Maxwell

[Kowalczyk]

We didn't have a thread for Maxwell yet, so here it is... It's a shame that I have to start it with some very bad news. Just before half-time in today's cup game in Tilburg Maxwell miss-stepped and fell down, near Hans Vonk's goal. No opponent touched him. He miss-stepped, twisted his knee and was almost immediately screaming in agony. He was in terrible pain and everyone could see something was very wrong. He was stretchered off and according to AT5 teletext the cruciate ligament of one of his knees (not sure which one it was) was torn off completely. He will be out for many months.

Which is very bad timing... Maxwell's contract will expire in 2006 and he reportedly turned down an offer from Ajax to renew his deal for one extra season. Which means Ajax would normally have sold him this summer. It's a safe bet that this will not happen now that he's very badly injured. It is also a safe bet that he still won't sign a new deal.

So, basically, he will recover in Amsterdam, return sometime around Christmas (if not later), play for Ajax for half a season - and then leave for free. So, I feel sorry for Maxwell and Ajax, because this injury may well cost the club millions.

K.

[Kowalczyk]

Eight months...

X'C X'C X'C

K.

[carcajou]

Eight months...

X'C X'C X'C

K.

Acht maanden ??

Gawd !! This is one of the biggest injuries I've seen.... He'll be back in December, Merry X-Mas. And given the circumstances, I don't even want to think about the money we're gonna lose on this one...

[Kowalczyk]

News report is up...

http://www.ajax-usa.com/news/2004-2005/ ... onths.html

My God. I wish you a lot of strength, Max...

K.

[Kowalczyk]

For those of you who are also registered at Ajax Netwerk: they started a special thread for Maxwell in which you can post a message of support. A poem, a little story, just a 'get well soon' wish - whatever - post it there. They will make a nice little book out of the thread and present that to Maxwell.

The thread can be found here:
http://ajax.netwerk.to/forums/HTML/forum11/2985.php

K.

[aveslacker]

This kind of injury sucks. Something similar just happened to me a few weeks ago. I was playing a five-a-side match and tried to plant and turn. My lower leg stopped, my upper leg kept going. I felt (and heard) a pop in my knee, and felt something inside come out that should have been staying in place. Hurt like hell.

I had some MRIs done, and the doctor pointed to my ACL and said: "See that there? It is supposed to be a straight line. See how yours is all wavy and gooey-looking? That is because it is ruptured." Yikes.

So now I'm looking at replacement surgery very similar to that which Maxwell will go through - they take a sliver of your patellar tendon and use it to replace your ACL. 7-9 months of rehab before it gets back to normal. Ugh.

Note to self: I'm not as young as I once was.

So, to keep this thread slightly on topic: Maxwell has my sympathy both from a personal and medical standpoint. Get well soon.

[ajaxusa]

Guys and Gals,

I've started another Get Well page on Ajax USA. Please come over and say a few words. There's no such thin as too many get-well messages.

http://www.ajax-usa.com/team/2004-2005/ ... -well.html

[ajaxusa]

This kind of injury sucks. Something similar just happened to me a few weeks ago.

SH*T! That's awful! Maybe we should start a get-well page for you too. X'C

Really, I hope it goes well for you. Keep yer chin up, and let us know how things progress. I'm thinking of you, man.

There but for the grace of God...

[carcajou]

This kind of injury sucks. Something similar just happened to me a few weeks ago. I was playing a five-a-side match and tried to plant and turn. My lower leg stopped, my upper leg kept going. I felt (and heard) a pop in my knee, and felt something inside come out that should have been staying in place. Hurt like hell.

I had some MRIs done, and the doctor pointed to my ACL and said: "See that there? It is supposed to be a straight line. See how yours is all wavy and gooey-looking? That is because it is ruptured." Yikes.

So now I'm looking at replacement surgery very similar to that which Maxwell will go through - they take a sliver of your patellar tendon and use it to replace your ACL. 7-9 months of rehab before it gets back to normal. Ugh.

Note to self: I'm not as young as I once was.

So, to keep this thread slightly on topic: Maxwell has my sympathy both from a personal and medical standpoint. Get well soon.

And that is why I'm jogging my ass off every day and drinking milk all day long... I want to fu**ing avoid this kind of injury.

[Kowalczyk]

Something similar just happened to me a few weeks ago. I was playing a five-a-side match and tried to plant and turn. My lower leg stopped, my upper leg kept going. I felt (and heard) a pop in my knee, and felt something inside come out that should have been staying in place. Hurt like hell.

Damn... That's not nice to hear. As a fellow five-a-side player: all the best.

K.

[aveslacker]

Thanks for the get well wishes everybody. The good news with an injury like this is that once the muscle and bone bruises clear up, you can actually walk around without pain, meaning that I can get to work and back (for right now) without any problem. So I'm lucky that I'm not a professional athlete and my livelihood isn't dependent on my body being in top shape. But if I don't get the surgery in fairly short order, it is going to lead to a general atrophy of the entire knee, which will mean that I will need surgery later anyway. So I'm going under the knife this fall, after I move back to the US.

And that is why I'm jogging my ass off every day and drinking milk all day long... I want to fu**ing avoid this kind of injury.

Yeah, my problem is that I wasn't in good enough shape to begin with, and my leg muscles weren't strong enough to support my knee. So stay in shape!

Anyway, I'm going over to Ajax USA to leave Maxwell a get well wish.

[Kowalczyk]

Newspaper Algemeen Dagblad quotes Maxwell's agent, saying that Maxwell is willing to talk about a one year contract renewal. In practice, that would not really be a contract extension, but a renewal that will allow Ajax to demand a transfer fee for him at season's end.

Good news anyway!

K.

[ZoefdeHaas]

Algemeen Dagblad? Reliable? ;)

[Kowalczyk]

A quick Maxwell update...

AT5 reports that Maxwell's recovery is going better than expected. The player hopes he will be ready to return in November, which would be spectacularly early. He's been in Brazil for a while, but will return to Amsterdam in September, as soon as he's ready to do exercises.

Good news, and I'm happy for Maxwell that he's doing well, but to be honest I wouldn't count on a November return. Players are always optimistic, but these are serious injuries and they always experience a sort of relapse somewhere along the way. Early 2006, is my guess.

Also, Martin van Geel told Ajax.nl that he called Maxwell immediately after Juanfran had been landed. After all: Juanfran has been contracted for Maxwell's position. According to Van Geel Maxwell was very enthusiastic about the arrival of Juanfran: "Anything that's good for Ajax is good for me", Maxwell said. It only shows was a class act this guy is.

Speedy recovery, Maxwell. Take your time and get well soon.

K.

[ZoefdeHaas]

Any news on a new contract?

[Kowalczyk]

You may have seen the photos (or video) on Ajax.nl or the Ajax Foto Side: Maxwell has returned from Brazil and will continue his rehab training in Amsterdam. He was in Rotterdam to watch Sparta vs Ajax and will continue his battle against injury at the ArenA.

In the article on Ajax.nl Maxwell is quoted saying that he really can't tell when he will be ready for action: "I don't think in time anymore. This knee injury is an injury you'll have to give the time. You can't afford to rush."

According to AT5 Text, however, it will be another two months before we see Maxwell back on the pitch (so let's say: around 01 December).

K.

[AsgAarD_xxx]

According to AT5 Text, however, it will be another two months before we see Maxwell back on the pitch (so let's say: around 01 December).

K.

And we should add 2-3 weeks to this date, because it is almost impossible to back in optimal form after injury like that :sad: . It is possible that he came back at the start of december, but it won't be Maxwell as good as before injury.

[bluedaddy19]

am i crazy, or did i just hear that maxwell might stay for next season so he can qualify for a dutch passport?

[Bert]

Qualifies you as crazy. ;)

Maxwell is thinking about getting a Dutch passport which he can do any time since he has been living in Holland long enough. He will be gone, but a Dutch passport will make him a lot more interesting for some big clubs.

[Blind3]

His status as a player holding an EU passport will certainly appeal to a wider number of sides.

[ZoefdeHaas]

Too bad he wont be able to play for the national side though..anyways are Inter and Juve the only interested ones or are there others?

[SE6Ajacied]

[quote="ZoefdeHaas"]Too bad he wont be able to play for the national side though..quote]

Ouch, I have to admit that's the one thing I hate about modern international selection rules. The "granny rule" is bad enough but at least those selected did have some link to the country they played for, but under these new rules the "national" selection becomes a bit of a joke with Brazilians playing for Portugal and Nigerians for Poland etc. Then it all gets political. With this a World Cup year no doubt governments around the world will be making "special exceptions" to grant citizenship to all sorts of players. I know I must sound like some old colonialist but really I'm not, if anything I have much less problem politically with this type of thing than from a football point of view.

[ZoefdeHaas]

I'm with favour of that, I dont really find it "amusing" to see a Brazilian play for England or something, but the thing is Holland dont really have good leftbacks, Gio aint that great and De Cler imo is crap. Tis all I'm saying.

[bluedaddy19]

i believe maxwell had 6 brazil caps in 2004

[Feest]

Nope, just some under-23 caps. Poor ones too.