Fred Grim named Rinus Michels Manager of the Month
Fred Grim is named Rinus Michels Manager of the Month. The Ajax interim head coach has been awarded the prize for his performances in the Eredivisie in December. Fred Grim will receive the award at a later date, as the presentation and ESPN interview could not take place this week due to his absence.
Interim head coach
The 60-year-old Amsterdam native has been Ajax’s interim head coach since November, following the departure of John Heitinga. Grim enjoyed multiple spells with Ajax as a player, featuring for the club from 1986 to 1987 and again from 1994 to 2002. In between, he made more than 250 appearances between the posts for SC Cambuur. During that period, he earned his first coaching qualifications and consciously began preparing for a career beyond his playing days.
In his coaching career, the former goalkeeper has managed Ajax U21, Almere City FC, the Netherlands U21, RKC Waalwijk, Willem II and FC Emmen. He also served as an assistant coach with the Netherlands national team and briefly took charge as interim head coach before Dick Advocaat was appointed. In 2025, Grim returned to Ajax as part of the technical staff, joining as assistant to Heitinga.
Most points in December
At Ajax, Fred Grim endured a difficult start as interim head coach, but results have been on an upward trajectory since December. Victories were recorded against FC Groningen (2–0), Fortuna Sittard (1–3) and in De Klassieker away to Feyenoord (2–0).
Ajax also claimed their first UEFA Champions League win of the season against FK Qarabağ (2–4) and progressed to the next round of the KNVB Cup at the expense of Excelsior Maassluis (2–7). The only points dropped in December came on the final matchday of 2025, when Grim’s side were held to a 2–2 draw away at N.E.C. Nijmegen.
Ajax collected the most points in December. With one match more played than the other 16 clubs, this was partly due to the rescheduled fixture against FC Groningen on Tuesday 2 December. Even so, only PSV picked up more points across the other three matches, while Ajax, together with FC Groningen, claimed seven points.
Grim’s side also faced a relatively demanding schedule, meeting two top-four sides in Feyenoord and N.E.C. Nijmegen. The strength of the team itself versus the quality of the opposition is therefore also taken into account in the monthly selection.
| # | Table in December | Matches | Points | Goal difference |
|---|---|---|---|---|
|
1. |
Ajax* |
4* |
10 |
+6 |
|
2. |
PSV |
3 |
9 |
+4 |
|
3. |
FC Groningen * |
4* |
7 |
+3 |
|
4. |
sc Heerenveen |
3 |
6 |
+4 |
|
5. |
Sparta Rotterdam |
3 |
6 |
-1 |
*Due to the rescheduled fixture on 2 December, Ajax and FC Groningen played one match more than the other teams.
Young players given their chance
Fred Grim also made extensive use of young talent. In December, five different teenagers featured for Ajax: Jorthy Mokio, Sean Steur, Aaron Bouwman, Don-Angelo Konadu and Rayane Bounida. Players Grim had already worked with earlier in 2024, when he was Head of Coaching within the club’s academy.
For Aaron Bouwman, this marked his senior debut for Ajax. The 18-year-old defender started three of the four December fixtures. Rayane Bounida was named in the starting XI against FC Groningen and Fortuna Sittard, while Sean Steur began in midfield against Feyenoord and N.E.C. Nijmegen.
Fifth manager
Fred Grim is the fifth coach to win the monthly award this season. He follows Robin van Persie (August), Dick Lukkien (September), Maarten Martens (October) and Hendrie Krüzen (November), who were all previously named Rinus Michels Manager of the Month.
The Rinus Michels Manager of the Month is a new initiative by Eredivisie CV, Coaches Betaald Voetbal, De Voetbaltrainer and ESPN. With this award, the initiators aim to create a new platform recognising coaches in the highest tier of Dutch football.
As with the annual Rinus Michels Award nominations, all 18 coaches are assessed using a data model developed by Hypercube. The model takes into account, among other factors, match results and goals scored and conceded. The relative strength of the team and the quality of the opposition are also included.
The latter is measured using the Euro Club Index (ECI). In the ECI rankings, European clubs are ranked weekly based on their performances in domestic and international competitions. The score reflects a club’s current strength and whether it is overperforming or underperforming.
