Nothing is going well for Ajax Amsterdam. As the club seeks to return to its former glory, Dutch analyst Valentijn Driessen harshly criticizes the team’s current choices. After a meager 1-0 victory against Willem II, Driessen believes Ajax are light years away from his famous style of play.
Ajax is historically recognized for its offensive play and its “Hollandse School”, developed by Johan Cruyff, which still inspires clubs like FC Barcelona today. But according to Driessen, the Dutch club has completely lost this identity under the leadership of Italian coach Francesco Farioli. “While Barcelona honors Cruyff’s values and dominates Real Madrid, Ajax sinks, putting in a poor performance against a promoted side,” he wrote in The Telegraph.
A sad and undignified spectacle
Driessen does not mince his words, saying that if Johan Cruyff, emblem of the Ajax stadium, saw the current situation, he would be sickened. “Cruyff, for whom the beauty of the game was essential, would turn in his grave, especially on a day when Ajax pays tribute to Johan Neeskens in this same stadium,” continues the analyst.
For Driessen, the club has completely lost its soul and its footballing identity. According to him, Neeskens, another icon of Dutch football, would be dismayed by this soulless performance, which betrays the values of the Amsterdam game.
A disastrous transfer window and a lack of talent
In addition to the style of play, the lack of new talent coming from Ajax deeply worries Driessen. The last transfer period was, according to him, a total failure. “It is unthinkable that Ajax will no longer be able to train young prodigies capable of keeping up with the pace of the Eredivisie. While FC Barcelona persists in the tradition of the Hollandse School, Ajax seems to have sold its soul by adopting a style far removed from its roots.”
Valentijn Driessen: ‘Ajax has sold its soul, Johan Cruijff would have turned in his grave’ #telegraafpremium via @Telegraph https://t.co/ENB02MyfQE
— Jeroen Johannes (@hoedewindwaait) October 28, 2024
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