gAhmetcan Kaplan
NOS Voetbal•vandaag, 09:30
The new defensive security at Ajax is accompanied by the introduction of the 5-4-1 system and, not entirely coincidentally, also by the entrance of Ahmetcan Kaplan. With the Turkish defender in the center back, Ajax kept a clean sheet against FC Utrecht (2-0) and Aston Villa (0-0).
“He radiates a lot of calm on the ball but is also a really tough defender,” said colleague Jorrel Hato on Thursday after the match with the number four of the Premier League. “So I just enjoy playing next to him.”
Coach John van ‘t Schip was also enthusiastic: “I thought he was really strong. He radiates calm, has a winning mentality in matches and he conveys that to the players around him. The other central defenders Devyne Rensch and Jorrel Hato also did well.”
‘First learn, then perform’
Kaplan’s breakthrough in Amsterdam did not go unnoticed in Turkey either. “The newspapers write that he was the big man at Ajax and that if he continues like this, a great future awaits,” says journalist Mehmet Demircan, who worked for the Turkish sports newspaper Fanatik for more than 25 years.
“He had to wait a long time, his patience has been rewarded,” Demircan continues. “Now he shows what he has to offer.”
Kaplan came over from Trabzonspor in August 2022, with just 13 games in the Turkish league. Ajax paid almost ten million euros for the talent. The then nineteen-year-old defender signed for five years in Amsterdam under the watchful eye of the technical duo Klaas-Jan Huntelaar and Gerry Hamstra.
The choice for Ajax typifies Kaplan, says Demircan. “He did not choose the money, but development at Ajax, where he might have earned more at Galatasaray, Fenerbahçe or somewhere else. He wants to learn first than perform. Many Turkish talents think the other way around.”
‘Fighters, fighters, they never give up’
It was a purchase for the future, but it was not the intention that his entrance into the first team would take so long. At the end of September he suffered a knee injury with Young Turkey and in December things went wrong again, another serious knee injury.
Watch John van ‘t Schip and Jorrel Hato’s opinion about Ahmetcan Kaplan below:
An operation followed and a long and difficult rehabilitation process began. But Kaplan, which means tiger in Turkish, is a fighter, according to Demircan, as are many people from the region of Trabzon, a city on the northeast coast of Turkey, according to the journalist.
“They are fighters, fighters, they never give up,” says Demircan about the mentality of the people from Trabzon. “But they also often have a big mouth and he doesn’t have that. He is very calm, quiet, modest. That is special.”
In October last year, fourteen months after his transfer to Amsterdam, he made his debut for Jong Ajax as a substitute against ADO Den Haag (0-0). This was followed by ten more appearances in the first division.
Van ‘t Schip watched the performance with interest: “He needed time to get into his rhythm. It was variable, but you could see that he was a reliable and good defender.”
After Ajax to the European Championship with Turkey?
After the start-up period at Jong Ajax, Kaplan made his debut in Ajax’s first team on February 25 of this year, a year and a half after his arrival. Replacing Anton Gaaei, he came into the team in the 36th minute against AZ (2-0 loss). With Kaplan within the lines, Ajax immediately gained more control.
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Orange Pictures
Januari 2022: Ahmetcan Kaplan (Trabzonspor) in duel met Ryan Babel (Galatasaray)
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Pro Shots
Ahmetcan Kaplan with cramp during Ajax-Aston Villa
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Ajax
Ahmetcan Kaplan
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ANP
Ahmetcan Kaplan (middle) at Ajax training
“Kaplan played a good role,” Van ‘t Schip said afterwards. “We got better and better with the ball. It’s nice to see that he is back after such a serious injury. We have another player.”
Against FC Utrecht and Aston Villa, Kaplan was given a starting place in the absence of Josip Sutalo and the Turk seized his chance. He doesn’t seem to have to give up that spot for a while. “That’s football,” Van ‘t Schip knows.
The year can be even better for Kaplan. A European Championship with Turkey? “I think the national coach, Vincenzo Montella, can use him well,” Demircan thinks. “Not yet for the starting line-up, but a selection is in order. With so much quality, no one can deprive him of the national shirt.”
Ajax-Fortuna Sittard at NOS
The match between Ajax and Fortuna Sittard can be followed on Sunday from 2:30 PM via a live blog in the NOS app and on NOS.nl, NOS Teletekst and via flashes at NOS Along the Line on NPO Radio 1.
Shortly after the match, a summary of the match can be viewed online. An extensive summary will follow from 7 p.m. on NPO 1 Studio Sport Eredivisie.
2024-03-09 08:30:15
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