Things are rumbling in Ajax’s youth academy, Mike Verweij outlines in the football podcast Kick off by The Telegraph. The departure of head of training Saïd Ouaali, who announced his retirement on Thursday, may not be an isolated event. “Players are sometimes just sitting on the balloons (laughing gas, ed.). In some respects there is total anarchy,” said Verweij, who thinks Marciano Vink is a suitable candidate to succeed Ouaali.
Ouaali has informed the management of Ajax that he does not want to extend his contract, which expires on June 30, 2023, according to the official reading. However, Verweij thinks things are different. “Ajax did not become champion with any youth team last season. I don’t think that has ever happened in the history of Ajax. Then everyone suddenly panics, with Maurits Hendriks (Chief Sports Officer at Ajax, ed.) in the lead. I think that Ouaali has been advised to keep the honor to himself after eleven years.”
According to the journalist, it was not made easy for the head of youth academy within his own club. “What Ouaali had to deal with at Ajax was wrong frugality. Ajax does not listen to Bert van Marwijk’s hobbyhorse, namely that you should reward the youth coach the best of everyone. At Ajax, an average youth coach earns 30, 40 or 50 thousand euros per years. Then you can say: that’s a lot of money, but those are not the amounts that make former football players feel called to join the youth academy these days. There are now all kinds of data guys, guys who just got their trainer’s diploma at the KNVB and who really want to work at Ajax. You see the result. So to all those data guys: congratulations”, it sounds cynical.
Verweij thinks Ajax should intervene. “In any case, it is wise to appoint someone as head of youth academy who rules with an iron hand, because when you hear the stories about what is happening in that youth academy … Players are just sitting on the balloons. In some ways there is total anarchy. Ajax needs a type Van Gaal, a type Co Adriaanse, someone who rules with an iron hand.”
Valentijn Driessen suggests in the podcast the name of Vink, who played 108 times for Ajax as a midfielder. “He really likes the TV work he is doing now, but I think he can be persuaded if you come up with a very good offer.” Verweij agrees with his colleague. “I also think it would be a very good candidate.” Verweij also advises Ajax to think about a possible role for Frank and Ronald de Boer in the youth academy.