Steijn new coach Ajax, which loosens him from Sparta Rotterdam

Maurice Steijn is the new head coach of Ajax. The coach signs for three years with the Amsterdam club, which did not continue with interim coach John Heitinga after the disappointing league – third behind Feyenoord and PSV – and lost cup final.

Former Ajax player Hedwiges Maduro is likely to come to Amsterdam as assistant coach. He held the same position at Almere City, which promoted to the premier league on Sunday under Alex Pastoor’s leadership. Saïd Bakkati is also in the picture as assistant coach.

During Almere’s inauguration, Maduro did not want to confirm his move to Ajax:

Ajax will pay a limited transfer fee for Steijn. “Maurice informed us in a conversation this morning that he wants to go to Ajax,” said Sparta technical director Gerard Nijkamp. “There were certain conditions in his contract and Ajax has fulfilled them. We are very sorry that Maurice is leaving, but if we as Sparta can deliver a trainer to Ajax, that makes us proud as Spartans.”

The 49-year-old Steijn experienced a successful period at Sparta. Replacing the sacked Henk Fraser, he succeeded in keeping the bottom of the Eredivisie from relegation in 2022 thanks to ten points from the remaining four games.

Last season he surprised friend and foe by finishing sixth with Sparta. European soccer was just missed because in the final of the play-offs FC Twente won in two games.

The Hagenaar, who himself played soccer at ADO Den Haag and NAC Breda, was in the past a trainer at ADO Den Haag and VVV-Venlo, among others. While serving the latter club, he won a Rinus Michels Award in 2017, for the best coach in the first division.