Maarten Stekelenburg has fully recovered from his knee injury, the 38-year-old goalkeeper of Ajax reports on Thursday evening at the press conference. Stekelenburg emphasizes that no risks will be taken with his playing against AS Roma on Thursday. “I had problems with my knee, but I have recovered,” said Stekelenburg, who does not say exactly what the nature of the injury was.
Stekelenburg is asked by Valentijn Driessen about the importance of the wall beam in free kicks. “It can be very important,” says the goalie. “I know there is a bit of a laugh about it in the Netherlands. It depends on where the free kick is taken. Is it close to sixteen? You want your wall to jump as high as possible. Then it could be of value. Why? Why?” “We haven’t done it before? Because football is changing and at one point you saw free kicks being shot under the wall. And you want to avoid goals against, so I think it’s an excellent tool.”
Stekelenburg is also asked for his opinion about the performance of his replacement Kjell Scherpen, who made a big mistake in the home game against AS Roma last Thursday (1-2 loss). “Fine”, says Stekelenburg. “I mean: people, goalkeepers, footballers make mistakes, that will never change. It was annoying for him, but it will happen more often in the future. It will also happen to me more often. Of course I support him. We train. every day together and we are a team. You win together and you lose together. “
Stekelenburg saw from the stands that Ajax played ‘a reasonably good match’ last Thursday. “But you have to finish the chances you get and I think it was an unnecessary result. Where the chances are? There is not much room, certainly not against Italians, but you will have to create space.” Stekelenburg played two seasons for AS Roma from 2011, but has left that period behind. “I’m not here to show them what I can do. I’m here to get a result with Ajax. I’m absolutely not concerned with what they think of me. If I have to get my motivation out of that, then there is something. not good.”