Blind out at Ajax
The Amsterdammers have sacked head coach Danny Blind just days after securing the Dutch Cup and a place in the Champions League qualifiers.
Danny Blind's tenure at Ajax has been terminated after 422 days in charge of the most demanding club in Holland. Just minutes after Ajax had won the Dutch Cup on Sunday (in the very last minute of the game), Dutch TV station SBS6 announced that Frank Rijkaard's assistant at Barcelona, Henk ten Cate, would be in charge next season. Despite issuing a denial, the Ajax board brought the curtain down on Blind's stay on Wednesday.
The rumours of Dirk Franciscus 'Danny' Blind's demise had been swirling since Christmas with Ajax struggling in the Eredivisie and producing some of the most inept performances seen at the Amsterdam ArenA. The switch to a 4-4-2 formation may have steadied the ship somewhat with the team sneaking into the Champions League qualifiers (by winning the play-off against Groningen), but it didn't go down too well with the fans who demand free-flowing, attacking football played with wingers.
Even so, some reports have said that the unsavoury rioting that followed the Cup Final in Rotterdam (two stabbings, 25 arrests and counting) was in part to the rumour that Blind was to be sacked. Personally, I'd put it down to beer and idiocy.
And what of ten Cate, if he is to be the new coach? Although born in Amsterdam, he never played for Ajax and spent a largely undistinguished career as a right winger with Go Ahead Eagles and Heracles in the first division and one season with Telstar in the second division. He also played 21 times with the Edmonton Drillers in the NASL.
His coaching career has encompassed his old clubs Go Ahead and Heracles as well as time with Sparta Rotterdam and Vitesse. Two shorts spells outside of Holland in charge of Uerdingen in Germany and MTK in Hungary preceded taking the reigns at NAC Breda for three seasons before Rijkaard took him to be his number two at Barcelona.
Best of luck, Henk, at the club that calls itself the Godenzonen (Sons of Gods). You'll need someone looking down on you, that's for sure.
UPDATE 19/05/06
