Ajax Amsterdam have appointed former Netherlands international John Heitinga as the club’s new head coach, following the resignation of Francesco Farioli last week.
The 41-year-old, who began his playing career at Ajax and later enjoyed a successful international run with the Dutch national team, has signed a two-year contract with the Eredivisie giants. He will be supported by Marcel Kaizer, who briefly managed Ajax in 2017.
Heitinga joins Ajax after spending the last season working as part of Arne Slot’s coaching staff at Premier League champions Liverpool, having previously been an assistant under David Moyes at West Ham United.
“I am incredibly excited to start. The last years in England have done me a lot of good,” Heitinga said in a club statement. “I’ve been able to develop further alongside David Moyes and Arne Slot, while also getting a behind-the-scenes look at two major clubs. I’m ready to continue as a head coach and I’m honoured to be given that opportunity at Ajax.”
Ajax are aiming to bounce back from a tumultuous season in which they blew a nine-point lead with just five games remaining, surrendering the league title to rivals PSV Eindhoven on the final day. Farioli, who had helped lift the team from a disappointing fifth-place finish in 2023–24, stepped down citing “different visions” between himself and the club’s board.
Heitinga brings deep ties to Ajax, having come through the youth academy before playing for the first team. He earned 87 caps for the Netherlands and featured in the 2010 FIFA World Cup final, where he was sent off in extra time as the Dutch lost to Spain 1-0.
He retired from professional football in 2016 after a short second spell with his boyhood club and now returns to take on one of the most high-profile coaching jobs in Dutch football.
