Óscar García lands Jong Ajax gig as Jordi Cruyff's development mastermind
Former Barcelona player and Chivas coach joins Ajax's youth setup, reuniting with Jordi Cruyff to develop the next generation of Dutch talent.
Spanish coaching journeyman Óscar García adds another stamp to his already bulging passport, taking the reins at Jong Ajax while helping reshape the club’s famed youth development system.
Cruyff connection strikes again
This ain’t the first time Jordi Cruyff has come calling for García’s services. The pair previously worked together at Maccabi Tel Aviv when Cruyff was sporting director there, but this time the dynamic’s a bit different as García steps into a dual role at the Amsterdam giants.
The former Barcelona player will serve as head coach for Jong Ajax (the club’s U23 side) while simultaneously working alongside Cruyff to revamp the youth categories at the Dutch powerhouse. It’s a proper bread and butter role for García, whose eye for young talent has been well-documented throughout his coaching career.
Youth development specialist
Ajax have clearly done their homework on the Sabadell-born coach, who brings:
- Experience across multiple countries and competitions
- A proven track record developing young players
- Success stories including Hugo Ekitike, Dayot Upamecano, Folarin Balogun and Gabri Veiga
García’s CV reads like a European football tour, having previously managed:
- Brighton & Hove Albion
- Red Bull Salzburg
- Chivas (Mexico)
- Reims
- Several other clubs across different leagues
High expectations
Jordi Cruyff hasn’t been shy about setting the bar high for his old mate. The Ajax sporting director expressed complete confidence in García’s football philosophy, mentality, and ability to elevate the club’s talent factory.
“With the appointment of Oscar and his assistants, we are setting the bar very high for talent development,” Cruyff stated as García put pen to paper on his contract.
For a club whose bread and butter has always been producing top talent, bringing in a coach with García’s development credentials makes perfect sense. The appointment represents another chapter in the Spaniard’s globe-trotting career, and potentially a crucial piece in Ajax’s rebuild after a couple of disappointing seasons by their lofty standards.