Grim decided to drastically change his basic formation from the lost match with Excelsior (1-2). He opted for five other basic players. “In the first two matches under my leadership I more or less stuck to one team,” he said. “But that didn’t yield much. After the match against Excelsior it was time to give other boys a chance. I thought Ko Itakura did a great job as a defensive midfielder. We need a midfielder who keeps things close. I also enjoyed Rayane Bounida. He played very openly.”
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“I think we had more chances than Benfica,” said Grim. “Before the 1-0 from that corner, a Benfica boy was offside. Unfortunately, the referees did not see that. That is also the situation we are in now. I liked that the crowd stayed behind us. These are terrible times for an Ajax player. But I have now also seen that we can do better.”
Rayane Bounida in the starting line-up?
Rayane Bounida feels that he has convinced his interim coach Fred Grim in the lost match against Benfica (0-2) in the Champions League. “I think I am now a basic player,” he said with great bravado in the press room of the Johan Cruijff ArenA. “I think I’m going to have a good night’s sleep.”
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Bounida left Anderlecht three years ago for Ajax’s youth academy. The Belgian of Moroccan origin has received several offers from other clubs in recent seasons, but decided at the beginning of this year to extend his contract until mid-2028. Bounida hoped for more playing time in the first team, but had to show himself during substitute appearances. He appeared at the kick-off for the first time this season against Benfica.
“I almost couldn’t believe my ears when I heard it,” said 19-year-old Bounida. “I was a bit nervous. But I have a good relationship with trainer Grim. He told me to just have fun. He wanted to see me laugh on the field. It was not a perfect evening. Because then we would have won and I would have scored three. I am satisfied.”
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Bounida got the Ajax supporters behind him with technical feats. He played his opponent through the legs twice. “I dare to do that, but I couldn’t do much else at that moment,” said the wing attacker, who calls Cristiano Ronaldo and Neymar as his great examples. “When I came here to Ajax, I had little patience. I also got injured a few times. I am really happy with the opportunity I have now been given. I have two shirts from this match. I just gave one to a friend who came here from Belgium. The other shirt is for my father. It is now important for me that I get a lot of playing time every week, preferably at Ajax.”