Erik ten Hag has quietly rejected the idea of returning to Ajax, despite early discussions with the club about a possible homecoming.
The Dutch coach, who led the Amsterdam side through one of its most thrilling modern eras, reportedly spoke informally with Ajax’s technical director, Alex Kroes, before deciding the timing wasn’t right.
Sources in the Netherlands say the 55-year-old expressed concern about instability behind the scenes — a fair worry, considering the club has been through a whirlwind of exits in recent months.
Kroes himself announced his resignation after John Heitinga was dismissed as head coach, and technical commissioner Danny Blind also stepped down shortly after.
A Tumultuous Time in Amsterdam
Ajax are in a rough spot. After twelve league games, they sit fourth in the Eredivisie table — a full eleven points behind runaway leaders PSV.
Things are even worse in Europe, where they’ve lost all four of their Champions League matches, leaving them bottom of the group stage standings.
It’s been less than six months since Heitinga took charge, and yet another managerial change only highlights how chaotic life at the Johan Cruyff Arena has become.
For Ten Hag, it seems, the idea of walking back into that storm wasn’t appealing enough.
Remembering a Golden Era
Ten Hag’s previous spell at Ajax from 2018 to 2022 is still remembered with admiration.
He guided the team to three domestic titles and came within seconds of a Champions League final appearance in 2019, before Tottenham’s last-minute comeback crushed Dutch hearts.
Those years cemented his reputation as one of Europe’s most meticulous and tactically gifted managers — a reputation that ultimately earned him the Manchester United job in 2022.
Success, Struggles, and Short Stints
Ten Hag’s time at Old Trafford had flashes of success — he delivered both the EFL Cup and FA Cup — but he struggled to find consistent results in the Premier League.
His tenure ended in October 2024 after a disappointing run of form.
He didn’t stay out of work for long. Bayer Leverkusen snapped him up last summer, though his stay in Germany was remarkably short-lived — only three matches before the club showed him the door.
Ajax’s Attempt to Rebuild the Old Guard
Rumours swirled that Ajax wanted to rebuild the old partnership between Ten Hag and Marc Overmars, the club’s former technical director. The pair had worked together to assemble the dynamic, youth-driven side that electrified Europe six years ago.
Overmars, however, also made it clear that he wouldn’t be returning.
The former Arsenal and Barcelona winger has been working at Royal Antwerp in Belgium and told De Telegraaf that his Ajax chapter is closed.
Overmars Draws a Line Under His Ajax Past
“I have a soft spot for Ajax and Amsterdam, but it’s in the past for me,” Overmars said, confirming that he’d been approached by people “in important positions” within the club.
“It’s very painful to see what’s happening there now — everyone just fighting each other. It breaks my heart.”
Overmars, who left Ajax in 2022 after admitting to sending inappropriate messages to female colleagues, said he’s content with his current role in Belgium.
“Our goal was to make Antwerp financially sound, and now it’s about building a sporting project.
I’ve got a year and a half left on my contract, and I intend to see it through,” he said.
A Club Searching for Stability
Between Heitinga’s sacking, Kroes’s resignation, and Blind’s departure, Ajax looks a shadow of the well-oiled operation Ten Hag once ran. For a manager known for structure and discipline, that kind of chaos likely made his decision an easy one.
He may have turned down an emotional return this time, but for Ajax fans who still chant his name, hope will linger that one day their most successful modern coach might walk through those doors again — when the dust finally settles.