Ajax Fires Coach Alfred Schreuder after Winless Streak

Head coach Alfred Schreuder of Ajax reacts during the Dutch Eredivisie match between AFC Ajax and PSV at the Johan Cruijff ArenA in Amsterdam, Netherlands, 06 November 2022. (EPA)
Head coach Alfred Schreuder of Ajax reacts during the Dutch Eredivisie match between AFC Ajax and PSV at the Johan Cruijff ArenA in Amsterdam, Netherlands, 06 November 2022. (EPA)
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Ajax Fires Coach Alfred Schreuder after Winless Streak

Head coach Alfred Schreuder of Ajax reacts during the Dutch Eredivisie match between AFC Ajax and PSV at the Johan Cruijff ArenA in Amsterdam, Netherlands, 06 November 2022. (EPA)
Head coach Alfred Schreuder of Ajax reacts during the Dutch Eredivisie match between AFC Ajax and PSV at the Johan Cruijff ArenA in Amsterdam, Netherlands, 06 November 2022. (EPA)

Ajax coach Alfred Schreuder has been fired after only half a season at the Dutch powerhouse following a string of seven matches without a victory for the four-time European champions.

Schreuder, who took over the team when Erik ten Hag left for Manchester United, was sacked after his team could only draw 1-1 with Volendam on Thursday night, with Ajax citing “disappointing results and lack of development within the team.”

“It's a painful but necessary decision,” said club director Edwin van der Sar. “We had faith in Alfred to change things. It became clear to us that he could not turn the tide.”

Defending champion Ajax is fifth in the top flight Eredivisie, seven points behind league leader Feyenoord.

No replacement for Schreuder was immediately announced.



Coach Ivankovic Fired by Chinese Following World Cup Elimination

Referee Rustam Lutfullin (R) talks with China’s head coach Branko Ivankovic (C) during the FIFA World Cup 2026 qualification match between Indonesia and China in Jakarta, Indonesia, 05 June 2025. EPA/BAGUS INDAHONO
Referee Rustam Lutfullin (R) talks with China’s head coach Branko Ivankovic (C) during the FIFA World Cup 2026 qualification match between Indonesia and China in Jakarta, Indonesia, 05 June 2025. EPA/BAGUS INDAHONO
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Coach Ivankovic Fired by Chinese Following World Cup Elimination

Referee Rustam Lutfullin (R) talks with China’s head coach Branko Ivankovic (C) during the FIFA World Cup 2026 qualification match between Indonesia and China in Jakarta, Indonesia, 05 June 2025. EPA/BAGUS INDAHONO
Referee Rustam Lutfullin (R) talks with China’s head coach Branko Ivankovic (C) during the FIFA World Cup 2026 qualification match between Indonesia and China in Jakarta, Indonesia, 05 June 2025. EPA/BAGUS INDAHONO

Branko Ivankovic has been fired as China's national team coach following his side's elimination from the qualifiers for the 2026 World Cup this month, the Chinese Football Association announced on Friday.

The 71-year-old Croatian coach was removed from the post as a result of China finishing fifth in Group C of the continent's preliminaries for next year's 48-team finals, which will be held in the United States, Mexico and Canada.

"The Chinese Football Association expresses gratitude to Mr. Branko Ivankovic and his coaching staff for their dedicated efforts during their tenure with the men's national team and their contributions to Chinese football," Reuters quoted a CFA statement as saying.

"We wish Mr. Ivankovic all the best in his future work and life."

Ivankovic, who led Iran at the World Cup finals in Germany in 2006, was appointed China's coach in February 2024, replacing Aleksandar Jankovic. He steered the country into the third phase of Asia's World Cup qualifying.

His team recovered from a poor start, which included a 7-0 thrashing at the hands of Japan, to maintain their hopes of a place at their first World Cup since the nation's debut appearance at the finals in 2002.

Wins over Indonesia and Bahrain kept China in contention for a berth in the fourth round of qualifying, but losses to Japan, Saudi Arabia and Australia were followed by a defeat against Indonesia on June 5 that ended any prospect of progressing.

The Chinese association said Dejan Djurdjevic, who led China to the quarter-finals of the Under 20 Asian Cup in Shenzhen in February, will take over on a caretaker basis for next month's East Asian Championship in South Korea.