You’re fired! Osimhen’s goals sack Ajax coach Heitinga after Champions League humiliation

The disastrous European campaign of Dutch giants Ajax has claimed its biggest casualty yet. Head coach John Heitinga has been suspended with immediate effect, just hours after Victor Osimhen’s ruthless hat-trick delivered a humiliating 3-0 home defeat to Galatasaray in the UEFA Champions League.

The Amsterdam club announced the decision on Thursday, confirming that Heitinga’s contract, which was due to run until June 30, 2027, would be terminated. Assistant coach Marcel Keizer has also been relieved of his duties, with Fred Grim taking over on an interim basis.

The humiliating loss to Galatasaray, which included Osimhen's historic treble, was the fourth straight European defeat for Ajax, leaving them rooted to the bottom of the league phase table with zero points.

Technical director Alex Kroes addressed the crisis, admitting the decision was painful but necessary to arrest the club's alarming decline.

"It's a painful decision. But looking back at the past few months, we must conclude that things have turned out quite differently from what we had envisioned," Kroes told the club’s website. "We’ve seen too little progress and have unnecessarily dropped points."

The dismissal comes despite Kroes acknowledging that new coaches need time. "We have given John that time, but we believe it’s best for the club to appoint someone else to lead the team," he added.

Heitinga's departure marks a swift end to his reign, which saw the club suffer significant setbacks both in Europe and domestically, where they sit fourth in the Eredivisie, already eight points off the top spot.

In a further sign of the deep institutional crisis, Kroes also made his position available with immediate effect. 

However, the other board members and the Supervisory Board have strongly urged the technical director to remain in place for the sake of continuity as they search for a new head coach.

Kroes agreed to stay on for now, stating: "My contract runs until the end of the season; should the club appoint a new technical director earlier, I will hand over my responsibilities at that time."

The hunt for a replacement is now officially on, with many fans hoping for a return to stability after Osimhen's brilliant performance pushed the club past the point of no return.