AMSTERDAM, NETHERLANDS – AFC Ajax has made the drastic decision to sack head coach John Heitinga with immediate effect, following a disastrous start to the season that reached its nadir with a humiliating home defeat in the Champions League.
The club announced that the contract of the former Ajax player, which was due to run until 2027, has been terminated.
Galatasaray Loss Proves the Final Straw
The decision was triggered by Wednesday night’s crushing 3-0 home defeat to Galatasaray, a game sealed by Victor Osimhen’s brilliant hat-trick.
The loss confirmed Ajax’s unwanted record of losing all four of their Champions League group stage games this season and left them rooted to the bottom of the group with zero points.
Technical Director Alex Kroes confirmed the difficult decision in a statement:
“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.”
Crisis Both Domestically and in Europe
The Champions League failure comes on top of consistently poor domestic form.
In the Eredivisie, the traditional giants are languishing in fourth place, already eight points behind rivals PSV Eindhoven and Feyenoord.
tenure, which only began in May after he returned to the club from a coaching role at Liverpool, was deemed a failure by the board who believe a change is necessary to salvage the season.
Coaching Staff and Interim Plans
Assistant coach Marcel Keizer has also been relieved of his duties as part of the clear-out. In the short term, Under-21 coach Fred Grim has been handed the reins and will take charge of the first team on an interim basis, starting with Sunday’s Eredivisie match against FC Utrecht.
The club has immediately begun its search for a permanent successor to restore stability and push the team back into title contention.
