John Heitinga’s decision sparks debate at Chelsea - Ajax | OneFootball

John Heitinga, the coach who took over the technical command of Ajax after the departure of Francesco Farioli, has been having a complicated time. The most recent episode, witnessed during the match against Chelsea, did nothing to improve his image among the fans, who did not hesitate to call for his resignation.

Everything started before the kickoff of the match against the Blues. The coach, who will soon face Benfica in the Champions League, made several changes to the team, a decision he was satisfied with, but only for 15 minutes: "I think it worked for 15 minutes, until the red card [of Kenneth Taylor]".

With one less player on the field, the former Dutch international was forced to make changes to the team, deciding to take the creative Oscar Gloukh off the pitch. However, this decision did not sit well with the Amsterdam fans, who wasted no time in booing the coach, chanting: "Johnny, out!".

"I understand the fans' emotions for taking Oscar off, but we wanted two more defensive midfielders and speed on the wings", John Heitinga began to explain. The Dutch coach preferred to highlight the positive aspects of the match; "I saw the boys fighting. And I still heard chants, the fans continued to support the team. The boys ran every meter for each other, together. I saw team spirit".

It is worth remembering that Ajax was thrashed by Chelsea, 5-1, where the performance was harshly criticized by Wesley Sneijder. As for the coach, John Heitinga continues to withstand poor results, both in the league and in the Champions League, however, several rumors suggest that the club's management is considering the possibility of Erik ten Hag's return.

This article was translated into English by Artificial Intelligence. You can read the original version in 🇵🇹 here.