After Thomas Frank’s dismissal, the writing was on the wall for John Heitinga, who departed the club along with the Dane.
Heitinga only joined the club early in January to help stop the rot at Tottenham as they continued to leak goals for fun.
However, it proved to be another short stint for him, much like what was the case when he left Liverpool to join Eredivisie side Ajax.
The Dutchman is currently without a job again and it remains to be seen what he does in the coming weeks and months.
In the meantime, though, a so-called ‘expert’ from a Dutch football podcast has made a rather scathing claim on the former Netherlands defender.
Dutch media claim Tudor had no role for Heitinga
While Roberto De Zerbi and Mauricio Pochettino continue to be linked with Tottenham this summer, Igor Tudor has arrived as interim boss on a short-term deal until the end of the season.
The Croatian has developed a reputation as a managerial “firefighter,” often guiding clubs out of crisis situations.
That once again appears to be the case at Tottenham, with the club languishing at 16th place in the Premier League table, just four points above the relegation zone.
According to Alasdair Gold, Ivan Javorcic (assistant coach), Riccardo Ragnacci (physical coach) and Tomislav Rogic (goalkeeping coach) will all join the club along with Tudor, subject to work permits being granted.
Heitinga was one of Frank’s staff who left the club following his dismissal, with The Athletic confirming that he didn’t want to remain at the club after the Dane’s sacking.
And now, a pundit named Suleyman Ozturk, speaking on the Dutch podcast, Rondje Buitenland, claims Tudor simply didn’t have a role for Heitinga to carry out, which is why he left.
“I think Igor Tudor can’t do anything with Heitinga. That’s it. That’s the story, I think. We shouldn’t make it bigger than it is,” he said.
He also appeared to mock the hype around Heitinga, presumably after his poor showing with Ajax. Once hailed as one of the best coaching talents in Europe, the Dutchman is now without a job. To make matters worse, he’s being mocked in his own land, which goes to show just how quickly things can change in football.
He continued, “It’s painful. You’ve been an assistant for three weeks. The biggest European talent. And now? What do you do?”
What next for Heitinga?
To be fair to Heitinga, he walked away on his own accord and couldn’t have done much, as he only served as Frank’s assistant manager for a month.
Before his stint with Ajax, he played a big role in Liverpool’s Premier League title victory under Arne Slot last season and also enjoyed a fruitful spell with David Moyes at West Ham United, which is proof of his coaching credentials.
Things haven’t gone well for him in recent months, but it’s in bad taste to mock someone who lost his job for no fault of his own. What’s even more surprising is that the criticism comes from the local Dutch media, which makes it all the more classless as they have no regard for one of their own.
Heitinga has had a difficult spell and will likely take some time out before deciding his next move.
Good luck with whatever comes next, Johnny.
