Annemieke Zijerveld, the sports psychologist working with Almere City FC, has expressed her irritation with the behavior of the Ajax bench during tough times. 'If you don't feel the confidence yourself, how can you expect it from the boys?'
Zijerveld was invited to the NPO Radio 1 program De Perstribune on Sunday and didn't hold back when it came to Ajax. 'I'm itching to see them play,' referring to the Ajax players. But her real annoyance was directed at the technical staff led by head coach Maurice Steijn. 'I see incredibly insecure players. I see broken boys. But where, in my view, it really goes wrong, is with the coach and the staff.'
The sports psychologist, who collaborates with head coach Alex Pastoor at Almere City and is also praised by Dutch international Denzel Dumfries, explains where it goes wrong. 'The behavior bothers me the most. I see very weak leadership. Frustrated behavior on the bench, covering their eyes, and despondency. Players primarily gain confidence from the coach. When things go wrong, you look to the bench. You look at what they convey and whether they still have trust and hope. In that sense, I see no leadership at all, and that really annoys me.'
It's frustrating for Zijerveld, who knows from experience how important the issues she is addressing are. 'If you don't feel it yourself, how can you expect it from the boys? I believe it can be much better. Everyone looks at the players, but it really starts with leadership from the coach and the staff, and that's completely lacking. I'm with Almere City, and I'm comfortable there, but it pains me when I look at Ajax.'
Zijerveld has worked in the past with Ajax's current assistant coach, Hedwiges Maduro. The former footballer was taken over by Ajax from Almere City. The psychologist and the assistant coach still have contact with each other. 'We know each other very well, and the lines of communication are short. I tell him this as well. He has a specific role there, so he has certain boundaries. He interprets it in his own way, but I think it can be improved.'
According to Zijerveld, it's not that difficult to improve the situation. 'Because I know that you can achieve quick results with psychological knowledge. You can achieve a lot with just a bit. I know there are two mental coaches at Ajax. I'm not supposed to say this, and I don't want to criticize colleagues, but when you see the whole situation there, I really wonder what they're doing.'
