Ajax Coach Michel Defends Ter Stegen After Museum Comparison

Ajax Amsterdam manager Michel defended goalkeeper Marc-André ter Stegen following a 1–1 Eredivisie draw against NEC Nijmegen, after home supporters jeered the German loanee for holding onto the ball too long during a sluggish buildup. spox.com reported that the incident prompted a journalist during the post-match press conference to compare the sequence to an exhibit at Amsterdam’s Madame Tussauds wax museum.

Michel Rejects Wax Figure Comparison

When questioned about the slow tempo and the crowd’s reaction to his goalkeeper standing motionless with the ball, Michel dismissed the comparison directly. I do not agree that he is a statue, the Spanish coach stated, according to spox.com. He explained that ter Stegen was instructed to hold possession briefly to force movements from the opposing defensive block.

I do believe, generally speaking, that we should circulate the ball more in certain situations. In that instance, ter Stegen had to hold the ball short to provoke movement from the opponent.

Michel

Michel acknowledged that the tactic caused visible anxiety inside the Johan Cruyff Arena. And I also noticed, of course, that the audience became nervous. We need to handle these situations differently. he added.

Ter Stegen Season Form

Marc-André ter Stegen joined Ajax over the summer on a loan deal from Spanish club FC Barcelona. His performances since arriving in Amsterdam have yielded mixed results, with 14 goals conceded across nine official appearances and two clean sheets. Despite his fluctuating club form, Germany national team manager Jürgen Klopp named him the provisional number one for the national side, a role ter Stegen held during a recent international window fixture against the Netherlands that also ended in a 1–1 draw.