Ajax trainee Van Rhijn finally no longer has to play the perfect match

No, a dream draw, playing football against his old club Ajax in the Johan Cruijff Arena, was not possible. But tonight Ricardo van Rhijn and the Amsterdam amateur club AFC will have a home match against an Eredivisie player. FC Utrecht visits Sportpark Goed Genoeg for the second round of the KNVB Cup.

“We may meet Ajax in the next cup round, but we first have to see if we can survive Utrecht,” laughs Van Rhijn, eight-time Dutch international.

33-year-old Van Rhijn is back in Amsterdam. At AFC in the second division as a defender and at Ajax as a trainee. No, that’s not a typo.

Since last year, together with Siem de Jong, Daniël de Ridder and Kelly Zeeman, he has been following a training program for former Ajax players who have the ambition to work in the office at the Amsterdam club. The former football players spend two years in various departments, such as legal affairs, Ajax Media or the Ajax Foundation.

Van Rhijn has now ended up at Business Relations, a department close to his heart. “I’m an easy talker. We have a lot of contact with business relations and sponsors. And yes, you notice that people like it when a former Ajax player comes by.”

“I would still like to follow a course, maybe business administration. Ultimately, that is the ideal combination, I think: the baggage as a top athlete and a study. And then I hope to one day be part of a management team at the club. I have it here I really enjoy it. I still feel like a member of the club and I like to help, now in a different role.”

With his top sports mentality, he thinks he can be of value at the Ajax office. A small example? “We are a listed company, but we also remain a football club. It is nice to see the atmosphere in the office on Monday after a match. The difference between profit and loss is quite big,” laughs Van Rhijn.

“It’s logical, but as a footballer you think: okay, wow, guys. Yes, we lost, that’s not ideal. But let’s goand on again!”

No, Van Rhijn did not always think about it that easily. He often got in his own way, he says. “I was never really satisfied with my performance. I always wanted to play the perfect game of football. But you play that once or twice in your career. It’s insane to demand that of yourself.”

Van Rhijn shot into the football world like a comet. He effortlessly played his way into the starting line-up at Ajax as a right back, replacing Gregory van der Wiel. And after fifteen Premier League matches, he made his debut for the Dutch team in 2012.

“You suddenly find yourself in the dressing room with guests like Robben, Van der Vaart and Sneijder. That was a real highlight and I consciously enjoyed it.”

He also thinks about the Champions League, playing against Barcelona, ​​Manchester United, Real Madrid. To duels with Neymar, Luka Modric, Kaká. At that rocket impact of a free kick against Feyenoord. Three national titles with Ajax.

But he already played his eighth and last international match in 2014. He was only 23 years old. “I peaked very early, yes. Just look at the list of clubs: Ajax, Club Brugge, AZ, Heerenveen, FC Emmen, Karlsruher SC and FC Lisse. Of course, you would prefer to turn that around.”

As long as he played good football and had a starting position at Ajax, he could put his perfectionism aside. But then suddenly Kenny Tete broke through. “He played me out of the team, he did fantastic, was super stable defensively. And I just played less.”

In the meantime, Van Rhijn still demanded perfect matches from himself. “If you don’t play that well, you almost become a bit paralyzed. It was difficult to get out of that. Afterwards, I got stuck in that for too long. If I could have put that aside a little earlier, it would have made a big difference. Anyway, I know I can do that now in my next career. At least that’s how I am now in the game, haha.”

What if he could do it again? “I would not have left Ajax. I should have taken my chance under the new trainer, Peter Bosz. I still had two years left on my contract, which in retrospect I certainly should have served, at least.”

Van Rhijn recently received an official farewell from the KNVB, together with other former international players such as Eljero Elia, Jeremain Lens and Ryan Babel, prior to the Netherlands-Hungary in the Arena. And a day later he was back on the field with the Ajax Legends against Real Madrid, together with his childhood heroes Patrick Kluivert and Clarence Seedorf.

“It was a wonderful weekend. I realized once again: few people can say what I have experienced. And I am very proud of that.”