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Former Socceroo Michael Valkanis has taken the reins of European football aristocrats Ajax for the briefest of spells \u2013 because the Dutch giants\u2019 manager is in Australia for his son\u2019s wedding.<\/p>\n
Valkanis stepped into the breach on Sunday (Monday AEDT) to oversee the four-time European champions\u2019 Eredivisie clash with Zwolle \u2013 and ended up with a point after a 2-2 draw at Amsterdam\u2019s Johan Cruyff Arena.<\/p>\n
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Michael Valkanis talks to Ar\u2019jany Martha during Ajax\u2019s game against Zwolle.<\/span>Credit: <\/span>Getty<\/cite><\/p>\n It wasn\u2019t the perfect result for the former Australia defender, after his side let a two-goal lead slip away, but it proved an emotional afternoon as fans paid tribute to manager John van\u2019t Schip following the death of his wife.<\/p>\n Dutchman van\u2019t Schip, the former boss at Melbourne City where Valkanis was his assistant, has taken a break from Ajax to attend his son Davey\u2019s wedding in Australia after a traumatic time for the family.<\/p>\n \u201cIt doesn\u2019t hurt, there are priorities in life,\u201d van\u2019t Schip said of his trip to Australia, where Davey plays for Essendon Royals in Melbourne, after wife Danielle lost her battle with cancer in October.<\/p>\n So he left Valkanis to run the show for two games while he was away.<\/p>\n Sam Kersten on the attack for Ajax on Sunday.<\/span>Credit: <\/span>Getty<\/cite><\/p>\n \u201cIt\u2019s amazing \u2013 the Dutchman\u2019s gone to Australia and the Australian\u2019s in Holland \u2013 John will be laughing at that, too, but we\u2019ll make sure we\u2019ll do the job for him,\u201d Valkanis, 49, said after being thrust into the limelight at the 36-time league champions.<\/p>\n In the 55th minute of Sunday\u2019s match, the crowd of 53,853 in Amsterdam paid tribute to their absent manager and to honour Danielle, who died at the age of 55.<\/p>\n \u201cI started working with John at Melbourne City, we bonded immediately over football philosophy and we\u2019ve become really good friends,\u201d said Valkanis, who managed City briefly after van\u2019t Schip resigned in 2017.<\/p>\n \u201cHe\u2019s a special person to me \u2013 we\u2019ve worked together for six, seven years, at Zwolle and the Greek national team, and now at Ajax.<\/p>\n \u201cWe speak every day, it\u2019s pretty special for him to be going back to his son\u2019s wedding but he\u2019s gone through some tough times. Even while he\u2019s away, though, he\u2019ll be thinking of Ajax.\u201d<\/p>\n The pair have done a fine job rejuvenating Ajax after a rocky start to the season during which they dropped to the bottom of the table.<\/p>\n Remarkably, Valkanis is the sixth man to take the reins at the storied club in 2023.<\/p>\n Former Ajax and Netherlands winger van\u2019t Schip, aided by Valkanis, a central defender who won his lone cap for Australia in 2006, has pushed Ajax back up to fifth in the table.<\/p>\n Valkanis will also be in charge for a Dutch Cup match against USV Hercules on Thursday before van\u2019t Schip returns.<\/p>\n<\/p>\n