Former Ajax youth coach Brian Tevreden does not believe Chelsea youngster Juan Familia-Castillo's return to the Dutch giants on loan is a step back for the player.
Chelsea snapped up the full-back from Ajax’s academy in 2016, but the defender has not been in the first team reckoning at Stamford Bridge.
The 19-year-old has now been loaned back to Ajax for the rest of the season, but Tevreden, who coached Familia-Castillo in the club’s youth academy, does not believe it is a step back for the defender.
He stressed that the Ajax hierarchy looked at his quality and believe that he has the ability to play for the club again.
The former Ajax youth coach admits if he was a decision-maker at the club then he would have moved to bring Familia-Castillo back and dismissed any thoughts returning to Amsterdam is in any way a failure for the youngster.
“[Ajax technical director Marc] Overmars and [Club CEO Edwin] Van der Sar are not crazy”, the former youth coach told Ajax Showtime.
“They looked specifically at his quality. If I had sat in that chair, I would have taken him back.
“Moreover, Juan has always been positive about Ajax, also in interviews.
“I don’t see Juan’s return to Ajax as a sign of failure.
“That Ajax want him again is a good sign.
"If Juan was not a good player, Ajax would not have bothered to get him back.”
Familia-Castillo still has a contract until 2022 with the west London club, but Ajax do have an option to buy him contained in the loan agreement.
