Ajax not with John Heitinga as head coach | Dutch soccer

This information not comes as an enormous shock. Heitinga was pushed ahead on the finish of January after the dismissal of Alfred Schreuder to restrict the injury. That labored for some time, however after a lightning begin below the promoted U21 coach, Ajax nonetheless ended up with out prizes and outdoors the Champions League locations.

After the painful defeat in opposition to FC Twente within the ultimate spherical of the Eredivisie, the previous worldwide already introduced this week that he anticipated a call about his expiring contract as head coach. As a result of white smoke failed to look, an extension was much less and fewer consistent with expectations.

At the start of April, Heitinga complained concerning the lack of readability he had been promised. His account hardly helped, as Mislintat, who was appointed the next week, – logically – postponed that call. The German nonetheless posted Heitinga on pole place, however he regularly got here to the conclusion, primarily based on the matches but in addition inner conversations, that Ajax wanted extra expertise within the coach’s chair. Earlier than that, Mislintat seemed round overseas in current weeks, sources beforehand assured this newspaper.

As a coach, Heitinga most well-liked the trail of gradualism, however was persuaded on the finish of January to succeed Alfred Schreuder as interim coach. With seven victories in a row, he was nonetheless concerned within the title combat, however after the misplaced squatters in opposition to Feyenoord and PSV, second place even turned out to be too excessive. The choice with many flaws was additionally unable to information Heitinga to a cup win. PSV was too sturdy after penalties within the ultimate. In the end, it was because of the rival that Ajax didn’t end the season as quantity 4 and with Convention League soccer.