Heads up, Mourinho! Ajax make key decision ahead of Benfica clash | OneFootball

On the same night that Benfica disappointed again in the Champions League, Ajax made a drastic decision. The Amsterdam club, one of the Eagles' opponents, announced that they have dismissed John Heitinga, a Dutch football legend, from the position of coach. Thus, José Mourinho will have to deal with some significant changes in the next match.

The final straw occurred last night, November 5th, when the Dutch team, like Benfica, suffered their fourth defeat in the Champions League group stage, this time losing at home to Galatasaray, 3-0. It is worth noting that the Club of Light also did not fare well, losing to Leverkusen (1-0).

Ajax dismissed John Heitinga with immediate effect. The head coach's contract was set to last until June 30, 2027, but it will now be terminated.

Thus, the Dutch coach could not withstand the poor series of results, which have persisted since he took over the team's technical command, following the departure of Francesco Farioi, now leading Porto. Heitinga failed to respond adequately, especially in the Champions League where, besides the defeat against the Turks, Ajax lost to Inter (2-0) and was thrashed by Marseille (4-0) and Chelsea (5-1).

The match against Benfica is scheduled for three weeks from now, on November 25th, in Amsterdam. Until then, the Dutch club is expected to appoint their new coach. Among the options considered, the press has recently suggested that Erik ten Hag - without a club since leaving Leverkusen on September 1st - is the favorite among Ajax's management.

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