Ten Hag on Ajax shortlist after Farioli departure

Erik ten Hag is a contender to return to Ajax following sco Farioli’s resignation, technical director Alex Kroes has confirmed.

Ajax announced on Monday that Farioli had quit after just one season in the role, after a dramatic collapse saw them lose the Eredivisie title to PSV.

Ajax beat Twente 2-0 in their final game of the campaign on Sunday, though PSV’s 3-1 victory at Sparta Rotterdam ensured Peter Bosz’s team retained the crown.

Farioli’s side had been in complete control of the title race as recently as mid-April. They held a nine-point advantage over PSV with five games of the season remaining.

But heavy defeats to Utrecht (0-4) and NEC Nijmegen (0-3) preceded a 2-2 draw with 10-man Groningen, in which Ajax conceded a 99th-minute equaliser to Thijmen Blokzijl.

No team in any of Europe’s top six leagues – the English, Spanish, Italian, German, French or Dutch top flights – had previously thrown away a nine-point lead at the top of the table with five games remaining.

Go Ahead Eagles boss Paul Simonis and Netherlands Under-21 coach Michael Reiziger have been touted to replace Farioli, but Kroes has not ruled out a return for Ten Hag.

“Erik ten Hag has been on the list for a long time,” Kroes told Dutch television station NOS.

“He is well-known; he did a fantastic job when he was here. I spoke to him briefly on Sunday. He was in the Arena as a spectator.”

Prior to ing Manchester United in 2022, Ten Hag led Ajax to three Eredivisie titles in just four full seasons in charge, also winning the KNVB Cup twice.

Ten Hag won 78% of his Eredivisie games in charge of Ajax (112/143), with Stefan Kovacs (88%, 60/68) the only permanent boss to boast a better record with the club.

Ten Hag’s team also averaged 2.95 goals per league game. Ajax have only had a better record under Kurt Linder (3.28), Kovacs (3.03), Johan Cruyff and Marcel Keizer (both 3).

Reflecting on Farioli’s departure, Kroes added: “sco texted me from the bus that evening, saying, ‘let’s sit down together tomorrow’.

“Then he said that he had serious doubts about whether he should continue.”