Van ‘t Schip faces the most difficult job of his career at Ajax: ‘Everyone has to earn their place’

John van ‘t Schip says it about five times in a conversation via Teams with eight journalists on Monday afternoon. He “draws a line” under the past few months at Ajax. “I’m not going to look back.” He wants to “help” those boys.

The former Ajax player, a graceful right winger in the eighties and nineties, wears a black shirt and sits in front of a wall with historical Ajax photos from better times. Ajax presents it a day after the 5-2 defeat at PSV – which dropped it to last place in the Eredivisie. Next Thursday evening he will be on the bench as a coach for the first time, during the catch-up game against FC Volendam. The pressure is on: Ajax must win to get out of last place.

Last week, Van ‘t Schip (59) received a phone call when he was staying in Greece with his two children to cope with the loss of his wife. Interim director Jan van Halst asked him if he could take over. “Ajax made me great, I owe a lot to it,” he says now. The sporting crisis at the club “hurts me”. “I have the opportunity to step in and actually help.” So he said yes.

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He must lead Ajax out of the dark period. His appointment as trainer is until the summer of 2024, after which he will take up a position in technical management. He becomes the fifth head coach in less than a year, after Alfred Schreuder, John Heitinga, Maurice Steijn and Hedwiges Maduro. Van ‘t Schip is “for now the best person to put a positive spin on the performance,” says Van Halst in a press release.

Creative attacker

Van ‘t Schip does not finish his sentence completely when he wants to say that he is still in the process of bereavement. He discussed this scenario with his wife before she died three weeks ago from rectal cancer after a long illness. “She said: John, these are moments and opportunities that you have to seize. It is good for you to be able to give yourself completely in that process. Otherwise you’ll be at home, will that make you better? It was her fervent wish that I would get back to work.”

He had previously been agreed with Ajax for a role in technical management, in which position he would actually start on November 1. That happened two days earlier, as a trainer. He had also “well discussed” that option with his wife – what if Ajax asked him to be their coach. “Unfortunately, she doesn’t get to experience it, perhaps she had a major role in it from above. I believe she did.”

He speaks calmly, measuredly. Know what he does and doesn’t want to say. Makes a joke when a reporter mentions towards the end of the conversation that, as a previously beautiful, creative attacker, he is now entering a difficult phase at his club. Van ‘t Schip pretends not to have heard the first part. “Sorry, can you repeat that again? I thought it was so beautiful.”

He has been working as a trainer for over 25 years, often abroad since 2010. Melbourne (twice), Guadalajara, national coach of Greece. In between at PEC Zwolle, where he was fired in 2018. He has become “older and wiser,” he says. “I have gone through quite a journey in my life and coaching career.” He previously worked as coach of FC Twente, Jong Ajax, and as assistant to Marco van Basten at Oranje and Ajax – the role as second man seemed to suit him.

But now he steps into full view, for the most difficult job of his career. He wants to get the “fun” back in the selection, provide “clarity”. “You can see that they need help. They need to gain more confidence and the feeling that they can help each other. Now they often crawl into their shell.” Discussions, presentations, individual conversations – he wants a lot of attention for that.

Captaincy

He spoke with Louis van Gaal, advisor to the supervisory board. “It is clear that I have Louis’ support.” Van ‘t Schip stands for “attacking, well-groomed” football, but does not hesitate to be “realistic”. It is not impossible that – against Ajax tradition – he opts for three central defenders for more defensive control, as Van Gaal did with the Dutch team.

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He also does not rule out choosing another captain – that is now Steven Bergwijn. “Nothing is certain. Everyone has to earn their place, everyone has to go in the direction we want, all together.” Although he adds: “This is not a group that has many captains.”

At his suggestion, Australian Michael Valkanis, coach of Hapoel Tel Aviv until Monday, will join us as an assistant. They worked together for the Greek national team, Melbourne City and PEC. As a field coach he is important to Van ‘t Schip.

What is interesting is that of ‘t Schip in the ESPN program at the end of September Good morning Eredivisie still said that a “cleaning” is needed at the top of Ajax. He was referring, among others, to director Maurits Hendriks, partly responsible for the appointment of the now dismissed director of football affairs Sven Mislintat. “You have to start by reorganizing from the top down,” he said at the time.

Now Van ‘t Schip will work under the same Hendriks. “I see that as a very nice challenge,” he says. “I have started, I am putting an end to what happened there. I look ahead.” His goal this season: fifth place.

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