Ajax fans have plenty to discuss this week, but amidst the key news and reactions surrounding the club, some details can easily be missed. Fortunately, updates on the record champions of Dutch football are readily available.
Isa Benyahia has been awarded Goal of the Month, as announced by Ajax on their social channels. Benyahia scored the standout goal in February, a stunning free kick during the match against AFC Amsterdam, which Ajax won convincingly with a score of 9-1. Rayane Bounida personally presented the award to the young star at the Sportcomplex de Toekomst.
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Elsewhere, analyst René van der Gijp expressed his belief that Ajax should have pursued Vangelis Pavlidis. He shared his thoughts on the KieftJansenEgmondGijp podcast, noting that AZ consistently develops quality strikers. “Consider of players like Wout Weghorst, Vincent Janssen, Troy Parrott, and Vangelis Pavlidis… They never have a problem there,” he said.
Van der Gijp contrasted this with Ajax’s approach, stating, “Ajax buys a new striker every year. Now it’s that Dane (Kasper Dolberg, ed.)… It’s just a lot of hassle every year.” He believes Ajax missed an opportunity to acquire Pavlidis from AZ several years ago. “If I were Ajax, I would have bought Pavlidis when I still could,” he added.
Wim Kieft agreed with Van der Gijp’s assessment. “I thought he was very good at Willem II. It takes vision and patience. At Ajax, you have to deliver quickly,” Kieft explained, with Van der Gijp adding, “Pavlidis was truly well-rounded. He wasn’t slow, could score goals, and was technically quite good.”
Tekst gaat verder onder de podcast.
In other news, a recent column in Het Parool suggests that Youri Regeer’s injury may be linked to the intense training regimen under Óscar García. Regeer suffered a hamstring injury during the match against Sparta Rotterdam and will be sidelined for the foreseeable future. The article highlights García’s emphasis on intensity and suggests that Regeer may have overexerted himself during training.
According to the report, García is pushing his players to work harder, mirroring his approach with Jong Ajax. Regeer, along with teammate Baas, was already a hard worker, and reportedly pushed himself even further, leading to the injury.
The columnist also noted that García is improving individual players. “With the reserve team, players like Van de Pavert, Vink, and Jetten suddenly stood out,” he wrote. García also appeared to have a positive impact on the first team during the match against Sparta, with Steur, Rosa, Berghuis, and Klaassen all showing improvement.
Meanwhile, AZ midfielder Kees Smit has indicated that a move to a top Dutch club would be beneficial for his development, according to an interview with Matchday. “It might be ideal, but I don’t think it will happen,” Smit said, acknowledging past links to Ajax.
Smit won the Youth League with AZ O19 in 2023 and has attracted interest from several clubs since then. “That’s also true, but I never thought about leaving. I felt at AZ that I would play here and I’ve gained a lot of confidence here. There wasn’t really a reason to leave.”
Looking ahead to Sunday’s “De Klassieker” against Feyenoord, Ajax will have Danny Makkelie as the referee, as announced by the KNVB on their website. He will be assisted by Hessel Steegstra and Jan de Vries, with Robin Hensgens serving as the fourth official and Rob Dieperink as VAR.
The match is crucial as both Ajax and Feyenoord are still in contention for second place in the Eredivisie, which guarantees direct qualification for the Champions League. Feyenoord currently holds the second spot with 52 points, while Ajax is fourth with 47 points, trailing NEC (49 points).
Ajax will hold a partially open training session in preparation for Sunday’s match, the club announced via X. Fans are welcome to Sportpark de Toekomst from 10:30 AM on Friday, with the training session beginning at 11:30 AM.
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The session will be open for the first half-hour, after which fans will be asked to leave as the team continues training behind closed doors.
Mika Godts and Takehiro Tomiyasu have been named in the Team of the Week by Voetbal International, recognizing their strong performances against Sparta Rotterdam. Both players received a rating of 7.5 from VI.
This was Tomiyasu’s first start for Ajax, where he made a solid and stable impression. Godts also delivered a strong performance, scoring one goal and providing one assist, bringing his season total to 23 and making him the Eredivisie’s MVP.
Finally, Henk Spaan praised Sean Steur in his column in Het Parool, giving him a rating of 8 for his performance against Sparta Rotterdam. Spaan highlighted Steur’s work ethic and ball control.
Spaan recounted a conversation with a former player about Steur. “A month ago, I was sitting next to an ex-Ajax professional in the stands. We went through the first-team players. Steur? ‘Plays everything wide,’ the ex-professional said dismissively. That Steur was a thing of the past against Sparta.”
Spaan noted that Steur had very little ball loss. “He turned forward when receiving passes. His stride was a sprint, and his speed of action increased. He lost his first ball only in the 58th minute. After 66 minutes, he shone with a great defensive action. Previously, he would never have been in that position. Steur was no longer a player who would turn around in a wall.”
The columnist wondered if Ajax players ever watch Champions League matches. “The day before yesterday, I wondered if those Amsterdam footballers would watch PSG-Chelsea to learn something. In Steur’s case, it turned out to be Real Madrid.”
Spaan also praised Steven Berghuis and expressed hope for the remainder of the season. “Mika Godts had undergone a similar transformation in terms of intensity. Steven Berghuis was also up for it. There is hope.”
