Ajax Boss Farioli Plays Down Henderson Captaincy Controversy

Ajax manager Francesco Farioli has addressed the controversy surrounding Jordan Henderson's decision to hand over the captain's armband, amid speculation over the Englishman's future at the club.

Ajax manager Francesco Farioli has addressed the situation surrounding Jordan Henderson, who did not wear the captain's armband in the Europa League game against Galatasaray. Instead, Henderson handed the armband to goalkeeper Remko Pasveer shortly before kick-off. Farioli declined to answer questions about the situation, stating, “I'm not going to speak about the market. I hear something else every hour, if I start to follow everything I will start getting mad.”

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Farioli emphasized that he prefers not to comment on rumors and speculation, adding, “I said yesterday in the press conference that we will see the fourth of February who is going to be here. From there we will work on, again and again and again.” He expressed frustration at the constant rumors, saying, “If I could have a clear answer about the situation I'd be more happy to give it, not just about Jordan but about everything we read every two hours.”

Despite the uncertainty surrounding Henderson's future, Farioli confirmed that the Englishman remains the captain of Ajax. “Yes, he is the captain of Ajax. Why should I lose an important player, a key player as he is? There's no reason,” Farioli explained. He praised Henderson's leadership, saying, “I think he's showing his character, his leadership. The armband is just a piece you're wearing, nothing more than that.”