AZ Alkmaar’s last league title came in 2008-09, with Louis van Gaal’s controlled, fit and relentless side. Eleven years later, Arne Slot’s counter-attacking 4-3-3 finished second on goal difference in a season that never reached its end.
A string of coaches has rewired the team since then, and others did the same before. This guide walks through the main eras, what each manager asked of his players and what the results looked like.
Key Takeaways
- Co Adriaanse’s attacking side reached the UEFA Cup semi-finals in 2004-05, and Louis van Gaal’s control-first team won the 2008-09 Eredivisie.
- Gertjan Verbeek built a compact 4-2-3-1 variant and won the 2013 KNVB Cup.
- Arne Slot used a 4-3-3 that turned into a 4-4-1-1 or 4-2-3-1 without the ball, and he set the club record for points per game.
- Pascal Jansen leaned on wide play and organised man-marking, and Maarten Martens used a 4-3-3 with a double pivot until his dismissal in January 2026.
Why AZ’s Tactics Keep Changing
AZ sell good players every year, so the manager has to rebuild the system around whoever is left. A tactic that works with one midfield rarely survives the sale of three of its parts. That explains why the club’s identity sits in its principles, such as attacking intent and youth pathways, rather than one fixed formation.
If you want the development side of the story, the pathway that supplies those players is covered in our guide to how AZ train.
The Managers and Their Systems
1. Co Adriaanse (2002 to 2005): Attacking and Ambitious
Adriaanse arrived in November 2002 and took AZ from 10th in his first season to 5th in 2003-04 and 3rd in 2004-05. His teams played an attacking brand of football, spent time at the top of the table in 2004-05 and spent most of the second half in second place.
The big European moment came in the 2004-05 UEFA Cup. AZ knocked out Villarreal in the quarter-finals before losing the semi-final to Sporting CP on away goals, with the decisive goal arriving in the last minute of extra time.
2. Louis van Gaal (2005 to 2009): Control and Discipline
Van Gaal arrived in 2005 and built the club around structure and fitness. One retrospective of his time describes a team that was rigid, efficient and relentless, and it was never tied to one headline formation.
The 2008-09 title is the proof. AZ collected 80 points in 34 games and finished 11 clear of FC Twente, ending a 28-year wait since 1980-81.
Mounir El Hamdaoui scored 23 league goals, with Moussa Dembélé, Maarten Martens, Stijn Schaars and Kew Jaliens among the key names. Van Gaal left for Bayern Munich afterwards.
3. Gertjan Verbeek (2010 to 2013): Compact and Hard to Break
Verbeek’s AZ played a variant of 4-2-3-1 designed for a compact midfield and a difficult defence. He ran strict team-building work in pre-season, and his players were reported to be willing to follow his methods.
AZ finished fourth in consecutive seasons under him and won the 2013 KNVB Cup final 2-1 against PSV at De Kuip on 9 May 2013. It was the club’s fourth Cup. Verbeek was sacked on 29 September 2013, with the club citing a lack of chemistry with the players.
4. John van den Brom (2014 to 2019): Steady and Attacking
Van den Brom took charge on 27 September 2014 and stayed until June 2019. His AZ were described as competitive and attacking, and they finished third in 2014-15 and again in 2017-18.
That 2017-18 team also reached the KNVB Cup final and lost to Feyenoord. Over 216 games he managed 116 wins, and he announced his departure in March 2019 after both sides felt it was time for change.
5. Arne Slot (2019 to 2020): The Modern 4-3-3
Slot took over on 1 July 2019. His team attacked in a 4-3-3 that shifted into a 4-4-1-1 or 4-2-3-1 when defending, and occasionally became a back three with the left-back moving into midfield.
Tactical analysts noted several features of that side:
- Players moved in pairs during build-up, which gave the ball carrier layered passing options.
- The far-side full-back moved infield to guard the centre against a counter and to open diagonal passes.
- Wingers, midfielders and the striker rotated positions to pull markers out of shape.
- Counter-attacks were the main weapon, and AZ were less comfortable against a deep low block.
AZ finished second in 2019-20 behind Ajax on goal difference when the season was halted. Slot averaged 2.11 points per game in the Eredivisie, the highest of any coach in the club’s history. He was dismissed on 5 December 2020 after agreeing a deal to join Feyenoord in the summer.
6. Pascal Jansen (2020 to 2024): Wide Play and Man-Marking
Jansen was promoted from coach in December 2020 and lasted until 17 January 2024. His 2021-22 side did not rely on an aggressive high press. Instead, it used man-marking and fast closing-down once a pass was played.
In attack, AZ crossed a lot. They attempted 509 crosses in 2021-22, the third-most in the league, at 40.9% accuracy, which was the best rate in the Eredivisie. Goalkeeper Peter Vindahl also played long balls into the gaps between opposition lines.
Read More: What xG Means in Football
That season ended in fifth place, six points behind Slot’s Feyenoord, after the departures of Myron Boadu, Calvin Stengs and Teun Koopmeiners. The 2022-23 team recovered to fourth with 67 points and reached the Conference League semi-finals, where West Ham won 3-1 on aggregate. Vangelis Pavlidis scored 22 goals in all competitions that year.
Jansen’s exit was abrupt. He was dismissed on 17 January 2024 after AZ narrowly avoided an upset against amateur club Quick Boys in the KNVB Cup. His record stood at 94 wins in 162 games.
7. Maarten Martens (2024 to 2026): Double Pivot and Rotation
Martens, a former AZ midfielder, used a 4-3-3 with a double pivot of Jordy Clasie and Peer Koopmeiners. Sven Mijnans roamed in front of them. The two pivots took turns dropping deeper so the full-backs could push up, and one of them stepped forward into a 4-4-2 shape when AZ pressed.
Troy Parrott has been the headline name. He scored 14 league goals and 20 in all competitions in 2024-25, when AZ finished fifth with 57 points, reached the Europa League round of 16 and lost the KNVB Cup final to Go Ahead Eagles on penalties. In 2025-26, Parrott scored 16 in the league and 31 in all competitions.
Martens’ spell ended on 18 January 2026. AZ dismissed him with the team eighth after 19 league games, four days after a 6-0 KNVB Cup win over Ajax, with the club’s director citing too little stability and progress.
8. Lee-Roy Echteld (2026 to Present): Stability and a Cup
Lee-Roy Echteld, then coach of Jong AZ, took over for the rest of the season. He led AZ to the Conference League quarter-finals, where Shakhtar Donetsk eliminated them, and to the KNVB Cup. AZ beat NEC 5-1 in the final at De Kuip on 19 April 2026, their first trophy since 2013 and a fifth KNVB Cup overall.
The club made him permanent head coach, and reports put his contract at mid-2028. It is too early to pin a formation to his era, so watch how the deepest midfield pair is used.
The Eras at a Glance
| Manager | Years | Main Approach | Best Result |
|---|---|---|---|
| Co Adriaanse | 2002 to 2005 | Attacking | UEFA Cup semi-final (2004-05) |
| Louis van Gaal | 2005 to 2009 | Control and fitness | Eredivisie title (2008-09) |
| Gertjan Verbeek | 2010 to 2013 | Compact 4-2-3-1 variant | KNVB Cup (2013) |
| John van den Brom | 2014 to 2019 | Attacking | Third place (2014-15, 2017-18) |
| Arne Slot | 2019 to 2020 | 4-3-3, counter-attack | Second place (2019-20) |
| Pascal Jansen | 2020 to 2024 | Wide play, man-marking | Conference League semi-final (2022-23) |
| Maarten Martens | 2024 to 2026 | 4-3-3, double pivot | Europa League round of 16 (2024-25) |
| Lee-Roy Echteld | 2026 to present | Stability after a mid-season change | KNVB Cup (2025-26) |
Where AZ Sit in the Eredivisie
AZ’s tactical changes only make sense against the competition. The Eredivisie league profile shows how they compare with Ajax, PSV and Feyenoord, and the Eredivisie AI predictions page lays out forecasts for each round. Other leagues are all collected in the AI football predictions hub.
What AZ’s Tactical History Tells You
The pattern across these eight eras is steady: a manager arrives with a clear idea, the squad gets sold and rebuilt, and the next manager adapts. Slot’s pressing, Jansen’s crosses and Martens’ double pivot all sit on top of the same academy supply line.
When you watch AZ next, check who is playing in the two deepest midfield spots. That pair tells you more about the system than the formation graphic does.