Erik ten Hag has explained his position against Sparta Rotterdam. The Ajax trainer chooses Danilo as a striker at Het Kasteel, as Sébastien Haller has stayed behind in Amsterdam due to illness. According to Ten Hag, it is ‘completely logical’ that Danilo starts. The coach sees him as ‘the best finisher in the sixteen’. Antony has not traveled to Rotterdam either. He hasn’t been fit enough. David Neres takes his place in the right winger position.
Ten Hag therefore does not choose Dusan Tadic as a striker, but grants Danilo his first base place of the season in the Eredivisie. “I think it makes sense,” said the Ajax coach. “He’s a striker. He’s had to wait a long time for it. I think it’s clear how good he is. Actually, he never had a real chance, but this is his chance and he has to take it. playing in the half of Sparta, with a lot of situations in the sixteen. That is the quality of Danilo. He is the best finisher in the sixteen, so I am very curious.”
Erik ten Hag about Danilo’s starting position against Sparta:
“This is his chance, and he has to grab it now.”
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Antony is also not present at Het Kasteel. The winger is not fit enough. “He still has complaints, that’s why he is not there,” said Ten Hag, who predicts a difficult afternoon against Sparta. “Every match is difficult, but you should not run away from that. We have to come up with solutions. They know what to do and we must have learned our lessons. That we have to walk between the ball boys, that is part of the Sparta club. Sparta is really a historic club, a tradition association.”
It was an emotional week for Ten Hag, as he had to say goodbye to the deceased Simon Kistemaker on Tuesday, with whom he was good friends. “That makes me proud”, Ten Hag refers to the tribute to the De Graafschap clubman. “It’s great that he moved so much. He got everything out of it and people appreciate that. He has given De Graafschap a cult status and made people watch football passionately. He remains in our hearts and I like that. a very deep friendship.”