Maurice Steijn only wanted to continue at Ajax without Hedwiges Ma…

In the twenty hours after the debacle in Utrecht, it had not looked like Steijn and Ajax would part ways now. In a telephone interview with Jan van Halst, the trainer was told on Sunday evening that supervisory board advisor Louis van Gaal had given him his confidence until the next international match in November.

Alone on the world

But Steijn had more and more doubts. The desperate move by the worst-performing trainer in Ajax’s long history to get rid of Maduro and Berghuis underlined how lonely he must have felt during the barely four months in Amsterdam’s service. One of his most successful predecessors, Erik ten Hag, repeatedly emphasized the role of the then director of football affairs Marc Overmars. He provided him with a high-quality selection, took away all the noise surrounding the first team and stood right in front of him when the supporters stood on the fly-over after the defeat at PSV and demanded his departure.

Instead of an equally seasoned director, Steijn had to deal with Sven Mislintat, who offered him an unexpected dream opportunity at Ajax, but, according to various sources, subsequently ignored all agreements about participation in purchasing policy. Steijn, who brought in Noa Lang, Jerdy Schouten, Nicolas Tagliafico, Stefan de Vrij, Calvin Stengs, Nick Olij, Sergiño Dest and Thiago Almada, was saddled with 115 million euros worth of mediocrity.

From the moment the trainer said after the match against Fortuna Sittard (0-0) that this was not his selection, the relationship between the two dropped below freezing point.

Irritated by the fact that Steijn put many of his purchases on the bench, Mislintat wanted to get rid of the trainer. However, an investigation into possible conflicts of interest in transfers ensured that the German’s head rolled first.

However, players and staff suspected that Mislintat maintained negative contact with ‘his’ purchases up to and including the match against FC Utrecht.

Steijn also did not have to expect support from Chief Sports Officer Maurits Hendriks, who is primarily responsible for the arrival of Mislintat and gave him carte blanche.

After the inevitable departure of Mislintat, Steijn – who could be criticized on a tactical level and in his dealings with the players – operated in a listed multi-million football company without a general and technical director. Although Van Halst succeeded Edwin van der Sar on an interim basis, his previous role made it impossible for him to act as a sounding board for the trainer. After all, as technical commissioner, the former player had approved the players that Mislintat brought in.

As time passed and results reached historic lows, Steijn felt more and more alone in the world. Especially when a number of people in Steijn’s technical, performance and medical staff, which has more than 25 members, reported to technical manager Klaas-Jan Huntelaar with complaints about Steijn’s (dis)functioning. Huntelaar actively checked this information with the assistant coaches and Hedwiges Maduro also expressed his dissatisfaction. Ultimately, Huntelaar sent his findings in a letter to the management.

It caused a definitive breach of trust with Maduro, who was already suspected by the head coach of constantly leaking from the dressing room and trainer’s room to his old employer. ESPN. In addition, the performance of Almere City club psychologist Annemieke Zijerveld added to the list Pay attention on NPO Radio 1 bad blood with Steijn. Zijerveld said: “Where things really go wrong in my view is with the trainer and the staff. I see very weak leadership.” However, the trainer was most displeased with the fact that Zijerveld said he was still in contact with Maduro, giving the impression that she had been whispered to by the assistant.

Back cover

After the painful defeats in the Johan Cruijff Arena against Feyenoord (0-4) and AZ (1-2), captain Steven Bergwijn and Berghuis were given the opportunity to support their coach unconditionally, but they did so half way. Anyone who didn’t know any better would think that substitute Berghuis sabotaged everything against FC Utrecht. The dates of competitions and training prove the opposite.

Last Monday, the ‘main players’ in Steijn’s staff met secretly at Huis ter Duin in Noordwijk, in a final attempt to turn the tide. According to those involved, one of the most important conclusions of the fourteen staff members during the two-day session was that Berghuis was a disruptor who should be removed from the selection as quickly as possible.

Other sources state that Berghuis clashed with the staff precisely because he is an ‘absolute winner’ and never minces his words.

However, after the incident in the Galgenwaard stadium, Steijn – for very different reasons than Maduro – was also done with Berghuis, who he felt had kept his hand above his head.

After that match in the cathedral city, the trainer knew that he was doomed. Especially after supervisory board advisor Van Gaal, the incoming general manager Alex Kroes and interim director Van Halst did not agree to his demand to continue without Maduro and Berghuis. The fact that his former assistant is taking the wheel until the arrival of interim coach John van ‘t Schip (who will be on the bench for the first time in the catch-up game against FC Volendam next Monday) makes the departure for Steijn even more painful. His dream became a nightmare.

John van ‘t Schip will finish the season as interim coach at Ajax. He said ‘yes’ to Jan van Halst’s request after Maurice Steijn resigned on Monday. Yesterday Van ‘t Schip returned from a few days in Greece where he stayed with his children after saying goodbye to his deceased wife Daniëlle last week.

The 59-year-old Van ‘t Schip was already expected to return to Ajax as a cultural guardian, but will now first work as a trainer. During the catch-up match against FC Volendam on November 2, he will be on the bench for the first time as ultimately responsible. Hedwiges Maduro will do the honors as head coach on Thursday in Brighton and on Sunday in Eindhoven against PSV. In addition to Said Bakkati, he is assisted by Dave Vos, who has been temporarily transferred from Jong Ajax.

(the Telegraph)