Ajax wants to appoint Erik ten Hag, Francesco Farioli or Graham Potter as the new trainer, it is reported The Telegraph Friday. It is an open secret within the Amsterdam club that Alex Kroes sees the perfect new Ajax coach in the manager of Manchester United and wants to wait. If Ten Hag definitively says ‘no’ or if Ajax moves on, then Farioli from OGC Nice and the club-less Potter will come into the picture of the Amsterdam team, according to journalists Mike Verweij and Valentijn Driessen.
Football director Marijn Beuker and head of scouting Kelvin de Lang did not discuss names in an extensive interview. “How long are we prepared to wait for Ten Hag?” Beuker repeats a leading question. “The first training is scheduled for mid-June, so we want to have clarity by the end of May at the latest and preferably earlier. We don’t want to go too fast, because then you block choices. But there comes a time when you want to continue.”
“Otherwise the trainer carousel will start turning and you run the risk of missing out on good options. Also because you don’t know whether someone wants to come to us. We now have an important task. The transfer window is coming and we can’t wait too long with the staff.” According to Algemeen Dagblad, Potter rejected a proposal from Ajax earlier this week on financial grounds. Potter, who spoke with Kroes, Beuker, De Lang and Louis van Gaal, now sees the sporting side of a move to Amsterdam.
Article continues below the video
Also read: Hakim Ziyech sets his sights on a spectacular return to Ajax
Farioli, 35, was Roberto De Zerbi’s right-hand man at Benevento and Sassuolo for three years. The Italian continued his career in Turkey, where he worked for Alanyaspor and Fatih Karagümrük. Last summer, the coach signed a two-year contract with OGC Nice, which is currently fifth in Ligue 1 (and even led earlier this season) and still has the prospect of a place that entitles it to participate in the Champions League. . Like De Zerbi, Farioli is a man of details and convictions, and looks at players differently than many of his compatriots have done for years.
Xavi also spoke to Beuker and De Lang when it was announced that he was leaving Barcelona. The Spaniard indicated that he wanted to rest for a year and therefore surprised Ajax with the announcement that he would serve out his contract in Catalonia until the summer of 2025. “We work with a shortlist,” is all Beuker wants to say about it. “We can no longer take risks – especially in the phase we are in now. We will take a staff that has been thoroughly analyzed and will help us. If you think logically about football, there are many simple answers. You just have to act accordingly.”
Also read: The Dutch international worth 60 million should be Arne Slot’s first acquisition at Liverpool
Beuker and De Lang emphasize that the entire technical staff has their attention. Commissioner Danny Blind and supervisory board advisor Van Gaal also play a role in this. “We include Danny in particular at an early stage in our thoughts about the selection, the players and the trainers we have in mind, because he is directly involved. Van Gaal does not force his way, but listens to us, asks the right questions and gives his ideas and opinions, solicited and unsolicited. He also challenges us to think about certain situations.”
“We have clearly written out the roles in the technical staff. We do not want uniformities, but trainers who complement each other. Ideally you have a tactical eye, someone who knows what winning means at Champions League level and people who are concerned with the development of the individual and the way of playing. We have to organize that in our staff. It also doesn’t help if you have three tactical masters. In recent months we have investigated all kinds of options and there is now a list of candidates. At some point we have to put that puzzle together.”
