06/11/2025
Ajax has suspended John Heitinga with immediate effect. The head coach’s contract was due to run until June 30, 2027, but will now be terminated. The same applies to assistant coach Marcel Keizer. Ajax is looking for a new head coach; in the meantime, Fred Grim will take over Heitinga’s duties.
Technical director Alex Kroes: "It's a painful decision. But looking back at the past few months, we must conclude that things have turned out quite differently from what we had envisioned. We’ve seen too little progress and have unnecessarily dropped points. We know it can take time for a new coach to work with a squad that has undergone changes. We have given John that time, but we believe it’s best for the club to appoint someone else to lead the team. We hope to present a new head coach together as soon as possible. We thank John and Marcel for their efforts and wish Fred the best of luck, starting with Sunday’s away match in Utrecht."
Departure Alex Kroes
Alex Kroes has made his position available with immediate effect, but the other board members and the Supervisory Board have strongly urged the technical director to remain in place for the sake of continuity. Kroes said: "My contract runs until the end of the season; should the club appoint a new technical director earlier, I will hand over my responsibilities at that time."
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