عربي English Türkçe اردو فارسى
Logo
Latest News
Sports

Ajax Parts Company with Coach Steijn After Woeful Start to the Season 

Ajax's head coach Maurice Steijn instructs his players during the Europa League Group B soccer match between AEK Athens and Ajax at the OPAP Arena in Athens, Greece, Thursday, Oct. 5, 2023. (AP)
Ajax's head coach Maurice Steijn instructs his players during the Europa League Group B soccer match between AEK Athens and Ajax at the OPAP Arena in Athens, Greece, Thursday, Oct. 5, 2023. (AP)
TT
TT

Ajax Parts Company with Coach Steijn After Woeful Start to the Season 

Ajax's head coach Maurice Steijn instructs his players during the Europa League Group B soccer match between AEK Athens and Ajax at the OPAP Arena in Athens, Greece, Thursday, Oct. 5, 2023. (AP)
Ajax's head coach Maurice Steijn instructs his players during the Europa League Group B soccer match between AEK Athens and Ajax at the OPAP Arena in Athens, Greece, Thursday, Oct. 5, 2023. (AP)

Ajax parted company with coach Maurice Steijn on Monday with the biggest team in the Netherlands languishing in next-to-last place in the Dutch league after just one win from its opening seven games.

Steijn only joined from Sparta Rotterdam in the offseason, signing a three-year deal.

The mutual decision for Steijn to leave was taken after a 4-3 loss at Utrecht that left Ajax, a four-time European champion, one point off last place.

“We have worked intensely and professionally together over the last few months,” Ajax chief executive Jan van Halst said. “But the sporting successes and the development of the team were lacking. That is why we decided to sit down together again today.

“This time, Maurice also expressed his concerns on whether he was the right man in the right place. Together we decided that it would be best to part ways.”

Ajax’s last win in any competition came on Aug. 24.

Hedwiges Maduro, a former Ajax player, will take temporary charge of the team starting with the trip to Brighton in the Europa League on Thursday.

Most Viewed

 
 
Sports

Tiafoe Ended Up Losing after he Thought he Was About to Beat Fritz at US Open

NEW YORK - SEPTEMBER 06: Taylor Fritz (R) of the United States embraces Frances Tiafoe of the United States after defeating him in their Men's Singles Semifinal match on Day Twelve of the 2024 US Open at USTA Billie Jean King National Tennis Center on September 06, 2024 in the Flushing neighborhood of the Queens borough of New York City. Jamie Squire/Getty Images/AFP
NEW YORK - SEPTEMBER 06: Taylor Fritz (R) of the United States embraces Frances Tiafoe of the United States after defeating him in their Men's Singles Semifinal match on Day Twelve of the 2024 US Open at USTA Billie Jean King National Tennis Center on September 06, 2024 in the Flushing neighborhood of the Queens borough of New York City. Jamie Squire/Getty Images/AFP
TT
TT

Tiafoe Ended Up Losing after he Thought he Was About to Beat Fritz at US Open

NEW YORK - SEPTEMBER 06: Taylor Fritz (R) of the United States embraces Frances Tiafoe of the United States after defeating him in their Men's Singles Semifinal match on Day Twelve of the 2024 US Open at USTA Billie Jean King National Tennis Center on September 06, 2024 in the Flushing neighborhood of the Queens borough of New York City. Jamie Squire/Getty Images/AFP
NEW YORK - SEPTEMBER 06: Taylor Fritz (R) of the United States embraces Frances Tiafoe of the United States after defeating him in their Men's Singles Semifinal match on Day Twelve of the 2024 US Open at USTA Billie Jean King National Tennis Center on September 06, 2024 in the Flushing neighborhood of the Queens borough of New York City. Jamie Squire/Getty Images/AFP

Frances Tiafoe figures he lost to Taylor Fritz at the US Open because it suddenly occurred to him Friday night that he was close to winning and reaching his first Grand Slam final.

“In the past matches, before, I was only thinking about what it takes to win,” Tiafoe said, “rather than think about what’s potentially ahead.”

Tiafoe came within two games of claiming a victory in his all-American semifinal at Flushing Meadows, but dealt with a mix of cramps and nerves that played a role in his winding up on the short end of the 4-6, 7-5, 4-6, 6-4, 6-1 result against Fritz.

“Oh, man. It’s tough. It’s really, really tough. Really, really tough to swallow. This one’s gonna hurt really, really bad,” said Tiafoe, who also lost in five sets in the US Open semifinals two years ago against Carlos Alcaraz. “I mean, I thought I was the better player, for sure, tonight."

He was for a lot of the match, and after taking a two-sets-to-one lead, he was in good shape at 4-all in the fourth. But two consecutive double-faults helped hand Fritz that set, part of a six-game run that completely changed things, The Associated Press reported.

“Here I was, really in a position, to win, to see ahead — was almost able to be in that position,” Tiafoe said.
“Just had some in-and-out cramps,” he explained. “I just felt like my body just kind of shut down on me.”
Tiafoe, who is from Maryland, and Fritz, from California, are both 26 and have known each other for more than a decade.
But Fritz said he couldn't pick up any signs that Tiafoe was in distress.
“He did an incredibly good job of not showing me, to be honest,” said Fritz, who will face No. 1 Jannik Sinner of Italy in Sunday's final.
That will be Fritz's debut in a Grand Slam title match.
It could have been Tiafoe's.
“I just got ahead of myself. This stinks a bit — not a bit. This stinks a lot,” Tiafoe said. “But I’m going to learn from it and I will be better going forward, for sure.”