Jordi Cruijff’s Swift Decision on Jong Ajax Coach

omidbasir- Jordi Cruijff assumed the role of technical director at Ajax on February 1 and swiftly decided to terminate the contract of Willem Weijs, the coach of Jong Ajax, just days later. This decision was made in a notably blunt manner.

According to Mike Verweij in the podcast “Kick-Off,” Cruijff’s interaction with Weijs during their initial meeting was quite direct: “Willem Weijs, take a seat, you are out.” Verweij added a bit of context, noting, “He did have a contract until the end of the year, so the situation may be portrayed as more dramatic than it actually is.”

Reflecting on Weijs’s dismissal, Cruijff communicated to Voetbal International: “When you want to move in a specific direction, sometimes you must make difficult decisions. I have great respect for the coach, and this is certainly not an enjoyable task. Arriving here and immediately stating, ‘We want to make changes,’ is tough. At Jong Ajax, players are at an age where they should be making their debut for Ajax’s first team. The first team of Ajax requires a winning mentality to secure titles. Therefore, it’s a combination of factors: we need to aim higher across the entire club. If you want to win, you must cultivate a winning mentality. And if you lose, there are consequences. This applies to all coaches, clubs, and countries.”