Daley Blind praises Ajax coach Míchel’s football philosophy

In a Flashscore interview, 36‑year‑old Dutch defender Daley Blind praised Ajax’s newly appointed coach Míchel, noting the Spaniard’s philosophy of building from the back, frequent positional swaps and attractive football. Blind recalled the first season’s Champions League qualification and referenced Míchel’s previous tenure at Girona.

Daley Blind, a former Ajax player, gave an extensive interview with Flashscore, emphasizing his admiration for the new coach. He highlighted that Míchel’s ideas were clear from the moment he arrived at the club.

Blind described Míchel’s football philosophy as “building from the back, with many position changes and attractive football”. He said the coach already had this style in mind and the squad tried to implement it on the pitch.

He added that the first year under Míchel was “great, with the squad we had and the qualification for the Champions League”. The achievement, validated the coach’s approach.

Blind also mentioned Girona’s difficult season, noting that the club was relegated from La Liga last campaign. He said the second year at Girona brought many challenges for the Spaniard.

Despite those challenges, Blind said Míchel always remained honest with himself and the team. He praised the coach’s willingness to be vulnerable and treat everything as a collective effort.

Blind stressed that the players at Girona had a lot of respect for Míchel, and he reciprocated that respect. He concluded that this mutual understanding helped the team make significant progress this season and that he finds Míchel’s view on football extremely interesting.