Ajax has immediately suspended trainer Alfred Schreuder. The Amsterdam football club has that announced Thursday after a draw against FC Volendam (1-1). It was the seventh game in a row that the team from Amsterdam failed to win.
Schreuder’s contract originally ran until June 30, 2024, but has been terminated immediately. The collaboration with assistant coach Matthias Kaltenbach has also ended with immediate effect.
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Ajax is currently in fifth place in the Eredivisie, seven points behind leader Feyenoord. Earlier, Ajax already fell in the group stage of the Champions League, after, among other things, the historic loss against Napoli. Ajax went down 1-6, the biggest defeat ever for the team from Amsterdam in a European context.
General director Edwin van der Sar calls the decision “painful, but also necessary”. According to him, the season started well, but then too many unnecessary points were lost and the game was too volatile. “Alfred was given time and kept our confidence to improve things. In recent weeks it became increasingly clear that he could not turn the tide, “said Van der Sar.
Succession
It is not yet known who will be on the bench during Ajax’s away match against Excelsior on Sunday, Van der Sar said at the press conference about Schreuder’s departure. “Tomorrow we will meet again and then we will make a decision on that.”
He also made no announcements about Schreuder’s succession. “Tomorrow, first take a look at how the group is doing.” Assistant coaches Michael Reiziger and Richard Witschge will lead the training of the club from Amsterdam on Friday.
Schreuder came over from Club Brugge last summer as successor to Erik ten Hag, who opted for a new position as coach of Manchester United.