Amsterdam, May 31 (IANS) Ajax has reached an agreement with John Heitinga to sign up as the new head coach until June 30, 2027. Marcel Keizer will be his assistant and has signed a contract with the same term.

Heitinga was active in the English Premier League for the past two seasons as an assistant coach at West Ham United and Liverpool, where he served as assistant coach to Arne Slot. Before his departure to England in the summer of 2023, the former Ajax player was interim head coach at Ajax 1 for several months. Since 2016, the former international, who as a player played for Ajax as well as Atlético Madrid, Everton, Fulham, and Hertha BSC, has held several coaching positions at Ajax.

“I am really looking forward to getting started. The past few years in England have done me good. I was able to develop further alongside David Moyes and Arne Slot, and at the same time, I was able to look behind the scenes at two big clubs. I am ready to continue as head coach and I consider it an honour to be given that opportunity at Ajax,” Heitinga said.

Heitinga’s appointment was made possible after Francesco Farioli left the club following a horror collapse. Ajax were running away with what seemed like a definite 37th Eredivisie title, but the club squandered a nine-point lead, with five games to go, which saw PSV Eindhoven win the Dutch league.

Technical director Alex Kroes added, “John is a good coach with enormous drive. He is ambitious and has developed himself in the Premier League and the UEFA Champions League in recent years. Marijn and I spoke to him last year, and we have kept in touch since then.”

“John knows the club well and we are convinced that together with Marcel he will make our players better and build on the progress that has been made since last summer, for example, in the field of top-sport culture and discipline. It is good that it became clear early in the summer break that they will be in charge of the group from the end of June. Marijn and I can now continue working on the composition for next season together with John and the other people involved.”

–IANS

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