Denny Landzaat has declined an invitation to re‑join Ajax Amsterdam’s coaching staff for 2025/26, choosing instead to remain on the bench with the Indonesia national team as Patrick Kluivert’s right‑hand man.
Landzaat’s agent confirmed that the 48‑year‑old was on a short‑list to become John Heitinga’s assistant at Ajax— the club where he first broke through as a player before spells at Wigan Athletic and Feyenoord. Although flattered by the prospect of returning to Amsterdam, Landzaat ultimately rebuffed the offer.
“The national‑team project comes first,” he told reporters on June 16, “I feel professionally and personally fulfilled here. Working with Patrick and helping Indonesia chase a historic World‑Cup berth is a challenge that excites me more than any club job right now.”
Landzaat added that Ajax will “always be in my heart,” but said the chance to build something lasting with Indonesia outweighs the pull of his boyhood club. “We’ve started a journey, and I want to see it through— for the players, the fans, and the legacy we all hope to create,” he said.
His decision is a timely boost for Kluivert’s staff as Indonesia prepare for October’s fourth‑round Asian qualifiers, where a place at the 2026 World Cup is now within touching distance.