Toby Alderweireld has heaped praise on his former Ajax coach Frank de Boer, and believes he will show that he is among the worlds best coaches.
- By Stephen Rivers
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Drawn together in group H of the Champions League, Ajax and Celtic will meet in the first of back to back matches at Parkhead on the 22nd October. Toby Alderweireld – now plying his trade at La Liga topping Atletico Madrid – believes the tie will go a long way to determining which of the sides will progress in Europe.
Celtic provided a stern test for both AC Milan and Barcelona and will feel aggrieved to sit at the bottom of the group with no points from their first two matches. Similarly, having come so close to beating Milan on Matchday 2, Ajax will now view the matches against Celtic as ones they simply cannot afford to lose.
Alderweireld believes that the matches are a real coin-flip,
“It is a difficult group for Ajax and Celtic. Against Milan you will get a chance to play but they can kill you on the counter. Barca are a top team and are always difficult to play. But when Celtic and Ajax play I think it’s 50-50.
“They are probably fighting for third place but both are capable of playing above themselves, so there is still a chance they could finish in second place if everything goes well for them.”
Speaking in the Daily Record, The Belgian centre-back was also keen to point out the quality of his former Ajax Coach,
“Ajax have one of the best coaches in the World in Frank de Boer. They lost players this Summer, including me, but they have been planning ahead.
“The manager always has ideas and has confidence in youth. He’ll want his players to step up – and he will believe they can. That is always the way with Ajax. Players leave and they are replaced by ones coming through from the youth set up.
“He’s so smart. He sees things three steps ahead and knows everything about football. That’s why I think he’s one of the best Coaches in the World.”
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