Saturday, May 13, 2023 at 4:55 PM• Jonathan van Haaster

Azor Matusiwa has indicated that he will ‘seriously think’ about a next step at Ajax if the Amsterdam club reports for him. The defensive midfielder said this in an interview with Ajax Showtime. Edson Álvarez will probably leave the Johan Cruijff ArenA in the summer, which would leave a vacancy in midfield. Matusiwa is still under contract with Stade Reims until mid-2026.

Matusiwa says he knows that Ligue 1 is a bigger competition than the Eredivisie, but that doesn’t deter him. “I just had a good time at Ajax and I also learned a lot. I have always followed them and if they really knocked on my door, I would seriously consider returning to the Netherlands.” After playing in the youth of Almere City for two years, Matusiwa made the switch to Ajax’s youth academy in 2013. He made an impression at Jong Ajax, but it didn’t get further than one appearance in the first.

The born Hilversummer chose eggs for his money and made the final switch to FC Groningen in 2019. There he developed into one of the strongholds and in the summer of 2021 the switch to Stade Reims followed. Matusiwa feels valued at his club. “But Ajax is a bigger club”, says Matusiwa, who does not leave Reims ‘for the first club’. “I just feel a certain appreciation here. I know that when I’m fit, I’m going to play. That I have my place and that I’ve conquered it. I’m not just going to throw that away for the first club.”

Matusiwa has played 59 times for Reims, where Kaj Sierhuis and Mitchell van Bergen are also under contract. Unlike the former, Matusiwa is a permanent fixture under success trainer Will Still. Despite a now ended series of nineteen (!) unbeaten games, Reims is tenth with fifty points. European football is out of sight. “My goal was to be as important as possible to the team,” Matusiwa continued. “Both defensively and on the ball. I think we succeeded and I’m happy with the season I’ve played now. Only: we still have four games and we want to get at least those 56 points. That would be the season make it complete.”