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Danny Blind returns to Ajax

May 7th, 2008 | By: Jan | 17 Comments »

Blind won the national cup and secured CL football, but was still sacked…

Marco van Basten has spent quite some time with Arsene Wenger and Arsenal lately. Of course, they did discuss Van Persie’s fitness, but mostly it was Marco, new manager of Ajax talking. Van Basten has always been a fan of the French football professor and likes to model his Ajax orgnization like Wenger’s in London. Also, Ajax and Arsenal are in indepth talks about working together on youth development.

In Marco’s Ajac Vision, he would become the all mighty technical boss, a la Sir Alex and Wenger, and he’d be assisted by a technical manager who will take care of signing, contracts, scouting and related “TD” tasks. When Danny Blind received a phone call from his old buddy San Marco he didn’t have to think long to return to Amsterdam

“But it does hurt to leave Sparta. I left Ajax two years ago and I am on the job here for one. I had a great time in Rotterdam and I love this club. But obviously, when Ajax and Van Basten call, your heart makes the decisions.”

As it did in the 80s when left full back Blind was lured from Sparta to Ajax by one Johan Cruyff. The very young Marco van Basten was angry then, that Cruyff signed a full back from Sparta instead of signing big name players. Danny Blind would move on to center back and captain of the team to win the Champions League with Van Gaal.

Blind put a clause in his contract with Sparta, that if the club from Amsterdam would want him back, he could go without a problem. Blind spent 20 years with the Sons of Gods: first as a player, then director player-management, director youth development and lastly as head coach. “The contract clause was specifically for Ajax. That goes to show how I feel about the club.”

The managers who pushed Blind aside – John Jaakke and Martin van Geel – are both gone. “That made my decision very easy, but in all honesty, if they were still there I probably would have done it as well.”

Martin van Geel couldn’t work in the new Van Basten model. Blind doesn’t see a problem. “I don’t mind working in the background. I even regretted my decision to become head coach at Ajax. I know how fickle that life is.”

Blind reports into Van Basten: “Marco is the end responsible person. But on fields where he can’t focus, like scouting or youth development, I will support him.”

Ajax chairman Uri Coronel. “With Danny Blind, the model is finished. Danny will become Marco’s right hand man. This was Marco’s choice. And I support it fully. I am very happy that Danny is back at Ajax.”

Tags: Dutch Eredivisie

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Comments

By finnster01 | May 8th, 2008 at 7:20 am

Unrelated, but tons of papers in England today are reporting Huntelaar going to Man U. Sir Alex is very high on him. Doesn’t surprise me, and given the Nistelroy experience, I think there may actually be something to this other than the usual tabloid hyperbola.

Posted from United States

By Peter vdl | May 8th, 2008 at 7:58 am

I read today that Hunterlaar wants to stay at Amsterdam for another season because San Marco and Berkamp are taking over – Thinks he can learn a thing or two.

Posted from Germany

By goose | May 8th, 2008 at 12:29 pm

Huntelaar staying would be great for the dutch legaeu and it wont harm Huntelaar…think leaving for a big team when youre about 23-24 is optimal, but once the big money shows up things change!

Posted from Netherlands

By goose | May 8th, 2008 at 1:15 pm

off topic; official’Rijkaard out

Posted from Netherlands

By Jan | May 8th, 2008 at 7:23 pm

Saddens me a bit. Rijkaard is a top bloke, a decent man in the football jungle. He doesn’t deserve an exit based on negatives, what with two titles and the Cup with the Big Ears. Hope the socios will treat him well.

Hunter another year in Amsterdam is great.

Posted from Australia

By Bob | May 8th, 2008 at 7:35 pm

I saw Huntelaar play at Amsterdam Arena last year when visiting the Netherlands. I was very impressed. His striking skills are superior–he understands how to kick a football, and never seems to miss wide or over as so many “top” strikers do these days. His movement to space and his awareness of teammate location was also of the highest quality. He seems to be a well-tempered athlete, in the mold of Bergkamp. Therefore, I do not see the fit at Man U. at this time, unless Ronaldo leaves. The Man U. front line is well established. Huntelaar would be well advised to stay at Ajax and work with Bergkamp and van Basten–were there ever two better strikers?

Rijkaard is one of the most unique personalities on the planet. He spit at a German striker during World Cup ‘94, seemed often not to care when playing yet always was in the right place at the right time, appeared completely calm when coaching yet, at least in the early days of his coaching career, seemed to go through a pack of cigarettes while watching his team perform. I did not think he did a competent job as the Dutch national team coach. As for Barcelona, was the success there due to Rijkaard or the abundance of incredible talent on that team–or both? What will he do now?

Posted from United States

By dirk v.d.berg | May 8th, 2008 at 7:59 pm

I hope Huntelaar stays so that we can make it to Champions League. If Sneijder, hadn’t left last season we would’ve made it, but now that we have a good team, we should try to do well in UEFA and Champions League, so that more Dutch teams can make it in. Right now our clubs sit by Romanian Clubs, Portugese Clubs, and Russian Clubs, which is an embarrasment if you take into account our history. We definitely have the potential to catch up to Russian Clubs who get 3 Champions League spots, and potentially German and French Teams. I doubt we’ll ever topple Spain, Italy, or England again though, but having those extra spots in the Champions League would do a lot for Dutch Football. Germany gets their top 2 teams in automatically, and 3 has to qualify.

Posted from Canada

By Jan | May 8th, 2008 at 11:00 pm

Good point Bob, about the split personality of Rijkaard… The zen like quality paired with the spitting incident .

It wouldn’t surprise me if Rijkaard moves to AC Milan. But then again, he could also coach FC Dublin or Derby County. Or Perth Glory .

He is like that.

Posted from Australia

By goose | May 9th, 2008 at 4:36 am

this is why we love Rijkaard

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=N9xzNjQ984I

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rBnE43zxQes&feature=related

Posted from Netherlands

By goose | May 9th, 2008 at 4:48 am

btw; a ‘brilliant ’song about Huntelaar… hahaha.. those boeren

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4E0H94btW_o

Posted from Netherlands

By ferenc | May 9th, 2008 at 5:11 am

i think rijkaard won’t coach any team in the next year, but for the year 09/10 he might be at milan ac. i wouldn’t be surprised if he returned one day to barcelona as a coach. everyone loved him there,they keep a good memory of him. he’s a perfect gentleman,laporta said. in the last 2 years results haven’t come and they want to rebuild the whole team. i guess guardiola will be a kind of crisis management like boby robson in 96/97 afeter the cruijff-era and before the van gaal-era. at the beginning he had a bunch of extraordinary players hungry of winning trophies. he’s perfect for this kind of players. after the successes they became lazy and frank as a gentleman is not a dictator so he hasn’t managed well the situation.

are you sure that huntelaar will stay one more year at ajax?

Posted from Hungary

By Peter vdl | May 9th, 2008 at 5:17 am

Dirk, The Bundesliga is far superior in quality to the dutch league. I think 2 dutch teams in the champions league is enough for now. PSV showed little in their last campaign and Ajax lost to Prague in the 3rd round and the year before to FC Koebenhavn (they were leading 2-1 after the 1st league in Copenhagen thanks to two sweet Huntelaar finishes and yet they still managed to get dumped out in Amsterdam. Place for a 3rd? I think not.

Posted from Germany

By sandesh pant | May 9th, 2008 at 5:20 am

i thnk ajax r have a challenging one year ahead of them. they have won the play off final cong.. but the pressure is dat they have to qualify fot the ucl.and above all the dutch league it shud hurt u know(esp. the ajax fans) wen psv go on winning title – 4 years in a row. they have the calibre – ajax but the real problem is that the better players tend to move to the big leagues. i can se hunter going to england or spain if he delivers well at the ec 2008. and hetinga too has signed for atletico. so its a challenge to keep these better players at the club. but there r good signs too. van basten joinin ajax as a coach n then blind as well in a supporting role n bergkamp as well. so they have a leader in the form these trio. but i dont see any miracle right from the start. the ajax academy is a very renowed one n it takes 2 or 3 years for ajax iif they r to b a very good team in europe provided good players n talented players come through. wat do u ppl see?? will this mixture of van basten, blind n bergkamp in the coaching department work??
Rikaard to chelsea, hamburg, mancity, or any club in holland??

Posted from Nepal

By Peter vdl | May 9th, 2008 at 5:23 am

ferenc – In my opinion, if Huntelaar does something special at Euro he will certainly be on his way out. Would be so so good for him to stay though.

This years transfer window is going to be very interesting, especially with the recent news of exodus of players from Arsenal (Helb, Flamini, perhaps Adebouyer and Cesc too) and demanding of higher wages.

Posted from Germany

By Jan | May 9th, 2008 at 8:18 am

Missed that Arsenal news. Is Hleb leaving? Flamini I read, yeah. But Hleb and Cesc would be a shame!!

My 2cents on the Dutch league?

I wanted to post something later on, but PSV is in trouble. Reker managed to alienate that Lemic players’ manager, Valckx and Piet de Visser. Although Reker might be right in his ideas, Gomes will leave and PSV will need to build new culture within the club. They don’t seem to be a happy bunch at the moment and finances are tight.

AZ will need more time to really snuggle up in the top.

Ajax with Marco and Feyenoord with Verbeek (and a couple of new players, like the midfielder from Twente (forgot his name) and possibly some Heerenveen players) will dominate the Dutch league next season. Mark my words.

Posted from Australia

By Warouw | May 12th, 2008 at 4:11 am

Hope next 2009, Ajax can win the Eredivisie title. MVB, Danny Blind (i still remember when Danny lift up the Champions League trophy as a captain in Ersnt’s Happel Stadion ‘95)& Bergkamp was my favourite’s player, and i hope they will give new spirit & winner mentality for Ajax squad.

My recommend for Ajax Recruitment next season:
Arnold Kruiswijk, Demy De Zeeuw, Daniel De Ridder or Romeo Castelen.
(3 veterans) Mario Melchiot, Mark Van Bommel & Clarence Seedorf.
Foreign Player: Javier Saviola.

Player’s out: Jurgen Colin & Gabri

By Jan | May 12th, 2008 at 5:27 am

Good list

Posted from Australia

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