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Football

18th Jul 2022

Mohamed Ihattaren left out of Ajax training camp after being ‘threatened and intimidated’ at club

Callum Boyle

Mohamed Ihattaren Ajax

Reports in the Netherlands claim Ihattaren has been ‘threatened and intimidated’

Ajax youngster Mohamed Ihattaren has been left out of Ajax’s pre-season training camp as he is being ‘threatened and intimidated’, according to reports in the Netherlands.

Ihattaren is one of three players to have been excluded from Ajax’s 29-man squad, which has travelled to Austria as part of their pre-season preparations.

Ihattaren has been given time off to take care of private matters

A statement from the Eredivisie club said that the trio, which included Maarten Stekelenburg and Amourricho van Axel Dongen, were omitted “because they are not fit.”

But concerning reports from Mike Verweij of De Telegraaf have explained that the real reason behind the 20-year-old’s absence is that Ihattaren has been given time off to take care of private matters.

The report claims that Ihattaren is being ‘threatened and intimidated’ by people affiliated to Ajax. Although there is no insight into the sorts of threats the midfielder has received, it has been made clear that the blackmailing has not come from supporters.

Ajax boss Alfred Schreuder has tried to show his support for Ihattaren by visiting the 20-year-old by visiting him, with the club also pledging their support to help the youngster.

Ihattaren pondered retiring from football in November

Mohamed Ihattaren Ajax

Ihattaren is on-loan at the Dutch club after joining from Juventus in January. The youngster joined the Italian side from PSV Eindhoven for £5m last summer, but was immediately loaned to Sampdoria in order to play regular first-team football.

However he never made a senior appearance and rumours emerged in November, claiming that Ihattaren had been pondering retirement at the age of 19 as a result of struggling to cope with depression.

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