Erik ten Hag snubbed the opportunity to join Tottenham Hotspur to help rebuild Ajax Amsterdam instead
According to Daily Mail, Erik ten Hag refused the opportunity to join Tottenham Hotspur in the summer so that he could help rebuild Duch giants Ajax Amsterdam instead.
Under the guidance of the Dutchman, Ajax managed to reach the semi-finals of the 2018-19 Champions League season. The Johan Cruyff Arena was left silent when Lucas Moura scored late into stoppage time to hand Tottenham Hotspur a deserved place in the final against Liverpool.
Despite the heartache involved, the club from the Netherlands won the hearts of football supporters across the globe with their exciting gameplay. The team was inevitably ripped apart as most of their core players left for greener pastures across Europe. Frenkie De Jong made his way to Barcelona, Matthijs de Ligt left For Juventus while Donny van de Beek eventually joined Manchester United.
Unfortunately for Spurs, the Champions League final in 2019 represented the high watermark of the Mauricio Pochettino eraThe Argentinian was sacked the next season and Jose Mourinho took over. He did not last long either was removed rather unceremoniously from the club earlier this year. Ryan Mason took over as interim manager before Nuno Espirito Santo was finally brought as the new first-team manager.
Had things gone differently, it might well have been Erik ten Hag who would have been in charge. The 51-year-old commented about his Ajax side’s form in recent seasons and how other clubs have come to respect them on the pitch:
‘I don’t think any club likes to play against Ajax. You feel the appreciation and recognition that Ajax has commanded historically, but certainly also in recent years. We are a dark horse that teams respect.’
The North London club were apparently interested in bringing Erik ten Hag to the club but the former Dutch professional footballer snubbed the opportunity to move away from Netherland and is slowly transforming Ajax into a great team again. Unfortunately for us, he appears to be achieving his objective.
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ten Hag has gained a reputation for building his team without any huge transfer budget and developing young talent. This made him a suitable prospect for some of the top clubs across Europe. Spurs would also have liked someone with the pedigree and resourcefulness of the Dutch professional manager.
That being said Nuno has just taken charge of the North Londoners this season but only time will tell if he is able to make a substantial impact on the Lilywhites with his management style.
