“Director of Soccer Affairs Marc Overmars will go away Ajax with fast impact,” started the late-night assertion on the membership’s official web site.
It was February 6, 2022. Earlier that day, Ajax, through a routine residence victory over Heracles, had opened-up a five-point hole on the Eredivisie’s summit. A 3rd-successive title was in sight. Many within the Netherlands believed the membership was within the early throes of a dominant interval. The Dutch Bayern Munich.
Overmars, who received three titles and the Champions League as an Ajax participant earlier than spells at Arsenal and Barcelona, had been in put up since 2012. He had, alongside chief government Edwin van der Sar, overseen footballing operations since 2017.
That included appointing Erik ten Hag, they usually helped form a facet that went inside Lucas Moura’s injury-time effort of a Champions League Last. But it surely emerged that Overmars had despatched express images to no less than one feminine employees member from the bogs of membership workplaces. He needed to go.
“A collection of inappropriate messages despatched to a number of feminine colleagues over an prolonged time frame underlies his determination to depart the membership,” the official launch continued.
In response, Overmars stated: “Sadly, I didn’t understand that I used to be crossing the road with this, however that was made clear to me in current days. I see no different possibility however to depart Ajax.”
It was framed that Overmars had determined to depart moderately than being dismissed. Phrases matter; it spoke volumes for males’s soccer tradition.
How although, does that sorry episode get us to the Ajax of now, a membership showing outwardly dysfunctional, the 36-time Dutch champions just lately propping up the Eredivisie?
It could be too simplistic to level to Overmars’s departure as the only real motive for Ajax’s freefall. But it surely was massively vital. They received the title just a few months later, after which Ten Hag left for Manchester United that summer time. Each Lisandro Martínez and Antony adopted him. Ryan Gravenberch and prime scorer Sébastien Haller have been bought too.
Managers come and go and Ten Hag was all the time prone to transfer. What turned obvious although, was an absence of future-proofing or succession planning.
Alfred Schreuder changed Ten Hag however was passed by January. Beneath interim coach John Heitinga, the previous Everton defender, Ajax completed third within the desk and did not safe a Champions League place. A jaded Van der Sar retired, though not earlier than appointing Sven Mislintat to the top coach position. Overmars, some 15 months after his departure, had lastly been changed.
Mislintat had loved success as Borussia Dortmund’s chief scout throughout Jurgen Klopp’s tenure however was much less nicely considered throughout his time at Arsenal. Most just lately, he had been with Stuttgart. He’s information pushed, a contemporary operator. However he was not an Ajax man, nor had he performed on the highest stage. The late Johan Cruyff wouldn’t have permitted.
With Ajax absent from European soccer’s prime desk, Mislintat had a promoting remit. Offers taking Jurrien Timber and Calvin Bassey to Arsenal and Fulham respectively have been concluded early. The departures of Edson Alvarez and Mohammed Kudus to West Ham dragged into August.
Mislintat changed Heitinga with Maurice Steijn, whom he termed an “overachiever” however supporters have been underwhelmed.
They held related sentiments when it got here to Mislintat’s dozen incomings – many seen as merely blocking the pathway for the following graduates of the membership’s famend De Toekomst academy. None was a confirmed performer on the highest stage. A trio got here from second-tier golf equipment, together with Chuba Akpom from Middlesbrough. Simply three have began greater than half of Ajax’s league video games to this point this season.
What Ajax will hope is their nadir got here in September in De Klassieker. Ajax versus Feyenoord. The guests have been 3-0 up when Ajax’s F-Aspect ultras threw fireworks onto the pitch. The sport was halted twice earlier than being deserted early within the second half. Exterior the Ajax followers rioted. The remaining 35 minutes have been accomplished behind-closed-doors 4 days later, with Ajax shedding 4-0.
Mislintat, who regardless of appointing Steijn, was reportedly undermining him, misplaced his job. Ajax cited a “lack of broad help inside the organisation”. It was, they stated, “unrelated” to an investigation into Mislintat’s membership’s switch dealings.
Inside three weeks, Steijn departed too. He lasted simply seven league video games, overseeing Ajax’s worst begin to an Eredivisie season.
The ultimate straw was a visit to Utrecht the place, having come from 2-0 down to guide 3-2, Ajax conceded an equaliser. Once more, Supporters threw missiles onto the pitch. Ajax conceded in damage time to lose 4-3.
That was was adopted by a 2-0 defeat at Brighton within the Europa League, the return fixture of which takes place in Amsterdam on Thursday night time.
And now? Each Louis van Gaal and Danny Blind are returning to the membership’s Supervisory Board. Former participant John van ‘t Schip will handle the facet till the top of the season.
He returned shortly after his spouse’s passing, addressing that loss in his opening speech to the gamers. The sense is that they are going to battle for him; already they’ve picked up a pair of wins.
Nobody actually believes relegation a sensible risk. However a lot work lies forward. Ajax should re-find their DNA.
