Image Credits: Imago Images
John Heitinga’s time as Ajax head coach came to an abrupt end earlier this week.
The former Everton defender, who only left Anfield in May, faced the harsh realities of coaching in one of Europe’s toughest youth and domestic setups.
Ajax, a club known for developing talent and dominating Dutch football, have struggled this season.
They are now fourth in the Eredivisie, trailing Feyenoord and PSV by eight points.
On the continental stage, the Dutch giants have suffered four straight defeats in the Champions League, including a humbling 3-0 loss at home to Turkish side Galatasaray.
This poor run of form put Heitinga under immense pressure.
The AFCA Supporters Club had called for his removal, and the club’s board eventually acted.
Technical director Alex Kroes admitted that the past few months did not unfold as planned.
“We’ve seen too little progress and have unnecessarily dropped points.”
“We know it can take time for a new coach to work with a squad that has undergone changes,” Kroes said.
Fred Grim will step in temporarily while Ajax searches for a new permanent head coach.
The second part of Thursday’s events provided a glimpse into Heitinga’s personal reaction.
Early that afternoon, he received a medical update on Owen Wijndal’s muscle injury, as relayed by ESPN.
Just hours later, he was called to De Toekomst for a meeting with Kroes and Menno Geelen.
There, he, assistant Marcel Keizer, and Frank Peereboom were informed their contracts had been terminated with immediate effect.
In a later interview with the press, Kroes offered more insight.
“We realized we weren’t making enough progress.”
“The difficulty was that we saw bright spots in some matches, but they were short-lived.”
“We hoped the tide could be turned, but that wasn’t to be.”
“We came to the conclusion that it was no longer possible,” he explained.
He also acknowledged that the timing of Fred Grim’s appointment as assistant coach could have been handled better.
“He [Heitinga] was angry and disappointed.”
“I understand that,” Kroes said.
The former Liverpool defender now faces the question of whether he might return to Anfield in some capacity.
While his time in Amsterdam ended abruptly, his reputation at Liverpool remains strong, having earned praise from players and head coach Arne Slot during his short stint at the Dutch giants.
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