Óscar García, speaking to NU.nl, has said he maximised the potential of Ajax's squad during his brief tenure as head coach. Appointed by technical director Jordi Cruyff in March to replace Fred Grim and secure European football, García led the club to qualification but has now reflected on what might have been.
"I got everything I could out of the squad," García said of his spell last season. He noted that when appointed, the club was concerned Ajax might fail to qualify for European competition altogether. "In the end, we may not have done perfectly, but we did well."
Cruyff invested heavily in the squad over the summer, assembling players expected to mount a title challenge. García acknowledged he was aware of these plans. "I knew Jordi's plans. I didn't know how many players would arrive, but I knew he might bring in as many as half a team and turn it into a squad capable of winning the title."
García believes Ajax will win the title this season and expressed confidence he would have delivered better results with the expanded squad. "I would have done 100 per cent better with this squad than I did last season," he stated.
However, Cruyff opted to appoint Míchel Sánchez as head coach instead. García learned of his departure two days after the final match of the season, which he described as "a huge disappointment." Despite this, he said he does not regret joining Ajax. "It was a huge opportunity for me at the time," he explained.
García is now head coach of Polish club Pogon Szczecin, who sit joint third in the league with ten consecutive matches unbeaten.
Source: goal.com
