For John Heitinga, Thursday marked his first major press moment in over two years. Since leaving Ajax, the Alphen-born coach worked as an assistant at West Ham United and later at Liverpool. Now back at Ajax, Heitinga made it clear: he's only looking ahead.
"Looking back mostly brings negative energy. In your career, you always encounter obstacles and disappointments. You can feel sorry for yourself, but I have ambitions and I want to move forward. That’s what I’d like to focus on."
Back sooner than expected
Heitinga admitted that returning to Ajax in 2025 wasn’t something he had foreseen just two years ago. "For me, the question was never if I’d come back to Ajax, but when. Still, I didn’t expect it to be this soon, only two years after my departure."
Much of the media interest focused on Heitinga's experience in England. What had he learned working in the Premier League? "The past two seasons have been fantastic. I had the privilege of working under two incredibly good managers. It also gave me the opportunity to evaluate where I stand. In the end, it was an amazing learning environment at the absolute top level, in what I believe is the best league in the world."
Last season in Liverpool, he worked under Arne Slot. "There were big shoes to fill after Klopp’s departure. The responsibility fell to a Dutch coach. It was very educational. How do you deal with top players and egos who have won everything, and how do you transfer the intended style of play? I must say the season really flew by, and it ended with a fantastic reward in the form of the title."
‘Best feeling’
In the end, Heitinga had two options. "For me, it was either stay at Liverpool or stand on my own two feet. During the season, I realized I wanted to be a head coach most of all. I spoke with several clubs, but Ajax gave me the best feeling."
Heitinga was asked if he followed Ajax under Farioli closely. "I haven’t seen everything, but I have watched a lot back," says the former defender. "I hear his name very often. A big compliment to how Farioli and his staff performed last season. But even so: I want to move forward."
He repeatedly emphasized how important the collective is to him. "I also conveyed that in a presentation, but a few things are important to me. It’s about quality, but also about discipline and availability. We will play many matches, and we need everyone for that. Cooperation is very important. I expect that not only from the players but from the entire staff."
Many chances and goals
Heitinga likes an attacking and intense style, as he explains. "We stand for a certain way of playing. In the first friendly match against Hibernian and also just now during training, you could already see a bit of where we want to go. We want to put the opponent under pressure as much and as often as possible. To attack in a controlled way from possession and thereby create many chances and goals."
