[Nicky91]

It has been almost two months since Ajax announced with a slick video that the director of football affairs Marc Overmars remains loyal to the Amsterdam club. "Stop calling," a proud national champion warned all interested foreign clubs on 8 December. The message: Overmars will remain with Ajax until mid-2026.

Sunday, just before midnight, Ajax issued a press release about the same Overmars. The 48-year-old former football player is leaving immediately. He has been sending border-crossing messages to several female colleagues for an extended time. He said he was confronted with this behavior last week, possibly after the news about abuses in The Voice of Holland and transgressive behavior and sexual violence in the media world.

In his own words, Overmars was initially utterly unaware that he had crossed a line. "But now I'm ashamed," he said in the press release. "Unfortunately, I didn't realize that I was crossing boundaries with this, but that became clear to me these days. That made me suddenly feel enormous pressure. I apologize. Especially for someone in my position, this behavior is not justifiable. I see that now too. But too late. I see no other option than to stop at Ajax."

Overmars has been very successful at Ajax since 2012. With him as director of football affairs, the club made over 300 million euros profit on the transfer market. Together with general manager Edwin van der Sar, he managed to connect the club from Amsterdam with the sub-top of Europe in recent years, with a place in the semi-finals of the Champions League in 2019 as the provisional highlight. Overmars is friends with coach Eric ten Hag, who came to Amsterdam on his intercession.

Van der Sar and the rest of Ajax's leadership now have to look for a replacement for Overmars. The transfer market closed last week, but behind the scenes, talks about possible transfers and contracts continue. Because Overmars was already working on the next season.

"Marc and I have been playing together since the early 90s," said Van der Sar. "First at Ajax and then at Oranje, and we have been colleagues in the management of Ajax for almost ten years now. That now stops very abruptly. We are working on something wonderful here, so this news will also be a blow to everyone who cares about Ajax. But our ambitions remain intact."

The press release did not include a statement from the victims.

https://nltimes.nl/2022/02/07/max-ov...ale-colleagues

[Cherie]

what is wrong with these people that they cant work in a professional way

[Nicky91]

Originally Posted by Cherie

what is wrong with these people that they cant work in a professional way

knew something was going on, since there was already speculation about Overmars's successor (which was fishy despite him having renewed contract recently until 2026)


one name possible successor, former dutch international Klaas-Jan Huntelaar, whom already has been in a internship apparently as well at Ajax (after having had internship at Vitesse) do think he would make a nice director of football

i personally never liked Overmars at that position, always has come across as smug somehow

[Crimson Dynamo]

victims?

were the females not responding in kind?

[Nicky91]

https://talksport.com/football/10420...duct-contract/

Ajax were aware of the allegations against Marc Overmars that led to him leaving the club before the former director signed a new contract.

Overmars stepped down from his role as the Dutch club’s director of football at the start of February, with the side citing a ‘series of inappropriate messages sent to several female colleagues over an extended period of time’.

The former Arsenal winger had been in his post for almost a decade before departing, saying he was ‘ashamed’ by his ‘unacceptable behaviour’.

However, the 48-year-old signed a contract extension in January, with chief executive Edwin van der Sar admitting Ajax were aware of his misconduct before offering the deal.

“It was just before January 28 [we were made aware],” the former Manchester United goalkeeper said. “We wanted to investigate this first before publicising this or postponing the extension.

“Only later did we get a broader picture of the behaviour and action was taken.”

Overmars himself eventually took the decision to leave but good friend and former teammate Van der Sar received criticism for his silence over the matter.

The Dutchman, speaking ahead of Ajax’s 5-0 Eredivisie win over FC Twente, said the delay was due to prioritising the victims of Overmars’ inappropriate messages.

He also said he had no knowledge of Overmars’ misconduct saying: “That is why I am disappointed and very sad about this whole affair.

“The fact that we did not come out earlier, except for the press release, is because my priority as general manager of Ajax was with the victims and the internal organisation.”

Overmars was the subject of interest from Newcastle before opting to stay in Amsterdam in a deal that secured him a bonus of €1.25million (£1.05m).

Van der Sar was asked if the money would be returned, and said: “What happens with this is a matter for the supervisory board.”

The former shot-stopper also told De Telegraaf he considered stepping down over the situation, but wants to, ‘guide Ajax to the finish line in a good way and continue what we are doing.’

[Nicky91]

Newcastle having had interest in mr dickpic

[Nicky91]

now mr dickpic is at FC Antwerp





good on 2 sponsors already pulling out of Antwerp then