Ajax Coach Sounds Admiring Note: John Heitinga on Chelsea's Strength
Ajax coach John Heitinga is full of praise for Chelsea's squad ahead of their Champions League clash. Heitinga knows Chelsea's strength won't make it easy for Ajax.
“I know Chelsea's strengths and weaknesses. They have a lot of power, a lot of speed...”
Ajax coach John Heitinga is lavishing praise on Chelsea's squad ahead of their Champions League clash at Stamford Bridge. Heitinga believes Chelsea's strength and depth will make them tough opponents.
— AFC Ajax (@AFCAjax) October 21, 2025
Heitinga, who has experience playing against Chelsea as an Everton player and later coaching at Liverpool and West Ham, knows the Premier League well. He's impressed by Chelsea's quality, citing Jorrel Hato, a key player for Ajax last season, now at Chelsea but hardly playing. Despite Ajax's poor start, Heitinga insists his team won't go in expecting defeat.
“I know the Premier League well, of course,” Heitinga, who was assistant coach at Liverpool last season and at West Ham United before that, told a press conference on Tuesday.
“I know Chelsea's strengths and weaknesses. They have a lot of power, a lot of speed. Positional shifts, with fullbacks coming into midfield.
“This season, for example, they beat Liverpool. They're a team you have to be on your guard for over the full 90 minutes.
“Just to give an example - Jorrel Hato, one of our best players at Ajax last season, is on the (Chelsea) bench and hardly plays. I think that says a lot about Chelsea's quality, because Jorrel was a game-changer for us.
“When I came here (to Chelsea) as an Everton player I was up against a team with Didier Drogba, Frank Lampard, John Terry,” Heitinga recalled. “These are special matches, we have to enjoy them, especially with the 2,000 travelling fans.”
— AFC Ajax (@AFCAjax) October 22, 2025
Ajax coach John Heitinga remains optimistic despite his team's poor start to the season, insisting his side won't go into the game against Chelsea expecting to lose. Heitinga's team has struggled, losing 2-0 at home to Inter Milan and then being thrashed 4-0 at Olympique de Marseille, but he'll be counting on players to step up against the Blues.
“We never go onto the pitch thinking we're already expecting a defeat,” he added. “This is definitely a match where we have to look at the gameplan. That plan has to be good.”
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