Last updated: Dec 29, 2025, 11:58 PM
The upcoming arrival of Jordi Cruijff could ‘open the door’ for a number of former Ajax players, Mike Verweij outlined on behalf of The Telegraph. The soon to start td van Ajax wants more space for them in the organization.
Cruijff’s core vision is that youth has the future. “And through a similar model as at FC Barcelona with the Juvenil A (Under 19), Barça B and the Barcelona first team, he wants to allow Ajax’s greatest talents to move on to Ajax 1 as well and as quickly as possible,” said Verweij.
It is the sporty model with which he achieved many successes at Maccabi Tel Aviv – where Peter Bosz also worked for a while. “Transfer amounts of fifteen to twenty million euros for 18 to 21-year-olds are out of the question,” the journalist from the morning newspaper continues.
“The fear that Jordi would be a bit conservative, like his father, turned out to be unfounded during the many conversations.” Cruijff would indeed see the value of data, although he does live by the idea that it should be supportive and not leading.
“That is why he wants a young, ambitious (data) trainer for every youth team, who is aware of the most modern insights and a former Ajax player. In fact, within the entire organization, in the spirit of his father Johan, there should be more room for former football players, in combination with employees with knowledge in other areas.”
“could open the door again for Wim Jonk, Dennis Bergkamp, Richard Witschge, Jan Wouters, Gerald Vanenburg, John van ‘t Schip and Simon Tahamata, who left the club disillusioned in recent years,” said Verweij.
“But also for Wesley Sneijder, Patrick Kluivert, Marco van Basten, Siem de Jong, Ricardo van Rhijn and Daniël de Ridder.” The last three men have been with Ajax for quite some time.
