Vitesse's Theo Bos dies of cancer

The Hague - Former Vitesse football player and coach Theo Bos passed away at the age of 47 after suffering from pancreatic cancer.

Bos was a defender who played his entire career from 1983 until 1998 for the Dutch club, a total of 15 seasons, including nine in the Eredivisie. He played a total of 369 league games for Vitesse, in which he scored nine goals, reports Xinhua.

After his playing career, Bos continued as youth coach at Vitesse and later as assistant of the first team. In 2005 he left Vitesse for FC Den Bosch to return as head coach in Arnhem four years later. Due to disappointing results he was fired in October 2010.

Since January, 2012, when he was diagnosed with pancreatic cancer, he took a break and in July last year he quit altogether.

Bos was nicknamed “Mr. Vitesse” because of his long-term service for the club. Last year Vitesse named a stand in its stadium after him.