Kristensen Lauds De Jong Ahead of Conference League
FC Midtjylland right-back Rasmus Kristensen credited former Ajax team-mate Frenkie de Jong as the player he learned the most from.
Updated on Nov. 4, 2026 in Soccer
FC Midtjylland right-back Rasmus Kristensen praised Frenkie de Jong, whom he played alongside at Ajax, ahead of a Conference League match. Kristensen said he learned the most from De Jong and enjoyed watching him play.
Why it matters
Kristensen's comments reflect the lasting influence of the Ajax squad that reached the 2019 Champions League semi-finals, a period that shaped several players' careers. The remarks also highlight the connections players retain after moving between clubs.
Kristensen spent eighteen months at Ajax, winning the 2019 league title and national cup during a season when the club reached the Champions League semi-finals. The extraction does not provide match-specific statistics for the upcoming Conference League fixture.
The players
Rasmus Kristensen
Danish right-back who plays for FC Midtjylland and previously spent eighteen months at Ajax, where he won the 2019 league title and cup.
Frenkie de Jong
Dutch midfielder formerly of Ajax who was praised by Kristensen as the player he learned the most from at the club.
The details
Kristensen, a 29-year-old right-back, spoke to the media on Wednesday, ahead of FC Midtjylland's Thursday Conference League group-stage match. He said he learned the most from De Jong at Ajax and noted he played with Matthijs de Ligt there, while remaining close with Kasper Dolberg.
Timeline
2019: Kristensen won the league title and national cup with Ajax.
Wednesday: Kristensen spoke to media ahead of the match.
Thursday: FC Midtjylland play their Conference League group-stage match.
Season Trajectory
Kristensen's remarks look back at Ajax's 2019 Champions League semi-final squad, which produced multiple players who later moved across European clubs. His comments on former team-mates like De Jong show how that squad's connections continue to shape player narratives in the current season.
FC Midtjylland face their Conference League group-stage match on Thursday, with Kristensen's availability and form central to their right-back options. Fantasy and squad planners tracking European fixtures should note the match as a near-term fixture for the club.
The takeaway
Player relationships formed at one club often carry into later careers, and Kristensen's praise of De Jong illustrates how those bonds persist. Readers following European squads can use such interviews to trace how former teammates continue to influence one another.
Further reading
Follow more coverage in the Soccer section.
