Liverpool assistant departs the club after their Premier League triumph to become head coach of Dutch giants Ajax
A Liverpool coach has departed the club after accepting the vacant head coach position at Dutch side Ajax.
In his first season on Merseyside Arne Slot led the Reds to their first Premier League title since 2020.
In doing so the club have now drawn level with bitter rivals Manchester United for the most successful English team in league history, with both sides having lifted the title 20 times.
Slot has wasted little time looking towards the defence of Liverpool's title, with the club now frontrunners to sign Florian Wirtz this summer and with Jeremie Frimpong arriving from Leverkusen.
However, one Dutchman who will have no involvement for the Reds in 2025-26 is former assistant boss John Heitinga after he agreed to become manager of Ajax.
The former Everton defender arrived at Anfield last summer and has served as Slot's No 2 throughout their Premier League-winning campaign.
However, the 41-year-old will now return to Amsterdam for the fourth time, having enjoyed two spells at the club as a player and a brief stint in charge of the senior side in 2023.
Heitinga has agreed a two-year contract and replaces Francesco Farioli, who departed the club after a single season in charge.
The former defender will be joined in the dugout by fellow Ajax academy graduate Marcel Keizer.
'John is a good coach with enormous drive,' said Ajax technical director Alex Kroes.
'He is ambitious and has further developed himself over the past few years in the Premier League and Champions League.
'John knows the club well and we are convinced that he, together with Marcel, will help improve our players and build on the progress made since last summer.'
The most successful club in the history of Dutch football, Ajax have not won an Eredivisie title since Erik ten Hag led the club to victory in 2022.
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