Ajax Amsterdam, a former giant of European football plunged into one of the most serious crises in its 123-year history, announced on Monday that it was parting ways with its coach, Maurice Steijn.
“Ajax and Maurice Steijn are separating with immediate effect,” said the Amsterdam club in a statement, which fell to 17th and penultimate place in the Dutch championship on Sunday after another defeat, the 4th in seven matches, against FC Utrecht (4-3).
His deputy Hedwiges Maduro will succeed him for “the period to come”, specifies the club. He must prepare for a perilous trip to Brighton on Thursday for the third day of the Europa League group stage.
Maurice Steijn arrived at Ajax last summer from Sparta Rotterdam and signed a three-year contract, until June 30, 2026. The choice came as a surprise in the country, with many local media then pointing out that he had never coached top clubs. “We came to the conclusion that this is what is best for Ajax, even if I regret it,” said the Dutch coach, quoted in the press release. “I did everything to bring Ajax back to where this club belongs. But I didn’t succeed,” he lamented.
The technician, who is 49 years old, had spent time with ADO Den Haag, VVV-Venlo, NAC Breda as well as the Emirati club Al-Wehda. Called up by Sparta Rotterdam in April 2022, he managed to keep it in the elite at the end of the 2021-22 season then lead it to 6th place during the 2022-23 season before joining Amsterdam.
“We have worked together very intensively and professionally in recent months, but sporting results and team development were lagging behind,” Ajax temporary manager Janvan Halst said in a statement. “Together we decided it would be best to go our separate ways,” he added. Former Netherlands coach Louis van Gaal announced his return to Ajax in an advisory role earlier this month.
Ajax, semi-finalist of the Champions League in 2019, has been going through a zone of very strong turbulence since the departure of Erik ten Hag for Manchester United in April 2022. Neither Alfred Schreuder nor John Heitinga, his first two successors, were unable to qualify Ajax for the C1; Steijn only played seven league matches and two in the Europa League (a draw at home against Marseille then a draw in Athens against AEK).
The crisis also affects the club’s management: Ajax fired its football director Sven Mislintat last month, and announced shortly after the departure of the chairman of its supervisory board, Pier Eringa. The club also parted ways last year with its general manager, former goalkeeper Edwin van der Sar, who was criticized for his management of the previous two years. The ex-international is recovering from a brain hemorrhage which he suffered on July 7 and which caused him to spend around ten days in intensive care.
