John Heitinga has left Arne Slot's Liverpool coaching staff to become the new manager of Dutch giants Ajax.

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• Ajax confirm Heitinga appointment
• Was previously interim boss
• Leaves Arne Slot's Liverpool staff

• Table of Contents

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  WHAT HAPPENED?

  Heitinga replaces Francesco Farioli at the Eredivisie club after they capitulated at the end of the 2024-25 season to lose out on the title to PSV. The Dutchman leaves a vacancy at Anfield, where he had worked underneath Slot this term, while he had previously spent time at West Ham with David Moyes.

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  WHAT HEITINGA SAID

  Heitinga said: "I am incredibly excited to start. The last years in England have done me a lot of good. I've been able to develop further alongside David Moyes and Arne Slot, while also getting a behind-the-scenes look at two major clubs. I'm ready to continue as a head coach and I'm honoured to be given that opportunity at Ajax."

• THE BIGGER PICTURE

  Heitinga was previously interim head coach at Ajax, leading them to third place in the league in the 2022-23 season before the club chose to appoint Maurice Steijn. He now takes the job on a full-time basis.

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  WHAT NEXT FOR AJAX?

  Heitinga's first job is to restore Ajax to their previous heights, the club having gone three seasons without an Eredivisie title. By finishing second in 2024-25, they did secure qualification for the Champions League – but the new boss may have to take on that challenge without club captain Jordan Henderson, who has been linked with a return to Sunderland.

Tags: Futebol
Category: News