After falling to last place in the table, Ajax Amsterdam is trying out a new coach who will initially work on an interim basis. As previously reported in the industry, the record champions hired former national player John van ‘t Schip for the rest of the season. The 59-year-old once played for Ajax and later in Italy in Genoa, and after his playing career he worked in Amsterdam as a youth and assistant coach and as head coach of the second team. He is known internationally from positions as coach of the Greek national team and co-coach of the Dutch national team.
By naming him, Ajax decided on an exemplary “Ajacied”, i.e. an Ajax man in his own right. Van ‘t Schip emerged from Ajax’s youth ranks, played as a professional for the capital club for eleven years and returned there again and again throughout his career. In this respect, he is a counterpart to his predecessor Maurice Steijn, who came from Sparta Rotterdam at the beginning of the season. This personality was met with skepticism and displeasure by many fans – which Steijn addressed in his first press appearance at Amsterdam’s Johan Cruyff Arena in June. “I was born in The Hague, I don’t meet certain criteria, I don’t have Ajax DNA, I’ve never played the Champions League.”
“Humiliated” in Eindhoven
At the same time, he referred to Erik Ten Hag, who without Ajax DNA led the team to the double success of the championship and cup in the 2018/19 season and to the semi-finals of the Champions League. “I want to become champion and reach the top European level,” said Steijn. A dramatically missed target.
Because Ajax is experiencing an unprecedented crash this season. Steijn, who has a three-year contract, was relieved of his duties this month following a 3-4 defeat against FC Utrecht. On Sunday, the Amsterdam team traveled to big rivals PSV Eindhoven as penultimate in the honorary division, losing 2:5 at the Philips Stadium, while bottom side Volendam won 3:1 at home against Excelsior Rotterdam. So the unimaginable has come true: Ajax finds itself in last place in the table.
Ajax fans went into the season with subdued expectations right from the start. The period of setbacks began at the beginning of 2022 when sports director Marc Overmars had to leave because of “cross-border behavior”. Then Ten Hag moved to Manchester United. Both were considered the tandem that stood for the success of the 2019 team. Afterwards, the transfer policy came under criticism; expensively purchased players left expectations unfulfilled.
At the start of the season, a passable performance against Heracles Almelo gave reason for moderate confidence: Ajax turned a deficit into a 4-1 win. But it was to be the only victory. In September, after four months, sporting director Sven Mislintat left, who obviously did not get along well with Steijn and some players. The team – led by Steijn’s deputy Hedwiges Maduro – took on PSV with five points from eight games. They started with verve, led twice, but were “humiliated” in the second half, as the local media now say – especially since the big rivals from Eindhoven consolidated a brilliant top position with their tenth win in the tenth game.
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Ajax has now embarked on a restructuring of the club’s management. Louis van Gaal – former coach of the national team, Ajax and Bayern Munich – acts as an external consultant. Former Ajax president Michael van Praag, who also headed the Dutch football association KNVB, is to become chairman of the supervisory board. On Thursday, Ajax will make another attempt at a new beginning: against Volendam, the team that has just replaced the club at the bottom of the table.
