led by 9 points in 5 rounds but was reversed and lost the championship, and the 36-year-old young coach still has no shortage of home

The reporter reported coldly If you sum up the major events of European football in 2024/25, Ajax's nine-point lead and losing the title is definitely one of the biggest failures. Football is so cruel: a month ago, with five games left in the Eredivisie, Eindhoven were nine points ahead, and the trophy seemed to be the best birthday present for the 36-year-old Italian coach Faglioli; One month later, Faglioli, who had lost 10 points in five rounds and was reversed to miss the championship, cried bitterly on the court, and then hung up the seal.

For Ajax, it was a sudden free fall after the roller coaster reached its highest point. But for Faglioli, the Italian coach is still a hot potential for the big five league giants. The Premier League, Serie A and Bundesliga all have top clubs interested in him, and British media and transfer expert Fabrizio Romano have all said: Faglioli is the number one favorite for Tottenham to change manager this summer, and Roma in Serie A is also interested. Ajax's "overturn" did not make the Italian young marshal lose his charm.

At a time when under-45 coaches are sweeping European football, Faglioli is a very unique presence. As a young man, he studied philosophy at the University of Florence and later obtained a degree in sports science. Ten years ago, at the age of 26, Faglioli joined Qatar's Hope Football Academy as a match analyst for Qatar's Under-17 national team, where he met De Zerbi, who went on to make a splash in the Premier League, and has been following his next players in charge of Benevento and Sassuolo.

In March 2021, Faglioli took charge of the Turkish Super League underdogs Karaguruk, and at the age of 31, he became the youngest coach in Europe's top league at the time. The weak Karagulluk actually topped the Turkish Super League with 61.3% possession, and the number of passes in more than 10 sports battles ranked second. In the summer of 2023, he coached the Nice team in Ligue 1, and he once competed with Paris for the top spot with De Zerbi-style defensive tactics. They have conceded just 29 goals this season, five fewer than champions Paris, and kept 17 clean sheets.

Last year, Falglioli took over Ajax, who had just experienced a disastrous season and was politely rejected by almost all the Dutch managers. The team was ranked worst since 1999/2000 (5th) and had the lowest points per game average (1.65) since 1964/65 (on a 3-point scale). A large number of key players have been sold, and the squad value (204 million) is far inferior to Feyenoord (282 million) and PSV Eindhoven (327 million).

Although Faglioli's defensive style is contrary to Ajax's tradition, the Dutch giants, who desperately need to return to the Champions League, can only choose to believe it. Despite losing the title, Faglioli has exceeded the expectations he had made at the start of the season. The team has surged 22 points from last season, almost halved the number of goals conceded (61 to 32) and tripled from five to 16 clean sheets. The number of rotations and numbers in the starting line-up is the highest in the Eredivisie, and Faglioli is almost entirely dependent on the "remnants" left by his predecessor and internal potential, and the young Italian defender Bass and midfielder Taylor are outstanding representatives of his promotion of new players.

Improving the accuracy of shots is key to winning points, with Ajax only ranking ninth in the Eredivisie for non-penalty shots, but a 14.5 per cent success rate for non-penalty shots, just below PSV Eindhoven. Had it not been for the nineth-minute draw in the penultimate round of stoppage time, Ajax would have been the Eredivisie champions with the fewest goals (67) since 2009/10 (63 goals, Twente). Although failing to surpass De Moss (36 years and 41 days, 1982/83) as the youngest Eredivisie champion in Ajax's history, Faglioli remains the favourite to change managers from the big five leagues this summer. Against the backdrop of Ajax's management team's refusal to provide more reinforcement funds to retain key players, the Italian coach resigned in frustration.

But Faglioli has no shortage of big suitors, with Italian sporting director Paratic, who forged the Juventus dynasty from 2010 to 2021, set to return to the management of Premier League giants Tottenham Hotspur in July. With manager Anthony Postecoglou set to step down regardless of whether Tottenham win the Europa League or not, compatriot Faglioli is his new Tottenham boss of choice. In addition, Serie A's Roma have also expressed interest in Faglioli. But Paratici and the Premier League are more attractive to Faglioli, with the former being able to support him in the market, and Tottenham, who are at a low point this season, like Ajax when he took over last summer, have a lower starting point and a higher chance of rebounding.

After Faglioli announced his departure from Ajax on May 19, the Italian teenager is first in the odds list of Tottenham's new manager, with 7/2. British media revealed that Paratici is convincing the Tottenham hierarchy to hire "one of the best young coaches in Europe". If Faglioli is in charge of Tottenham, he will be the second-youngest manager in the Premier League this season, behind Brighton's Hulzelle (32).