Soccer-Heitinga to be named new coach of Ajax, says Dutch media
FILE PHOTO: Soccer Football - Premier League - Liverpool v Southampton - Anfield, Liverpool, Britain - March 8, 2025 Liverpool assistant manager Johnny Heitinga looks on REUTERS/Phil Noble/File Photo
AMSTERDAM (Reuters) -Ajax Amsterdam have reached agreement with John Heitinga to take over as new coach, with former club coach Marcel Keizer to serve as his assistant, several Dutch media reported on Friday.
The 41-year-old Heitinga moves from Liverpool, where he was one of Arne Slot's assistants in their Premier League-winning season.
He will sign a two-year contract, reports across all major Dutch media outlets added, replacing the Italian Francesco Farioli, who resigned earlier this month after Ajax blew a nine-point lead and were pipped to the league title by PSV Eindhoven.
There has been no announcementyet from Ajax.
Heitinga, who won 87 caps for the Netherlands, worked previously as an assistant to then Jong Ajax coach Keizer in the 2016-17 season. The club's reserves compete in the Dutch second division and were second that season but were not allowed promotion.
Heitinga was also acting coach of Ajax from January to June 2023 after the firing of Alfred Schreuder and took them to a third-place finish, as well as the Dutch Cup final, where they lost to PSV on penalties.
However, he was not offered the post permanently after that.
Keizer was promoted to Ajax coach in mid-2017 but dismissed after five months in charge and replaced by Erik ten Hag, who went on to have a successful run in charge of the Amsterdam side.
Ten Hag had been a candidate to return to Ajax for next season but chose to take up an offer from Bayer Leverkusen instead.
Heitinga came through the Ajax youth ranks as a player and won two league titles in his eight years in the first team, before going on to play for Atletico Madrid, Everton, Fulham and Hertha BSC.
He returned to Ajax in 2015 but soon retired after an assortment of injuries.
(Writing by Mark Gleeson in Cairo; Editing by Christian Radnedge)
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