After the Ajax board confirmed that John Heitinga would not remain in charge of the team for the next season, Sven Mislintat was looking for a new name to coach the Amsterdam team. The Godenzonen announced the signing of Maurice Steijn, coach who was working at Sparta Rotterdam this last season.
Maurice Steijn signs for three seasons with Ajax. At the age of 49, he arrives under strong suspicion from everyone he has never coached a club on the level of Ajax.
In 2011, Maurice Steijn started his career as a professional football coach in the Netherlands. It was at ADO Den Haag where he received his first opportunity. In the Netherlands, he has worked at clubs such as VVV-Venlo, NAC Breda and most recently at Sparta Rotterdam.
Welcome to Ajax, Maurice Steijn! ⚪️🔴⚪️
— AFC Ajax (@AFCAjax) June 14, 2023
Under his command, Gladiadores Alvirrubros managed to compete in the Europese Tickets Eredivisie and fight for a place in the UEFA Europa Conference League 2023/24. Kasteelheren reached the final but lost to FC Twente. It is noteworthy that last season, Maurice Steijn and Sparta Rotterdam managed to add the highest score in the last 38 years of the Rotterdam club.
“We are grateful to Maurice Steijn for what he has meant to Sparta Rotterdam. He gave the club a new face when everything was very confusing and worked hard to keep our team in the Eredivisie. We are proud of what we achieved last season. The fact that Ajax, one of the biggest clubs in the Netherlands, look to Maurice Steijn, is seen with extraordinary joy by us, because it shows us how much we were observed. We would have liked to stay with Maurice Steijn for longer, we had good talks about it and he made it clear that he wanted to stay with us, but he also made it clear that if any bigger club in the Netherlands wanted to rely on his services, he wanted to take advantage of this opportunity ” said Gerard Nijkamp, director of football at Sparta Rotterdam.
𝗕𝗲𝗱𝗮𝗻𝗸𝘁 𝘃𝗼𝗼𝗿 𝗮𝗹𝗹𝗲𝘀, 𝗠𝗮𝘂𝗿𝗶𝗰𝗲!
— Sparta Rotterdam (@SpartaRotterdam) June 14, 2023
“When I talk about Sparta Rotterdam, I can remember an excellent period we had together. For the past 14 months I have loved working at Het Kasteel and I wish all the luck and success in the world to the club’s players, directors and fans,” said Maurice Steijn.
“Maurice Steijn has been a professional football coach for about twenty years, of which in the last ten years he has played in the first team. At every club he worked for, Maurice Steijn managed to exceed all expectations. He is ready to take on the challenge of coaching Ajax. In addition, we are studying each name that will make up the coaching staff and that will help you on this journey “, said Sven Mislintat, director of Ajax.
