Frank de Boer Questions Ajax’s Decision to Start Jofre Torrents
Former Ajax manager Frank de Boer has questioned Míchel’s decision to give 19-year-old defender Jofre Torrents his first start for the Amsterdam side in a difficult away match. While De Boer stressed that the young left-back should not be blamed alone for the defeat, he argued that experienced option Owen Wijndal would have been a safer choice in such a demanding setting.
Torrents, who joined Ajax from FC Barcelona last summer, had made limited appearances for the first team before being named in the starting XI. The occasion presented a significant test for the teenager, who was asked to perform under pressure against an opponent capable of exploiting defensive uncertainty.
De Boer Says Torrents Was Thrown Into a Difficult Situation
Speaking on Ziggo Sport after the match, De Boer expressed concern about the timing of Torrents’ first start. He said selecting a left-back with little senior experience for a challenging away fixture carried considerable risk, particularly when Ajax were already seeking greater stability.
“I don’t want to blame him, because it’s not just his fault,” De Boer said. “But to start that 19-year-old for the first time in an atmosphere like that… I would rather have seen Wijndal, to be honest.”
Presenter Sam van Royen asked whether Míchel had made a mistake by choosing Torrents. De Boer stopped short of treating the decision as an obvious error, but emphasized that a coach must weigh a young player’s potential against the demands of the specific match.
“It’s always a risk to start a young player in a match like that,” he said. “You want to start a match like that well, but he has hardly played a match yet.”
Experience and Match Readiness Matter
Van Royen noted that De Boer had previously trusted young players during his time at Ajax. The former manager responded that those players had first gained meaningful experience with the club’s second team, where they could build confidence and match sharpness before stepping into the senior side.
“They had proved themselves in the second team,” De Boer explained. “They had played enough minutes to be strong and ready for minutes in the first team.”
His comments underline a familiar challenge for clubs that rely on youth development: deciding when a promising prospect is ready for the first team. Giving a young player an opportunity can accelerate development, but the opponent, venue and tactical responsibilities all shape how demanding that opportunity will be. In Torrents’ case, De Boer’s concern was not simply his age; it was the combination of limited senior experience and the pressure of a high-stakes away match.
Míchel Defends the Young Left-Back
Míchel was also asked to assess Torrents’ performance after the final whistle. The defender was involved in the build-up to both goals Ajax conceded, including an error connected to the second goal. The Ajax manager acknowledged that mistake but offered a more measured overall assessment than De Boer.
“He made a mistake for the second goal, but his performance wasn’t bad,” Míchel said.
The difference between the two assessments reflects the competing priorities facing a coach. De Boer focused on whether Torrents should have started at all, while Míchel defended the player’s broader contribution and appeared keen to avoid placing the defeat on one individual. In football, a costly incident can shape the public view of a performance, even when a player’s work across the rest of the match is more complicated.
Ajax’s coaching staff will now need to decide how best to support Torrents. A young defender can benefit from a quick return to the lineup, but he may also need time in a lower-pressure role to regain confidence. Either way, the club’s response will matter as much as the mistake itself.
Ajax’s Wider Problem: A Lack of Control
De Boer made clear that Ajax’s defeat could not be explained solely by the decision to start Torrents. He argued that the team once again failed to show the control expected of a side built around possession and attacking initiative.
“Normally, you force those moments,” he said. “It’s clear they’re not in good form, because how secure you are on the ball often shows how good you are as a team.”
For a club with Ajax’s identity, control is more than keeping possession for its own sake. It can help the team dictate the pace, move opponents out of position and reduce the number of dangerous transitions it must defend. When passes become rushed or possession is lost in vulnerable areas, the back line can be exposed before it has time to organize.
De Boer said Ajax’s inability to dominate matches had become a recurring concern. A team that wants to control play must be composed in possession and coordinated when pressing to win the ball back. If those elements are missing, defensive errors can become more frequent—and individual players may be left facing difficult situations without sufficient support.
What the Result Means for Ajax
The defeat leaves Míchel with questions to answer about both team selection and the side’s broader form. Wijndal’s experience may strengthen De Boer’s argument that Ajax could have chosen a more cautious option at left-back. However, Torrents’ first start also offered the club a chance to assess a young player who arrived from one of Europe’s most prominent development systems.
The next selection decision will therefore be closely watched. A prediction about whether Torrents or Wijndal starts again will depend on the manager’s assessment of confidence, fitness and tactical matchups. More importantly, Ajax need to show that the defensive problems are being addressed collectively rather than treated as the responsibility of one teenager.
De Boer’s central warning was that Ajax must rediscover the authority and security associated with their style of play. “A team that wants to dominate, like Ajax, depends on that above all,” he said. “They didn’t show it again today, which is why they keep conceding those goals. That really has to stop.”
Whether Míchel responds with a change at left-back or maintains faith in Torrents, the club’s priority will be restoring control across the pitch. For Ajax supporters, the key measure in the coming matches will not be one player’s selection alone, but whether the team can limit mistakes, manage pressure and turn its possession into a more convincing performance.
