After joining the team in December 2019 with Arteta, Stuivenberg resigned from his position as Wales’ assistant in order to devote all of his attention to the Gunners. In north London, he’s well-liked by the fans, who call him ‘AirPod Albert’ since the assistant often wears a wireless earpiece to connect with Arsenal’s in-game analysts.
In contrast to the more gregarious Arteta, he is a soothing presence, but the Spaniard may have to look for a new assistant come summertime.
The Dutchman and Arteta had similar philosophical views, and there’s no denying that Stuivenberg’s principles are in line with Ajax’s core beliefs. Stuivenberg said, “I want to play football that people can recognize.” “That indicates to me that we play both offensively and defensively dominantly.”
Stuivenberg is reportedly one of Ajax’s contenders to succeed John van’t Schip when the Dutch powerhouses’ difficult 2023–24 campaign concludes. Under Van’t Schip, Ajax has partly recovered from a historically bad start to the season and is in the running to play in Europe next year.
The Eredivisie heavyweights are also considering Erik ten Hag, Dick Schreuder, and Pascal Jansen of Manchester United.
In addition to serving as an assistant coach for Manchester United and the Welsh national team, Stuivenberg has coached the junior teams of the Netherlands. His only experience as the star player at the club level came with Genk in Belgium, although the Dutchman’s stay was short.
Ajax is eager to name Stuivenberg despite his lack of expertise, and they have already been turned down by Arteta’s assistant. When the Amsterdamers approached the 53-year-old in 2023, he declined the position, citing “unfinished business” with Arsenal.
