Stefano Seedorf loaned out to NAC Breda for one season
11 June: Ajax midfielder Stefano Seedorf (21) will play for
Eredivisie side NAC Breda next season. Ajax and the Breda side
agreed on a one year loan. Eredivisie sides RBC Roosendaal and
FC Twente were also interested in the Ajacied's services, but
Seedorf preferred NAC Breda, who finished 4th in the Eredivisie
this year, qualifying for the 2003-2004 UEFA Cup.
Stefano Seedorf, a cousin of former Ajacied Clarence
Seedorf, started playing football for amateur club Hellas
Zaandam from his native town of Zaandam. He was discovered by
Ajax scouts at a young age and went through the entire Ajax
youth system. With Ajax's reserves team, Young Ajax, he won the
Dutch championship for reserves teams in 2002 and the Amstel
malt Cup in 2003. Seedorf was a member of the Young Ajax crop
that had two impressive runs in the 'big' Amstel Cup in 2001
and 2002.
Seedorf made his first team début under coach Ronald
Koeman on 19 October 2002 in the Eredivisie home game against
AZ (6-2). So far he had five Eredivisie, two Amstel Cup and six
friendly appearances for Ajax-1. He also played nine games for
Holland U-21, in which he scored twice.
Ajax wants the midfielder to get experience on the highest
level. Seedorf did not get much playing time this season due to
stiff competition from offensive midfielders such as
Rafaël van der Vaart, Steven Pienaar, Jari Litmanen and
Wesley Sneijder. The financial details of the loan were not
revealed by Ajax.
Recent weeks have made clear that the number of Ajax
contractees playing elsewhere on loan will once again be
impressive next season: Kwame Quansah and Daniel Cruz will stay
at Germinal Beerschot Antwerp for at least one more season,
Pius Ikedia will move on from FC Groningen to play for RBC
Roosendaal for the next two seasons, while Youssouf Hersi will
stay at NEC for at least one more year. Kiran Bechan (loaned
out to Sparta Rotterdam during the first six months of 2003) is
expected to move on to FC Haarlem on loan. Richard Knopper,
loaned out to Greek side Aris Saloniki last season, is
reportedly talking to FC Twente.
The future of Ajax's two most prominent loanees, Ahmed
'Mido' Hossam and Nikos Machlas, is as yet uncertain. Both
strikers are not welcome in next year's Ajax-1 squad. The club
would like to sell the players, but their respective price-tags
are a major obstacle for interested clubs. Nikos Machlas played
for Spanish side FC Sevilla this season, but recently returned
to Amsterdam to discuss his future. Machlas' contract expires
in the summer of 2004. (MP)
Source: Ajax.nl
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