Chapter 2: The Wind Rises

In arranging the training program, I did not say you were wrong, nor did you wrong me! Ye Qiu was completely indifferent to Westhoff's anger; he was on the verge of being expelled himself, so why should he care whether Westhoff was angry or not? It would serve that guy right if he got himself worked up to death.

Upon seeing the disdainful glance directed at his superior, Ye Qiu immediately understood that they were currently unable to deal with Waters. Unwilling to let Waters's reputation soar within the club, they decided to target him instead, hoping to diminish Waters's authority. After all, he was also someone hired by Waters.

Ye Qiu's words do hold some merit

At this point, Westhoff raised his right hand and said, "Therefore, I propose that the head coach of the E1 youth team, Ye Qiu, be dismissed on the spot for violating the De Tocqueville regulations, as a warning to others"

Thus, Ye Qiu stated that he wanted to defend himself, which garnered the agreement of many present, including Chairman Fan Pulage, who nodded and said, "Well then, go ahead and tell us, what defense do you have regarding Hans's actions?"

It is important to note that before joining Ajax, Westhof was already a prominent figure in Dutch football; otherwise, how could Van Praag have possibly lured him away to take charge of De Toekomst?

The two-story training building of De Tocqueville is situated at the junction of two training fields

When Ye Qiu almost stepped in right on time into the conference room on the second floor of the training building, he found that it was already filled with people

Leo Beenhakker holds a prominent position in today's football world. He has twice managed Real Madrid and twice managed Ajax, and on each occasion at Ajax, he won the championship in his first year, while the second year ended in disappointment. Notably, during his second tenure at Ajax in the 1990-1991 season, he left midway to join Real Madrid, which left Ajax fans feeling betrayed.

"However, you say that I do not adhere to discipline, and I must disagree with that. If I were to be expelled from Ajax in this manner, would that not be quite unfair to me? This pertains to my personal conduct, and I certainly must provide a defense!"

The actions of Westhoff serve as a warning, essentially a case of killing the chicken to scare the monkey. By eliminating Ye Qiu, he diminished Waters' authority, while simultaneously intimidating the group of youth training coaches, making them fully aware of the current situation

In this situation, his eagerness to take action against the youth team will naturally provoke resistance

Although he is currently in the spotlight and both fans and management have high hopes for him, the problem is that he lacks the most basic level of prestige

The southern area is divided into two sections: on the left are training grounds A and B, designated for older age groups, while the other youth training teams are located in the right section. A river serves as the boundary between the two training areas.

What did Michels and Cruyff value the most

This season, Ajax's first team has achieved a remarkable start with three consecutive victories. First, they defeated Helen Fen at home with a score of 3:2, followed by a 6:2 away win against Maastricht. Just yesterday, Waters' team secured another away victory, beating Lviv with a score of 3:0. They are certainly in great form in the Eredivisie, exuding a spirited demeanor. Moreover, when he saw Ye Qiu, he smiled and nodded, clearly expressing his fondness for the coach he personally invited to the club.

However, after Louis van Gaal transferred to Barcelona, under the impact of the Bosman ruling, stars such as Kluivert, Litmanen, and Overmars successively left the team, and Ajax once again fell into turmoil. Under pressure, Michael van Praag invited Leo Beenhakker back to Ajax to serve as the technical director.

As soon as these words were spoken, everyone in the conference room was taken aback, including Waters

Since Ajax relocated their home ground from the Amsterdam Olympic Stadium to the current Arena, they have been vigorously developing the training facility De Toekomst, located to the west of the stadium, separated by a road

Similar to the characteristics of the entire city of Amsterdam, De Toekomst draws water from the Amstel River, dividing the entire training ground into three triangular areas. The largest area in the north serves as the training ground and training building for the first team, and there is also a field with a simple grandstand used by Ajax's second team.

Michael, I believe that reform is a good thing, but it must be done with moderation; we cannot reform for the sake of reform. We need to understand the direction and purpose. The entire youth training system of the club has its merits after so many years, and these aspects should be preserved

At this moment, even Waters felt uneasy for Ye Qiu, because if even Van Praagh nodded in agreement, then he would be completely finished

Westhoff spoke eloquently, while Leo Benhak remained silent throughout. However, this elderly Dutch man, with his white hair yet vibrant spirit, exuded an air of inscrutability. It is no wonder; after decades of wandering and teaching, Leo Benhak had long since become a seasoned individual. Such matters were hardly significant to him today

If what was said earlier could still be considered as advice, then Leo Benhak's tone shifts dramatically thereafter

To put it plainly, this discussion with the books is about a redistribution of power. Waters is now nominally the head coach of the first team and the director of the youth team, but in reality, his authority primarily lies with the first team, and he has no involvement with the youth team. Therefore, he wants to seize the opportunity while he is in a position of strength to secure more power.

However, Leo Benhakker and Westhoff were unwilling to relinquish power easily, so while both parties appeared amicable during the meeting, tensions were actually running high behind the scenes. This made Ye Qiu sigh inwardly, as it was no surprise that Ajax was struggling in such an environment

However, disregarding discipline is absolutely unacceptable. Ajax has always placed the utmost importance on discipline, and this ethos must be firmly upheld. Otherwise, if morale dissipates, it will be challenging to restore unity.

Ultimately, Waters is still too young and lacks experience

Today, I visited the training ground for younger age groups, and I discovered that some of our youth coaches have privately altered the youth training programs without the club's permission. "Westhoff suddenly stood up and spoke with righteous indignation.

The van der Plag family has played a pivotal role in the history of Ajax. Michael van der Plag's father, Jaap van der Plag, was the club president during Ajax's most glorious years in the 1970s. After he left Ajax, the club entered a period of turmoil that lasted until the 1980s, when Michael van der Plag took the helm of Ajax once again, directly leading to the revival during the van Gaal era

At the head of the oval conference table sat the management of the club. Ye Qiu was somewhat surprised to find that the club president, Michael van Praag, was also present, which took him aback. On his left and right were the first team head coach, Ajax, and former star player Jan Waters, as well as the current technical director of the club, Leo Benhakker.

Coupled with the character developed from his long tenure as head coach, he is always concerned with maintaining his authority, even going so far as to utilize all his powers and resources for this purpose. From this, it is not difficult to see that Van Praag has indeed made a fatal error in the personnel arrangements at the competitive level of the club

Ye Qiu merely glanced at the few individuals at the head table and quickly grasped the general situation

Firstly, Waters is a newcomer, with no prior coaching experience at the first team level. His professional career is commendable, yet not particularly high-profile, as most of his coaching experience has been with the Ajax youth team. Secondly, Leo Beenhakker and Westerhof are both accomplished coaches, and individuals of such stature often find it difficult to take a subordinate role.

Leo Benhak's words certainly resonated with Van Praag, who nodded in agreement

Upon hearing this, Ye Qiu immediately understood that what Westhoff was referring to was none other than himself

Discipline is the first commandment of Ajax Club, and it is also the first commandment of the majority of Dutch clubs

"What else do you have to say? Did I say something wrong? Have I wronged you?" Westhoff did not expect that this usually reticent Chinese man would dare to resist, and he felt a surge of anger within.

Many people say that Germans are stubborn and rigid, but in reality, to some extent, the Dutch, especially those in Dutch football, are no less dogmatic. They cling to the principles established during the era of Michels and Cruyff decades ago, remaining stagnant and lacking ambition, to the point of becoming obstinately unyielding

Just before Van Plag made his statement, Ye Qiu, who was sitting at the back of the conference room, suddenly stood up and shouted: "You are holding a trial, yet you do not allow the defendant to defend themselves. Is this fair to me?"

This year marks his first time coaching a professional team, and it is Ajax, a club of such stature. Everyone is filled with apprehension regarding him, even the chairman Van der Sar, who personally promoted him from the under-18 youth team to the first team. Otherwise, why would he have brought in Leo Beenhakker to assist him

However, it can also be understood that since the determination of a person's guilt is at stake, shouldn't we listen to their defense?

In this situation, having the inconsequential Waters manage the prominent Leo Benhakker and Westhoff, the outcome is not difficult to predict

Please remember, we are Ajax. We have our own youth training system, which has created countless glories and garnered the attention of the entire world. We absolutely cannot allow any undisciplined individuals to disrupt the atmosphere of De Toekomst!

Although there are hierarchical distinctions in the power structure of the club, anyone has the right to raise their hand and speak in such meetings. Generally speaking, lower-ranking coaches tend to be more reserved and do not typically behave as openly as Ye Qiu does at this moment

Once Ye Qiu took his seat, the meeting commenced

Just as everyone was discussing fervently, Leo Benhakker finally spoke, but he was addressing Van Praag.

We do not deny that there are many progressive youth training concepts and advanced training methods available outside. However, two months ago, the club invested heavily in hiring several external youth training coaches, hoping to enhance the youth training level of Detokmost. Yet, as everyone can see, two months have passed with no results; instead, it has thrown Detokmost into chaos, leaving the coaching staff in a state of anxiety