Ajax’s multi-million-euro signing frustrated: ‘I wasn’t given a fair chance’

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

Ajax brought Carrizo to Amsterdam for €6 million at the beginning of 2026, but the move has not been an unqualified success. The Argentine says he needs time, yet Ajax decided to loan him to FC Copenhagen. That was not his plan when he moved to Europe.

Looking back on his start at Ajax, Carrizo says: "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 footballing ability, but because of the language and my limited English skills."

In Amsterdam, Carrizo struggled to settle but still hoped for more opportunities on the pitch. "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 prove myself, but then didn't get that chance."

Carrizo now has to show Ajax were wrong to loan him out. The winger has also struggled in Copenhagen, and coach Bo Svensson dropped him from the squad last month after he arrived late for training.

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