Ajax fires second manager following Erik Ten Hag’s departure amid poor form

Ajax has fired manager Maurice Steijn after only four months in charge. Steijn, 49, was hired from Sparta Rotterdam in the summer on a three-year contract and was expected to continue the success of his predecessor, Erik ten Hag.

However, a streak of poor performances has left the prominent Dutch team residing near the bottom of the league table, with only one victory in seven league matches.

The tipping point for Ajax’s club leadership seemed to be the recent match against Utrecht, where the 36-time Dutch champions suffered a 4-3 defeat.

According to reports, Ajax executives held two meetings with Stejin on Monday, October 23, and eventually reached the decision to go their separate ways.

A statement from the club, as quoted by GOAL, stated: “Ajax and Maurice Steijn are parting ways with immediate effect,” read a club statement.

“The club management and Steijn have jointly decided that the trainer will resign his duties. Steijn arrived at Ajax from Sparta Rotterdam last summer and signed a contract in Amsterdam until June 30, 2026.”

To be honest, Stejin’s removal is hardly unexpected, given that Ajax is currently experiencing its most dismal form since 1954, a time before any of the current players or the manager were born. Their most recent victory dates back to August, and since then, the Dutch powerhouse has struggled with conceding goals, failing to maintain a clean sheet since September 3.

This stands in stark contrast to the achievements of their former manager, Erik ten Hag, who guided the team to three consecutive Eredivisie titles before departing for England in 2022, where he currently manages Manchester United.