Category: NEWS Page 2 of 7
RAFC brings in another talented Dutch player to wear the club’s colours. Jairo Riedewald is primarily a left-footed defensive midfielder but is known for his versatility. His professional journey began under the guidance of our sporting director, Marc Overmars, back when they were both at Ajax. Riedewald made his debut for the Amsterdam team in 2013 and was called up to the Dutch national team in 2015. He later followed coach Frank de Boer to the English Premier League, where he played the past seven seasons for Crystal Palace.
One of Riedewald’s most notable moments came when he made his “big bang” first-team debut for Ajax at just 17 years old: In a memorable December 2013 match, Ajax was trailing 1-0 against Roda JC with ten minutes remaining. Coach Frank de Boer decided to introduce Riedewald, and the young player made an immediate impact by scoring both the equaliser and the winning goal in added time. This dream debut also set a record: at 17 years and 104 days Riedewald became the youngest Eredivisie player to score on his debut. He later won the Eredivisie title with Ajax in 2015 and played in the 2017 Europa League final, where Ajax was defeated by Manchester United.
Riedewald’s contract at Antwerp FC is for one year, with an option to extend for an additional season. Welcome to the Reds Jairo! 🇵🇪💪
Antwerp FC announced today that Jonas De Roeck, a former player at the club, will take on the role of head coach, leading his first training session at the Bosuil on June 26.
De Roeck, born in Barcelona but raised in Belgium, fits the ideal profile: a young coach familiar with the competition who has a knack for identifying young talent. He is also a homegrown product, having progressed through the youth ranks at Bosuil, made his professional debut there in 1998, served as captain, and after some time away, concluded his playing career twith The Reds in 2015 as a player-assistant. Becoming head coach at his beloved club is “A dream come true.”
From July 7 to 13, Antwerp will head to Austria for preseason preparations in Waidring, a picturesque village in Tyrol. Acknowledging the tough challenge of succeeding Mark van Bommel, De Roeck is both realistic and ambitious: “Our goals remain to reach Play-off 1 and advance as far as possible in the cup.” Welcome back at the Bosuil, Jonas!