Are you 24 or older?

Help us verify your age by providing an honest response. This site contains gambling advertising for 24+.

Age-restricted content

You’re not old enough to view betting content. You’ll be redirected to the homepage.

alt
Maher Carrizo Marcos LeonardoIMAGO
Translated by

‘I wasn’t given a fair chance at Ajax. That’s not down to my footballing ability, but...’

Maher Carrizo says Ajax did not give him a fair chance. The forward, now on loan at FC Copenhagen, spoke to Danish outlet TV2 Sport. 

Ajax paid €6 million to bring Carrizo to Amsterdam at the start of 2026, but the move has not worked out as hoped. The Argentine says he needs time, yet Ajax decided to loan him to FC Copenhagen. That was not part of his plan when he moved to Europe. 

"It was a difficult period for me when I wasn't allowed to play," Carrizo says, looking back on his start at Ajax. "But I knew it wasn't because of my level of football, but because of the language and my limited English skills." 

Carrizo struggled to settle in Amsterdam. "I didn't really feel I was given the chance to show what I could do," he says. "That frustrated me and made me sad, because I had come here with a strong desire to show what I could do, but then didn't get that chance." 

Now Carrizo must show Ajax made a mistake by loaning him out, but the winger has found things difficult in Copenhagen too. Last month, coach Bo Svensson even dropped him from the squad after he arrived late for training. 

"It wasn't because I had deliberately done something wrong, or because I had been out partying. I had simply looked at the club's schedule incorrectly," he explains. "We use an app to keep track of those things, and I didn't yet fully understand how it worked, so I saw the time for the following week." 

"In Argentina, you might get a fine if you're late, but you still train with the team. Here in Europe, it's different. I was late, was sent away from training and that had consequences for the matches. But of course I have to learn from that. I don't think it will be long before I'm back at the level I know I can reach," he says.

ENJOYED THIS STORY?

Add GOAL.com as a preferred source on Google to see more of our reporting

Follow GOAL on Google