World

Europe

Netherlands

AZ makes fist to Ajax: De Zeeuw banned…

July 22nd, 2009 | By: Jan | 33 Comments »

AZ coach Ronald Koeman banned international Demy de Zeeuw from the group. The message is clear: AZ doesn’t want to be screwed with!

It was a message to De Zeeuw, who seemed defocused and unmotivated, but also to Ajax. The message to Ajax is: if you want him, you have to pay the price!

Ajax and AZ have been talking over the last 24 hours about the move from De Zeeuw, who claims to be done in Alkmaar. But as long as Ajax doesn’t want to pay his transfer sum, AZ chairman Scheringa isn’t interested in talking more.

The midfielder wasn’t part of the group playing against Hamburger SV ( 0-1) yesterday, not even on the bench. Ronald Koeman spent two weeks convincing AZ’s engine on midfield to stay. To explain there was still a huge learning curve for him. And so did skipper Stijn Schaars.

After winning the title, Schaars already sensed De Zeeuw wanted to move and when they celebrated the cup ( the scales) Schaars motivated the 1000s of AZ fans to chant “Demy must stay, Demy must stay”…

But, with Martin Jol as Ajax’ new coach, De Zeeuw was convinced he needed to move to Amsterdam. Jol told him he has a spot on midfield or him. Ajax went to AZ, offering 4 million euros. Scheringa didn’t even pick up the phone, claiming De Zeeuw price tag is double that.

AZ doesn’t want to sell De Zeeuw and certainly not to a competitor in Holland. AZ has the same attitute towards Ajax and PSV as Groningen, Twente ( Elia ) and Heerenveen. The sub top clubs feel Ajax and PSV bully them and they made a secret pact to stonewall the posh clubs.

The relationship between Ajax and AZ isn’t too good anyway and the AZ supporters won’t like De Zeeuw going to Ajax. If Ajax wants him, they’ll need to dig deep in the warchest.

Demy de Zeeuw has contract till 2011 with AZ and refuses to comment on his situation in the media. He just hopes the clubs will do business. But his motivation is melting away.

Last week against Brugge – AZ lost 1-0 – De Zeeuw was basically invisible and normally Koeman would have responded to his lacklustre performance.

Coming weekend, AZ plays the game for the Johan Cruyff Cup – against Heerenveen – and Koeman decided in view of that, that any player who isn’t motivated to play for AZ isn’t welcome anymore.

Against HSV, de Zeeuw was replaced by the new Swedish midfielder Wernbloom. AZ couldn’t surprise HSV although they did create many chances.

Tags: Ajax, AZ, De Zeeuw, Group C, Jol, Schaars

Netherlands World Cup RSS Feed

del.icio.us:AZ makes fist to Ajax: De Zeeuw banned...

digg:AZ makes fist to Ajax: De Zeeuw banned...

newsvine:AZ makes fist to Ajax: De Zeeuw banned...

reddit:AZ makes fist to Ajax: De Zeeuw banned...

fark:AZ makes fist to Ajax: De Zeeuw banned...

Y!:AZ makes fist to Ajax: De Zeeuw banned...

stumbleupon:AZ makes fist to Ajax: De Zeeuw banned...

Comments

Displaying the most recent 25 comments from a total of 33 comments.

Read the rest of the comments

By Jan | July 23rd, 2009 at 2:58 am

I don’t think any of our current lads really studied, to be honest…

By bobotoh | July 23rd, 2009 at 4:12 am

I also read the news that Arsenal and Chelsea are interested in signing Hunter. It seems that he will not move to Stuttgart.

Posted from Indonesia

By Tiju | July 23rd, 2009 at 4:37 am

EVERYBODY IN THIS BLOG MUST READ THIS
http://www.fifa.com/worldfootball/clubfootball/news/newsid=1081990.html#van+gaal+decide+captaincy
please go through the vangaal statement and think twice do we need vanbommel in the team ahead of schaars,dejong,Emmanuelson,de guzman,De saaw??????????????????????????????.is it a justice to the formentioned players??????????

Posted from India

By Tiju | July 23rd, 2009 at 7:26 am

See below the comment of fergie on CR7.the wiseest football manager on CR7
“Cristiano is a massive loss,” Ferguson told Press Association Sport.

“I have nothing but praise for the boy. He is easily the best player in the world.

“He is better than Kaka and better than Messi. He is streets ahead of them all.

“His contribution as a goal threat is unbelievable. His stats are incredible. Strikes at goal, attempts on goal, raids into the penalty box, headers. It is all there. Absolutely astounding.”

how about this???????

Posted from India

By Jan | July 23rd, 2009 at 7:30 am

Something tells me he’ll fail at Real Madrid. I think CR was good at Man United due to what Man United is, due to SAF etc. He was their fave son and all that.

At Real, he has that price tag around his neck, he’ll probably piss off Guti and Raul and Ruud van Gol, he’ll try to win games all by himself etc.

I’m really keen to see how he handles himself without Daddy Alex watching over him. We’ll see if he can go from boy to man!

By Leon van Lingen | July 23rd, 2009 at 7:55 am

I totally agree. The ‘record signing curse’ will again prevail.

By Big Mark | July 23rd, 2009 at 7:58 am

CR only did well because of the wise management and the team around him. Real doesn’t have that team spirit or competent management, plus RVN can’t stand him.

I’m not surprised that De Zeeuw wants out. I mean, who would want Koeman as a manager? Look at his track record so far. I respect and admire him as a player, but he is not half the tactician that Martin Jol is. If only De Zeeuw had a little more tact about this, he wouldn’t be risking his career.

By finnster01 | July 23rd, 2009 at 8:15 am

Poetry Blog Entry Number Two:

There once was a Portoguese diver called Cristiano
whose stepovers were like watching me playing the piano
he would dive to the left, dive to the right
cry like a baby everytime he lost the fight
Moved to Madrid and was finally taken out by a Real Soprano.

By Ruud | July 23rd, 2009 at 8:25 am

@finnster01
loool nice one

Posted from Canada

By dirk v.d.Berg | July 23rd, 2009 at 10:58 am

Fenerbahce have put in a 25million euro big for Arjen Robben, and Huntelaar has rejected a move to Stuttgart, but now all the big English teams are looking at him. Also AZ sign Danish youngster Nielsen from Chelsea.

Posted from Canada

By Miguel Rosado | July 23rd, 2009 at 11:44 am

Huntelaar does not want to go to Stuttgart.
De Zeeuw should stay in AZ they are in the UCL and Ajax isn’t!!!.

So Babel is staying with Liverpool? I thought he was leaving.

By Miguel Rosado | July 23rd, 2009 at 11:48 am

@Tiju: Van Bommel is doing excellent with the national team. He is even scoring great goals and giving assists.

By Andrew | July 23rd, 2009 at 12:24 pm

“commonsense is not that common”—wonderful line, Tiju.

OT: Jan, in advance of the Eredivisie, can you think about doing articles focused on each of the main teams (AZ, Ajax, Feyenoord, PSV, Twente, perhaps a few others): you know, team selections,new players, players to look for, prospects for the seasons; its alot of work I know, maybe you could deputize Goose, Alex, Jeroen, or some of the others who live in the Netherlands to each take a team;

Andrew

Posted from United States

By jol | July 23rd, 2009 at 2:03 pm

Tiju, Emmamuelsomn a holding MF? Have u ever actually watched him play? May make a decent left sided MF for a mid-level big league club one day, but thats about it. Defensive MF for the Oranje?? Silliness.

By Jeff | July 23rd, 2009 at 2:13 pm

For once I disagree with Jan on the topic of player movement within Holland. I have yet to see a player from one of the “lower” Dutch clubs move abroad and be successful. You can look back in history and will realize that it is the case. Look at Rigters, John, Emnes, and so on. I believe that the only one to date is Makaay who went straight to Spain from a small club. Bottom line is that players need to play for one of the big 3 (or really big 2 Ajax and PSV) to have a chance of making it abroad. They need the constant pressure at every game which does not exist in the smaller clubs like AZ and Twente. Even though both clubs are in the Champions League they are still considered “small” worldwide and are unlikely to displace Ajax and PSV. So I really support a move of De Zeuw to Ajax as it will improve his chances of success abroad when he decides to leave Ajax. It will also be good for the national team.

Posted from United States

By Igor | July 23rd, 2009 at 2:17 pm

i agree with jol, i’ve never seen emmanuelson play in the holding role, he started as a left back but was used by van basten last season more as a left sided midfielder (maybe because of his defensive deficiencies) and even as the no.10 on a few occasions…can’t ever picture him becoming an oranje-level DM, but if engelaar (whom i know is not very highly rated by certain members of this blog *goose*) made it as a starter in oranje than i guess anything is still possible.

and as others have mentioned, i’m pretty sure that huntelaar’s move to stuttgart is definitely off, hopefully he can still find a good team before september.

Posted from Canada

By Igor | July 23rd, 2009 at 2:24 pm

jeff, the difference is that small dutch clubs never had the chance to play champions league football before, and that it was something that only teams like ajax and psv could offer. in my opinion playing CL football with AZ will be just as important for de Zeeuw’s development as a move to Ajax, especially if it comes with the added bonus of increasing his chances of making it into the WC squad which can only help him develop further.

Posted from Canada

By Jeff | July 23rd, 2009 at 3:40 pm

Igor, yes I agree that lower clubs can play the CL which was not always the case in the past although Willem II played the CL not so long ago. But neither AZ or Twente will last very long (unless a miracle happens) and then it is back to the Dutch League and there I say better to play with Ajax than AZ. Again there is nothing like pressure on a weekly basis to improve a player’s ability.

Posted from United States

By susanne | July 23rd, 2009 at 5:45 pm

I think by now AZ/twente have pressure in the dutch league just like the orignial top teams.

Now that they have been competing with the orginal top (: ajax/fey/PSV) for a couple of years .. I really, like others, do NOT understand Demy de Zeeuw’s attitude… I think AZ is not worse than Ajax… And I am midly expressing myself… He could be ’showing himself’ while playing CL. Even if AZ doesnt pass 1st round; it beats Ajax with… no europe whatsoever.

I really liked this player. And i don’t get him. he should have, in my opinion, be a bit more like Schaars…

Demy was one of my favs.. He really lost credit with me, personally. Of course I know, that means $@#54.. that is: nothing..

Anyway

Posted from Netherlands

By Marc | July 23rd, 2009 at 7:23 pm

Get your facts right susanne ajax ARE in europe, they are in the uefa cup.

Posted from United States

By David | July 23rd, 2009 at 9:58 pm

Even though Twente and AZ are in the champions league they still do not have pressure on them to perform well in it. The fans are just happy that they are there. Me being an Ajax fan always expect Ajax to win, and to win with style. On a team like Twente or AZ if you have a bad game nobody notices, but when say Huntelaar (before he left), Suarez, Emanuelson, or Aissati has a bad game its everywhere. The fans notice, the press notices, and the players feel the pressure to perform. Lets think of the recent successful exports from dutch football… Sneijder, VDV, Ruud, RvP, Robben, Van Bommel, Kalou etc… All these players felt the pressure of the big three clubs, still performed game in game out, and learned to deal with the pressure. No matter how well the smaller clubs do, it will never match the massive reputation, demanding/impatient fans, and history of Ajax, PSV, and Feyenoord.

Posted from United States

By bobotoh | July 23rd, 2009 at 10:36 pm

It’s better for Huntelaar to go to Arsenal. He will play in CL at least.

Posted from Indonesia

By Felix | July 24th, 2009 at 12:47 am

I don’t believe Wenger will spend big money to buy Huntelaar…..

By Jan | July 24th, 2009 at 4:15 am

Jef, that’s an excellent observation actually…

You’re right for the most part. Makaay went to a small Spanish side (Tenerife) before moving up to Depor. It’s interesting though, because in my view it’s not so much the club where the player played which has the most impact but why and how a player moved away and what his goal was.

Rigter didn’t get a starting position at NAC but was offered big money and he thought: “what the hell, let’s take it.”

Drenthe was lured by Schuster and thought, what the hell .

Makaay could go to Ajax and PSV but decided he wanted an adventure. And Makaay has a good head on his shoulders.

To me, De Zeeuw qualifies for a potential jump to a good club because he worked with Van Gaal. If you can please Van Gaal, you’re ready for bigger things.

Van Persie may have left Feyenoord ( i.e. big club) but he was washed out there. It took him some time at Arsenal to move with the big boys.

And remember how Bergkamp went to Inter with lots of expectations from both sides and failed, while his move to Arsenal was not met with all that expectation and he thrived…

At the same time, Kromkamp was hot under Adriaanse – also a very specific coach – and couldn’t find his mojo under more traditional coaches. I don’t get those clubs, really. They must see how Adriaanse used him so why buy him if you don’t want to use him in the same way?

The guy has a hard time at PSV even, which goes to show: his success at AZ was the success and doing of the system they used and the coach they had back then.

By Miguel Rosado | July 24th, 2009 at 12:17 pm

I liked Kromkamp’s style very much, when he went to Liverpool he wasn’t given a real chance but the few games he played I watched him and he did a great job so I think it was Rafa Benitez’ fault. I remember the game against Romania away in the WC ‘06 qualifyings with Babel as a substitute and Kromkamp a threat during the whole game as our right back.

Comments are closed