‘My heart hurts’
Frits Barend (76) was born in Amsterdam and has been a fan of Ajax since his youth. In the past, when he led the talk show ‘Barend & Van Dorp’ together with Henk van Dorp, Frits always had to maintain some objectivity when conversations turned to Ajax. And co-founder and involved in the sports magazine ‘Helden’, which is mainly run by his daughter Barbara Barend, Frits still thinks it is a good idea to keep the necessary journalistic distance from his favorite club. Frits tells us: “I have always been a sports journalist first and foremost. So I also really enjoy Feyenoord. I’m not a Feyenoord hater. But I am an Amsterdammer and as a four-year-old child I was already sitting in the stands. So my heart belongs to Ajax, but I have always been able to separate that reasonably well in my work. I have also always enjoyed PSV and Feyenoord when it comes to European football. And if Ajax deservedly loses to Feyenoord, I am at peace with that. But the way things are going now with Ajax, my heart hurts, yes. Ajax in bottom place, I have never experienced that in my life. And I have been coming to the club for 72 years! Does it affect my mood or ruin my day? No. I have had that before, but there is something else going on at the moment that is determining my mood much more negatively. I mean, of course, the war between Israel and Hamas. I have a lot of family in Israel and the terrible things happening there have kept me occupied far too much every day since October 7. I also have to stop watching everything. But because it affects me so much, I can put the misery at Ajax into perspective a little better. In such a state, worrying about football is completely secondary.”
“Will things still turn out well for Ajax this season? If the three B’s start to run well, and I’m talking about Bergwijn, Berghuis and Brobbey, then there is a basis to continue. I think Ajax did well to appoint John van ‘t Schip. A down-to-earth Amsterdammer who knows what is going on at Ajax. The fact that he is tackling this job, in this sad period due to the loss of his wife, is commendable. As outsiders, we are not allowed to judge whether he should do this or not. I think he has guided his wife excellently during her illness in recent years. I’m almost certain that he talked to her about it, that he would take the chance if something ever came up at Ajax. He has also occasionally been an analyst at matches. Perhaps it is also a very good thing that the sooner he starts doing something, the better it is for the grieving process. Please let’s not judge him for that. I’m actually happy that he has this and that he has some distraction. Does he have to sit at home alone all day mourning and crying? Now he can focus on something.”
Photo: Andries Jelle de Jong
