In conversation with the head coach of Ajax. John Heitinga has been responsible for the results in Amsterdam since the end of January. Now, two months later, we look back with him on his first weeks. "You try to build a relationship with the players as quickly as possible."
John Heitinga described the loss against Feyenoord (2-3) as ‘incredibly painful’. He thought Ajax was too sloppy on the ball during the home match against the Rotterdam-based team. He also considered the two conceded goals in the second half to be a bummer. “You have to win those one on one duels. We have to do better.”
The elimination in the UEFA Europa League hurts John Heitinga, he admits. Ajax's trainer talks about a frustrating evening against FC Union Berlin: 3-1. "We brought FC Union Berlin into their strength with the first two goals."
John Heitinga will remain head coach for the rest of the season. The Ajacied is clear about what he expects the next couple of months and is excited to start. "I think I have the Ajax DNA, which I hopefully can translate to the group."