John Heitinga Takes the Helm at Ajax
Ajax has announced John Heitinga as their new coach, replacing Francesco Farioli. Farioli left the club after a dramatic collapse in the fight for the Eredivisie title, where Ajax squandered a nine-point lead over PSV, with only five matches left to play.The Dutch giant turns to Heitinga, who returns to the club with which he played 154 league matches and which he briefly managed. Heitinga was interim coach for six months in 2023, helping to secure a third-place finish in the league.
Heitinga, who began his coaching career in Ajax’s youth categories, has been an assistant at West Ham United and Liverpool since his last stint in the Netherlands. He leaves Liverpool after a Premier League victory, and Arne Slot will now look for a new coach for the first team.
I am incredibly excited to get started. The last few years in England have done me a lot of good. I have been able to develop myself further alongside David Moyes and Arne Slot, while also having a behind-the-scenes look at two important clubs.
John Heitinga
Heitinga won two Eredivisie titles as an Ajax player, with two spells spanning a decade. As a defender, he also played in Spain with Atlético Madrid, in Germany with Hertha Berlin, and in England with Everton and Fulham. The Dutchman was capped 87 times for his country and was a World Cup runner-up in 2010.
After hanging up his boots in 2016, he quickly dedicated himself to coaching with Ajax.John is a good coach with a great drive. He is ambitious and has developed even further in recent years in the Premier League and the Champions League. Marijn [Beuker, Ajax’s sporting director] and I spoke with him last year and have kept in touch since then.
Alex Kroes, Ajax’s technical director
Ajax is the most successful team in Dutch football with 36 Eredivisie titles, but they haven’t won the league since 2022.
