Union assistant Dick Schreuder leaving for Germany’s TSG Hoffenheim

Assistant coach Dick Schreuder is leaving the Union to join the staff at German club TSG Hoffenheim, which recently hired his brother Alfred as its new manager.

Schreuder, a Netherlands native, was brought to the Union by former sporting director Earnie Stewart before the start of the 2018 season. He is well-regarded in the locker room, especially for his work with the team’s forwards. Cory Burke described Schreuder last year as “a father-coach for me."

Sporting director Ernst Tanner, who coincidentally made his name as an executive at Hoffenheim from 2009 to 2012, backed Schreuder’s move.

“This was an easy decision for us to support Dick as he makes this move to join his brother, and we would like to thank him for his service and hard work during his time with our club,” Tanner said in a statement.

Schreuder will stay with the Union through the June 8 game against the New York Red Bulls. Tanner said a replacement would not be hired until after the season.

Alfred Schreuder was at Hoffenheim as an assistant from October 2015 through January 2018, when he moved to Dutch club Ajax. He was on the bench for the Amsterdam-based club’s dramatic run to the UEFA Champions League semifinals this spring.