Alex Pastoor has been named as the new trainer of PEC Zwolle, replacing Henry van der Vegt who was sacked after a 0-1 loss at home against SC Cambuur. Pastoor has signed a contract until the end of the season in Zwolle. The 60-year-old coach has previously worked at Excelsior, Sparta Rotterdam, and Almere City FC, where he promoted the team to the Eredivisie. He also reached the play-offs for European football with NEC.
Pastoor has been appointed after interim trainers Dennis van de Ree and Maikel van der Werff took over the team. They remained unbeaten in their four competitive matches, earning eight points and moving the team to 13th place in the league. However, they were eliminated from the KNVB Beker by TOP Oss.
Pastoor has expressed his enthusiasm for the new challenge, stating that he sees the season as a "beautiful and interesting challenge". He believes the team has potential, as seen in the last few weeks, and is eager to work with the players to achieve maximum performance and results. Technisch directeur Gerry Hamstra has also expressed his enthusiasm for Pastoor, describing him as a "very experienced trainer" with a natural authority and ability to set high standards for the players.