John Heitinga close to return as new Ajax Head Coach

Ajax Amsterdam have reportedly reached an agreement with John Heitinga to take over as their new head coach, with former club coach Marcel Keizer set to serve as his assistant, according to multiple Dutch media reports on Friday, May 30, 2025.

Heitinga, 41, is expected to move from his current role as an assistant coach at Premier League champions Liverpool, where he was part of Arne Slot’s staff. Reports across all major Dutch media outlets indicate that the former Netherlands international will sign a two-year contract with the Amsterdam club. Ajax has yet to make an official announcement regarding the appointment.

The appointment would see Heitinga replace Italian coach Francesco Farioli, who resigned earlier this month after Ajax relinquished a nine-point lead in the Eredivisie, ultimately losing the league title to PSV Eindhoven on the final day of the season.

Heitinga, who earned 87 caps for the Netherlands, has a significant history with Ajax. He previously served as an assistant to Marcel Keizer at Jong Ajax (Ajax’s reserve team) during the 2016-17 season. More recently, Heitinga stepped in as Ajax’s acting head coach from January to June 2023 following the dismissal of Alfred Schreuder. During that interim period, he guided the team to a third-place finish in the league and reached the Dutch Cup final, where they were defeated by PSV Eindhoven on penalties. Despite this, he was not offered the permanent position at that time.

Marcel Keizer himself was promoted to Ajax head coach in mid-2017 but was dismissed after five months and subsequently replaced by Erik ten Hag. Ten Hag, who had a successful tenure with Ajax, was reportedly a candidate to return to the club but recently opted to take charge at Bayer Leverkusen.

A product of Ajax’s famed youth academy, Heitinga enjoyed a distinguished playing career with the club, winning two Eredivisie titles during his eight years in the first team. He later played for Atletico Madrid, Everton, Fulham, and Hertha BSC before returning to Ajax in 2015, though he retired soon after due to injuries.

If confirmed, the appointment would mark a return to a prominent leadership role at his boyhood club for Heitinga, tasked with rebuilding and challenging for domestic and European success.