Bijl was eight years old when he joined Ajax from Zwaluwen ’30. His position was in goal. He came through the entire academy and was the standout performer during the Future Cup in 2012, but the first team never came. At NEC, he had a brief taste of professional football, but soon after, he followed his second passion, away from playing: coaching from the dugout. Why coaching? "Actually, for two reasons: firstly, because I really enjoyed it, and secondly, because I had no choice,” he says, referring to his relatively small stature as a goalkeeper. “What did I enjoy most after being a footballer? Coaching."
Learning from Frank de Boer
As a youngster in Amsterdam, he was already fascinated by coaching, thanks in part to Frank de Boer. "He really inspired me: critical, clear, and the standard was always high. You couldn’t slack off with him, and he demanded the absolute maximum from us. That suits Ajax. But I had many good coaches: Orlando Trustfull, Dennis de Haan, Arnold Mühren and Fred Grim. And over the years, I’ve learned a lot from the likes of Frank Peereboom, Kelvin Duffree, Saïd Ouaali and Paul Nuijten. You take something from everyone and carry it with you."
"In the beginning, I did everything my own way and expected the same of the players. However, over the years, I’ve learned that it's essential to consider the diverse characters and personalities you work with. I really look at what each individual player needs, but that’s still something I’m developing,"he continues calmly.
Step by step
His coaching career is progressing just as he hoped, he says. After three months as a goalkeeping coach at Ajax in 2017, he was given the opportunity to take charge of the U13-2 team. "Ajax knew about my ambitions." His career path is heading in the right direction. "Step by step," he says firmly. "The move to the U17S is a conscious choice, but it was good for me to start with the younger age groups."
During his early years as a coach, Bijl already knew he wanted to work with older age groups eventually. "When I had the U13-2 for four years, I was also head coach of Louis van Gaal’s old club, s.v. De Meer, for four years. Saturdays at Ajax and Sundays as manager there. Now things are heading in the direction I had in mind," he says about his appointment at Ajax U17. "This age group suits me because in the upper years, it’s about ‘learning to win’ matches. And at Ajax, you have to win, always, that’s really what I believe. That suits me as a person, as a winner."
That last point – being a winner – comes across in everything. He is Ajax through and through, something he emphasises several times. "I’m thirty now, and I’ve been here for nineteen years. I think it’s normal that an Ajax team plays for the title and reaches the finals. The players have to experience that. The shirt is heavy, and we shouldn’t shy away from that. You have to be ready for that weight on your shoulders. I’m not a coach who cuts corners. If I accept low standards, then I can’t expect anything of my players either. Long days, lots of conversations, constant investment: everything for the goal I want to achieve."
Energy
We turn the focus back to him personally. Bijl is known as an energetic coach, full of humour, but also with a direct side. "As a person, I’d describe myself as clear, honest, funny and critical, especially towards the lads. I could probably tone it down a bit sometimes,” he laughs. “Sometimes I’m too present and too harsh. It has to come from the players, and sometimes I’m on top of them too much. But I always radiate that energy towards my team. I always build a tight-knit team, always."
"I do speak the language of the players, I think," he continues. "I know what’s going on in their lives. I sometimes use street slang or consider what’s important in different cultures. The advantage of my relatively young age is that it wasn’t that long ago that I was in the dressing room myself. So I can work well with the different cultures we have at Ajax."
New way of working
For the past year, under the leadership of Director of Football Marijn Beuker, the academy has been working with a new vision. So far, Bijl is positive about it. "Last year with the U16 was a challenging season with the new vision and new way of training. High tempo, players have to think a lot, and there’s a lot of variety in sessions. Players and coaches are challenged, and the staff is used to the full. We vary the rules, which makes it very dynamic."
"The new way is just very clear," says Bijl. "The framework is known, it’s in black and white, and as coaches, we’ve been able to give plenty of input. It’s worked well, and it’s nice that I’ve already been here a while. Although the Ajax philosophy remains the same, the different approaches have provided me with a great deal of insight. And as Alex Kroes and Beuker always say: at Ajax, the bar must be high. Good is not good enough, as Erik ten Hag always used to say. And I believe that too. We have to be demanding, because we are a special club, especially as a development club."
Bijl mentions Ten Hag, but he also looks at other managers. In fact, he does that a lot these days. "I watch lots of interviews with managers or read books about them. How do they handle the media? How do they communicate? How do you deal with players or handle certain situations? I learn from that. For example, I pick up a lot from Arne Slot, and I really love the passion of Diego Simeone. Not how he plays, but how he gets his team to perform – I think that’s fantastic."
Ajax U17
Back to the present. Ajax U17 kick off their league campaign on Saturday against FC Volendam U17. "A lot more comes with it now: competition, data, position-specific training, contracts, and so on. On top of that, I now have a staff of nearly fifteen to twenty people. I have to lead them all, so that’s new for me too. I’m impulsive and extroverted, and sometimes I forget things as well. But it’s all good for me and I’m making progress with it."
"You know what it is," Bijl continues as the conversation winds down. "My players have to feel that I do absolutely everything to get the maximum out of them." And how does that show on the pitch? “The fans must be entertained, that’s my goal. High intensity, attacking football with plenty of risk, and a team that shows courage and bravery. We play our home matches at 12 noon. The younger teams should stay after their matches ‘because the U17s are playing’ and those who play later in the day should want to arrive earlier ‘because the U17s are playing’. And we’re going for every trophy, but that’s the way it should be here," he nods.
And coming back to his own dreams, or as he calls it, the ultimate dream for which he gives everything every day. "Coach of Ajax 1 or a Champions League club," he says with a smile.
