EXCLUSIVE: Daley Blind praises new Ajax boss Michel: 'Learned a lot from him'

Daley Blind, 36, joined Girona from Bayern Munich in the summer of 2023, two years after Michel joined the Catalan side.

In an exclusive interview with Flashscore's Daniel Sobis, Blind spoke about Michel, who was Blind's manager for three seasons.

"I really like working with him. I think you build a relationship over three years," Blind said.

"I appreciate that you can be honest with him and have a good discussion about football. He knows a lot about the game. I have had many coaches, I have learned a lot and am still learning a lot from him, how he sees football, how he views tactics, and how we compete against different opponents and different playing styles. It is really interesting, and I can learn something from that."

Blind and Michel qualified for the UEFA Champions League in the former's first season with the club. It was the first time Girona had qualified for Europe's top competition. The Dutch defender praised Michel's style of play that led to the club's historic success.

"I like his philosophy of playing. Building up from the back, with many positional changes and attractive football. From the moment I arrived, he really had this playing style in his mind, and we tried to bring that onto the pitch. I think the first year was amazing, with the team we had and the Champions League qualification."

Girona struggled following the 2023-24 season, finishing 16th in the year of their Champions League debut and even failing to avoid relegation in 2025-26.

"In the second year, we had a lot of difficulties, but this year, even with the difficulties he has faced, he has also been really honest with himself and the team," Blind said about Michel, who left the club in June to join Dutch side Ajax, the club Blind has played 333 games for in his career.

To conclude his praise of Michel, Blind discussed the human side of the "respected" Spaniard's work.

"I think it is also a quality to be vulnerable with everyone and to see it as a collective. I think that is why the players respect him a lot, and he respects them a lot too. I think this is a good understanding for each other to move forward. And I think that is why we improved a lot this season. As I said, I think his view of football is really interesting, and I like it."