuable – playing at a big club and learning the Dutch way of football. Once again, his game improved.

When his contract ran out, he hoped a move to England might be next. What nothing suitable came up, he asked his agent to look at Turkey after hearing positive reports from teammates who had played there.

“They only had good things to say,” he said. “Especially about Istanbul.”

The two-time Canadian male player of the year has not regretted the 2013 move.

Life in Istanbul has been pleasant. Like all big cities, it has its sketchy sections but also clean, beautiful ones. Hutchinson and his girlfriend, a Danish-born woman of Iranian descent he met in Denmark, have enjoyed their time there.

Besiktas finished third in the league last season behind Istanbul rivals Fenerbahce and Galatasaray.

Turkish clubs are allowed eight imports with Besiktas’ foreign legion also including Senegal striker Dembe Ba as well as players from Argentina, Austria, Brazil, Colombia, the Czech Republic and France.

Hutchinson sees it as a league on the rise.

The fans are more than passionate, backing the team wherever it plays.

“The support is amazing,” Hutchinson said. “Even just being out on the streets, the way that they recognize you everywhere you go and the love that they give you. It’s really amazing.”

Despite the 10-hour flight from Istanbul to Turkey, Hutchinson remains committed to the Canadian cause. He is in line to earn his 68th cap Tuesday when Canada entertains Jamaica at BMO Field in Toronto.

“Every chance I get to play for Canada, I will definitely be there,” he said.

The 33-year-old midfielder, who has won 71 caps for Canada, finished out the 2013-14 season with Greece’s Skoda Xanthi. Then he stowed his football boots.

“For the first time in 17 years in my career, I finally put somebody or something before football. That was my kids,” he said. “I haven’t spent a lot of time with them, especially during my career, with all the travel and playing abroad. But I made a promise to them.”

His children – daughter Liya Sade is 9 and son Julian Bobby is 6 – live with their mother in Saarbrucken, Germany.

De Guzman’s career has taken him to Germany (FC Saarbrucken and Hannover 96), Spain (Deportivo la Coruna), Major League Soccer (FC Dallas and Toronto) and most recently Germany (Jahn Regensburg) and Greece.

The farther from Germany, the less he was able to see family. But he did his best to make up for it this summer.

After finishing out the season in Greece, de Guzman flew to Brazil for 2 1/2 weeks, watching younger brother Jonathan play for the Netherlands in the World Cup. Jonathan, Toronto-born like his brother, earned his Dutch citizenship with his time as Feyenoord but now plays for Napoli in Italy.

After the tournament, the two brothers and their kids holidayed with the grandparents in Ibiza, Spain. Then de Guzman brought his kids back to Canada.

“Their dream land is Canada or Toronto,” he said after a Canada practice at the team’s training home north of Toronto. “So I promised them I would bring them there and spent about a month in Toronto. Got to enjoy their time with the family there, as well. Now that they start school, I could put football back as No. 1 priority.

“After that experience with the kids, I definitely feel refreshed, ready to go again. And I had a chance to get some training in as well when I had them in Germany before coming to Canada. I’m very, very excited for this new season ahead of me.”

De Guzman is learning away from the field, as well. His daughter is akin to a teenager, he says, and has been after him to spend more time with them.

“She needs that father figure, so I have to make myself available as much as possible.”

After his stint in MLS, where he rarely saw the kids, de Guzman opted to return to Germany to be closer to them. He spent six months with Regensburg before heading to Greece.

Xanthi wanted him back for another season, at a slightly reduced salary, but de Guzman resisted because the travel time to his family was eight to 10 hours with connections.

As he searches for a new club, he has been looking at German third-division teams. His age is working against him and they are cheaper alternatives, he admits.

“Germany now has gone for the younger generation,” he said.

Austria or Switzerland would also work. “Anything close to Germany,” he said.

De Guzman has it down to available flights. “Direct flights to Frankfurt (150 kilometres from Saarbrucken) would be something.”

He has had offers from Greece, but none so far have ticked those boxes.

In the meantime, de Guzman continues to play a valuable role for Canada.

He plays holding midfielder in a 4-1-4-1 or 4-4-2 formation and, thanks to his experience in Spain and ability to speak Spanish, can help coach Benito Floro get his message across.

Given his experience in Europe, de Guzman is also much appreciated by younger teammates who can use him as a sounding board for their career and travels. Toronto FC’s first designated player, he also knows MLS.

Canada hosts Jamaica in an international friendly Tuesday at BMO Field in Toronto.

De Jong joined Newcastle from Ajax in the off-season and was viewed as a key member of Alan Pardew’s side this season.

De Jong played in Newcastle’s last two games after recovering from an injury in pre-season.

The two teams were drawn along with Standard Liege and HNK Rijeka in the 48-team group draw Friday for UEFA’s second-tier competition.

Inter Milan, also a three-time winner, returns after a one-year absence from UEFA competitions in a group with Dnipro Dnipropetrovsk, Saint-Etienne and Qarabag.

“The Europa League is a very important competition. It’s more prestigious” because of the rule change, said Inter official Javier Zanetti, who captained the club to win the 2010 Champions League.

Tottenham, a two-time champion, has Besiktas, Partizan and Asteras in its group.

Napoli is favoured to advance from a group including Sparta Prague, Young Boys and Slovan Bratislava.

Legia Warsaw and Celtic avoided a repeat of their controversial Champions League matches. Legia was eliminated this month after forfeiting a second-leg victory for fielding a suspended player.

Celtic was drawn with Salzburg, Dinamo Zagreb and Astra after then losing in the Champions League qualifying playoffs.

Legia was grouped with Metalist Kharkiv, Trabzonspor and Lokeren.

The Polish champion faces disciplinary action next week after fans displayed a banner accusing UEFA of corruption at its win Thursday against Aktobe of Kazakhstan.

Matches in the 12 four-team groups begin Sept. 18.

The top two in each group advance to the knockout rounds, and join the eight third-place teams from Champions League groups.

Warsaw will host the final at its National Stadium on May 27.

The lure of a place in next season’s Champions League is UEFA’s new incentive to boost the second-tier event.

The Europa League is often criticized by clubs and fans for demanding too much travel for too little reward, with a complicated format and matches played in unpopular Thursday slots.

Sevilla earned 14.6 million euros ($19.2 million) in prize money for winning the title last season, when Champions League winner Real Madrid earned 57.4 million euros ($75.7 million).

UEFA will distribute more than 200 million euros ($264 million) to 56 clubs involved in the Europa League from the groups onward. More than 900 million euros ($1.18 billion) is paid to 32 Champions League clubs.

The agreement will be finalized this week, Football Association of Serbia president Tomislav Karadzic said on Tuesday.

He told Beta news agency the formal appointment could take place "in the next three-four days."

Serbian media reported the Dutch coach will take charge on Aug. 1.

Karadzic explained Advocaat will be given a contract to the end of Euro 2016, but could be renewed if Serbia qualifies.

Advocaat will take over from Sinisa Mihajlovic, who switched to Sampdoria after failing last year in World Cup qualifying.

Advocaat has also led the national teams of United Arab Emirates, Belgium and Russia, and among many clubs, PSV Eindhoven and Rangers. Last season, he had a second stint with home team AZ Alkmaar, which reached the Europa League quarterfinals.