Ex-Liverpool assistant sacked as Erik ten Hag lined up for sensational return
Erik ten Hag is reportedly being lined up for a sensational return to Ajax after the Amsterdam giants sacked former Liverpool assistant John Heitinga following just five wins in 15 games
Former Manchester United boss Erik ten Hag has reportedly been in discussions about a potential return to his old club Ajax after the Amsterdam giants sacked former Liverpool assistant John Heitinga.
Ten Hag is currently without a club after being dismissed by Bayer Leverkusen earlier this season and has been linked with a move back to the Premier League. But it seems he’s now received a more enticing offer to make a sensational return to his former club.
Heitinga was sacked by Ajax, who sit fourth in the Eredivisie and suffered a crushing 3-0 defeat at home to Galatasaray in the Champions League on Wednesday night, meaning they have now lost all four of their European games.
A statement from Ajax read: “Ajax has suspended John Heitinga with immediate effect. The head coach’s contract was due to run until June 30, 2027, but will now be terminated.
“The same applies to assistant coach Marcel Keizer. Ajax is looking for a new head coach; in the meantime, Fred Grim will take over Heitinga’s duties.”
According to Dutch publication AD, Ten Hag has already had conversations with Ajax executives about potentially taking over from Heitinga.
The former Everton centre-back left his position on Arne Slot’s coaching team at Liverpool to assume control at Ajax during the summer, but managed to secure victory in just five of his 15 matches in charge.
Technical director Alex Kroes commented: “It’s a painful decision. But looking back at the past few months, we must conclude that things have turned out quite differently from what we had envisioned. We’ve seen too little progress and have unnecessarily dropped points.”
The defeat to Galatasaray marked just one victory in Heitinga’s last seven fixtures, with fans demanding his dismissal following the match. A supporter group issued a statement on Wednesday declaring: “This is no longer sustainable. The decline in the sport must be halted now. The AFCA Supporters Club has enormous respect for Heitinga as a player. But now we are judging him as a coach.”
Ajax’s squad has also highlighted concerning issues, with Davy Klaasen refusing to support Heitinga whilst stating there was “little foundation” and “little development” after the game. It appears Ten Hag could be the candidate to fill the vacancy after Fred Grim was named as caretaker manager.
Kroes has allegedly held discussions with Ten Hag this week, and his previous achievements at the club might secure him a comeback. The 55-year-old manager achieved a 73 per cent win rate between January 2018 and May 2022, claiming three Eredivisie crowns and two domestic trophies whilst also guiding Ajax to the Champions League semi-finals.
His impressive stint at Ajax led to his switch to United in the summer of 2022, where he added two more trophies to his collection: the Carabao Cup in 2023 and the FA Cup in 2024.
Ten Hag was sacked by United a year ago, with Ruben Amorim hired as his replacement. Despite a brief and disappointing spell at Leverkusen, it appears his reputation remains largely unscathed.
The Dutch manager was on Wolves’ shortlist as they seek a replacement for the recently sacked Vitor Pereira.
Wolves reportedly approached Ten Hag through an intermediary to assess his interest in the available position. But with Wolves languishing at the bottom of the Premier League table, having secured only two points from 10 games, the job didn’t appeal to Ten Hag.
