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Chapter 2 The Wind Rises

Since Ajax moved his home court from the Amsterdam Olympic Stadium to the current Arena Stadium, he has begun to build a training ground DeTok Most, which is located across the street to the west of the stadium.

Like the city characteristics of the entire Amsterdam, DeTok Most introduced the river from the Amster River and divided the entire training ground into three areas in the shape of a font. The largest in the north is the first team training ground and training building, and there is also a stadium with a simple stand used by the Ajax Second Team.

The south is divided into two areas on the left and right. On the left are two training grounds for older age groups A and B. The other youth training echelons are on the right, with rivers between the two training areas.

The two-story training building in DeTok Most is located at the junction of two training grounds.

When Ye Qiu almost stepped into the conference room on the second floor of the training building, he found that it was full of people.

The top of the oval conference table was the club's management. What surprised Ye Qiu was that the club's chairman Michael Van Prager was also there, which surprised him. On both sides of him were the first team head coach, former Ajax star Jan Waters, and the club's technical director, Leo Benhack.

Leo Benhack has a high status in today's football world. He once took over Real Madrid twice and Ajax twice. And every time he took over Ajax, he won the championship in the first year and was empty in the second year. Among them, he even turned to Real Madrid when coaching Ajax for the second time in the 1990-91 season, which made Ajax fans feel betrayed.

However, under the impact of the Boseman Act, Cruivet, Litmanin, Ovemas and other stars left the team one after another. Ajax was once again in turmoil. Under pressure, Michael Van Plage once again invited Leo Benhack to Ajax to serve as technical director.

Ye Qiu just glanced at the people on his head and knew about the situation.

This season, Ajax's first team ushered in three consecutive victories at the beginning, first defeating Helenfin 3:2 at home, and then defeating Maastricht 6:2 away. Just yesterday, Waters's team defeated Leeuwarden 3:0 away, which was very popular in the Eredivisie, so it seemed quite energetic. When he saw Ye Qiu, he nodded with a smile, obviously reciprocating his favor to the coach who he personally recruited into the club.

After Ye Qiu sat down, the meeting began.

To put it bluntly, this is a discussion of power redistribution. Waters is now nominally the head coach and youth team manager of the first team, but in fact his power is mainly in the first team. He can't intervene in the youth team, so he wants to fight for power while he is in the limelight now.

But Leo Benhack and Westhoff refused to delegate power readily, so the two sides seemed to be in harmony at the meeting, but secretly they were tense, which made Ye Qiu sigh in his heart. It would be strange if Ajax did not sink in this environment!

"Today, I went to the training ground for the younger age group to patrol, and I found that we had some youth training coaches who privately changed the team's youth training program without the permission of the club." Westhoff suddenly stood up and spoke righteously.

When Ye Qiu heard this, he immediately understood that wasn’t what Westhoff was talking about himself?

Looking at the immediate boss who looked at him with contempt, Ye Qiu immediately understood in his heart. It turned out that they had no choice but to use Waters now, and they were unwilling to make Waters' reputation in the club so they used themselves to make Waters' prestige. After all, they were hired by Waters.

"We don't deny that there are many youth training concepts that keep pace with the times and advanced training methods outside. However, two months ago, the club hired a lot of money to help improve DeTok Most's youth training level, but everyone has seen it. Two months have passed and there is no effect at all. Instead, it has made DeTok Most a mess and made the coaching team panic!

Westhoff was talking freely. Leo Benhack on the side had no movement from beginning to end, but this white-haired, but energetic Dutch old man gave people a feeling that he couldn't see through. However, it was no wonder that after decades of wandering coaching, Leo Benhack had long become a human being. Today's thing is nothing to him.

"Please remember that we are Ajax. We have a set of our own. We have created countless glory and have attracted the attention of the whole world. We must not allow some undisciplined people to disrupt the atmosphere of DeTok Most!"

Speaking of this, Westhoff raised his right hand, "So here, I suggest that E1 youth team head coach Ye Qiu would be fired on the spot to serve as a warning to You!"

As soon as these words came out, everyone in the conference room was in an uproar, including Waters.

After all, Waters is still too young and too inexperienced.

Although he is in the limelight now and fans and management are optimistic about him, the problem is that he lacks the minimum prestige.

This year is his first time coaching a professional team, and it is a team like Ajax. Everyone is worried about him, even if he personally promoted him from the 18-year-old youth team to the first-team chairman Van Pragher, otherwise, why would he invite Leo Benhack to help?

In this case, he was anxious to attack the youth team, which would naturally cause resistance.

Westhoff's example is actually just killing the chicken to warn the monkey, killing Ye Qiu, destroying Waters's majesty, and at the same time shocked the youth training coaches in the youth training camp, allowing them to see the current situation clearly.

Just as everyone was talking, Leo Benhack finally spoke, but he said to Van Prague.

"Michael, I think reform is a good thing, but there must be a degree. We cannot reform for the sake of reform. We need to know the direction and purpose. The club's entire youth training system has been there for so many years, and there must be something good about him. These should be retained!"

If the previous words are still persuading, then Leo Benhack will change his tone next.

"But it is impossible to ignore discipline. Ajax attaches the most importance to discipline in history. This trend must be suppressed. Otherwise, once people's hearts disperse, it will be difficult to gather back!"

Leo Benhack's words made Van Pragger feel certain and nodded.

Even Waters felt bad for Ye Qiu this time, because if even Van Prager nodded, he would be completely finished.

But just before Van Prager spoke, Ye Qiu, who was sitting at the end of the conference room, suddenly stood up and shouted loudly: "You are opening a trial court, but you do not allow the prisoners to defend themselves. Is this fair to me?"

Although there are high and low levels in the club's power structure, at such meetings, anyone has the right to raise his hands to speak, but generally speaking, coaches with low status are generally more responsible, at least not like Ye Qiu is now.

But it is understandable that since a person is to be convicted, should we listen to his defense?

"What else do you have to say? Am I wrong? You are wronged?" Westhoff did not expect that this Chinese man who seemed to be talking too much on weekdays would dare to resist, and was furious.

You know, before coming to Ajax, Westhoff was also the number one figure in the Dutch football circle. Otherwise, how could Van Prager poach him and take charge of DeTok Most?

Coupled with the character he developed as a head coach for a long time, he always thought about maintaining his authority, and even used all his power and resources for it. It is not difficult to see from this that Van Prague's personnel arrangement at the club's competitive level has really made a fatal mistake.

First of all, Waters is a newcomer. He has no first-team coaching experience before. His career is good, but he is not a big name. His coaching experience is more in charge of the Ajax youth team. Secondly, Leo Benhack and Westhoff are both successful head coaches, and such people often have a hard time beating down.

In this case, it is not difficult to guess the result that the unprestigious Waters manages the big names Leo Benhack and Westhoff.

"I didn't say you were wrong when arranging the training program, and you didn't wrong me!" Ye Qiu didn't care about Westhoff's anger at all. He was about to be fired, so he didn't care whether he was angry or not. This guy deserved it if he was angry.

"It's just that you said I don't abide by the discipline, so I don't agree. If I was kicked out of Ajax by you like this, wouldn't I feel wronged? This is related to my personal style, and of course I have to defend myself!"

Ye Qiu's words also make some sense.

Many people say that the Germans are stubborn and rigid, but in fact, to a certain extent, the Dutch, especially the Dutch footballers, aren’t they rigid and dogmatic, keeping the things left behind by the Michels and Cruyff era decades ago, keeping themselves in a state of self-confidence, not seeking progress, and even reaching a stubbornness?

What do Michels and Cruyff value the most?

Discipline, this is the first commandment of Ajax Club and the first commandment of most Dutch clubs!

So Ye Qiu said he wanted to defend himself, and he was recognized by many people present. Even Chairman Van Prager nodded, "Okay, what are you going to defend against Hans's?"
Chapter completed!
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