Julian Brandt pushes back on Van der Vaart's Ajax transfer criticism
In the podcast “Spielmacher”, Julian Brandt, the 30‑year‑old attacking midfielder of Ajax Amsterdam, responded to the sharp criticism of Dutch TV expert Rafael van der Vaart. Brandt emphasized that he just wants to “simply be left alone with the mess”, while pointing to his eight goals in 15 games.
Van der Vaart's criticism in August
In August of last year, van der Vaart sharply criticized the transfer on the Dutch channel. He described the 30‑year‑old summer signing as no longer being at the level of his time at Borussia Dortmund (BVB) and as a former Dortmund player, calling him “a bit of a fair‑weather footballer”. The former playmaker of Hamburger SV added: “I must also say that the people who were completely thrilled about the transfer have confused me.” Van der Vaart emphasized that Brandt should be grateful to even be allowed to wear the Ajax Amsterdam shirt.
Brandt's reaction and turning point
Last week, on the sidelines of the opening of an artificial turf pitch in Hamburg, van der Vaart changed his opinion and praised Brandt, saying: “He's great. He's the best player at Ajax.” Brandt took the rapid shifts in opinion calmly. In the conversation with the podcast “Spielmacher” he said: “It always swings around very, very quickly. That's the first time I've heard that sentence.” He added: “Just leave me alone with the mess.”
The 30‑year‑old attacking midfielder has signed with Ajax until 2029. So far he has made 15 appearances, scored eight goals and is still awaiting an assist.
Brandt emphasized that the repeated public judgments are nothing new to him. “Last time, when he made another statement, I was also confronted with it a lot,” he said, adding: “That's good for me.”
The fluctuating opinions show how strongly expert opinions can influence the perception of a player, while Brandt keeps his performance on the pitch clearly in focus. His eight goals in 15 games demonstrate that he has already reached the required level at Ajax.