After Hamstra and Veldmate, head of youth training Ouaali also leaves Ajax

Saïd Ouaali will leave Ajax this summer. The head of youth training has informed Ajax management that he does not wish to extend his contract, which expires June 30, 2023.

Ouaali started as a trainer in the youth academy midway through the 2011/2012 season. From 2014, he served as coordinator of the upper school, a position he combined with that of head of youth training ad interim from 2015. In 2016, he was officially appointed Ajax’s head of youth training.

“For more than eleven years, together with colleagues, I devoted myself with great pleasure to our youth training, in my view still the lifeblood of the club. I have come to the conclusion that it is time to hand over the baton,” the 53-year-old Ouaali explained his departure.

Director Edwin van der Sar praises Ouaali and believes he has meant a lot to the club. “Year after year, home-grown players debut in Ajax 1 and that is partly to the credit of Saïd and his colleagues in our training.”

“Trainers of Ajax 1 and Jong Ajax could also always go to him for a good football-related conversation, about a player or about a match played. Too bad he decided to leave. We would have liked to continue with him.”

Ajax appointed German Sven Mislintat as its new director of soccer affairs early this week. This executive position had been vacant for 14 months following the departure of Marc Overmars. One of Mislintat’s first tasks will be to appoint a head coach for the main squad. John Heitinga will finish the season on an interim basis after the dismissal of Alfred Schreuder.

Technical manager Gerry Hamstra recently stepped down at Ajax. Head scout Henk Veldmate returns to FC Groningen after this season.