For Calvin Bassey, the duel with Rangers FC was special. The 22-year-old defender made the switch from earlier this summer for at least 23 million euros the Gers to Ajax. With the team from Amsterdam, he experienced a dream start in the Champions League on Wednesday evening thanks to the 4-0 victory over his former teammates. It caused mixed feelings for Bassey.
“I’m grateful for my Champions League debut, it’s an honor,” Bassey said at the press conference after the resounding victory. “But I did find it a bit painful for my friends, I’ve been on the field with them every day for the past two years.” Bassey played a total of 65 official games for Rangers before landing in Amsterdam in July.
The Nigerian-English defender already has experience with the atmosphere in stadiums in Scotland and England, but is also impressed by the Johan Cruijff ArenA. “You saw it tonight, the stadium was shaking to its foundations. I tried to talk to Jurriën Timber. He was only two meters away from me, but he couldn’t hear me. The atmosphere was incredible.”
For Bassey, there are clear differences with his old employer. “Ajax really plays a very different game than Rangers. But it is a lot of fun to play with this team. I am happy to be at Ajax.” Finally, Bassey had nice words for his ex-trainer Giovanni van Bronckhorst. “Gio is very smart, he is a top trainer. He gave me the confidence and the chance to play at the highest level. level. I’m glad I was able to work with him.”