Here is the obvious story

The search for a new technical director turns into a farce for Ajax: negotiations with the most important candidate, Julian Ward, have broken down.

Ajax is in a hurry to appoint a technical chief. He appears to be in such a hurry that the club no longer wants to wait for Julian Ward, who was only able to start working in Amsterdam after this season. Thus, valuable time was lost. Just two months ago, general manager Edwin van der Sar claimed that Ajax would have a new director of football around this time.

athlete on line

Many conversations were held with Ward, who was ultimately dissatisfied with the indecisiveness of Ajax and the offer that had been made to him. The 41-year-old Englishman, who is with Liverpool, has installed the profile of Ajax for the job: a talented scout with a proven track record and an extensive network in Europe and South America. Mathematically, the two sides were on the same page, but the negotiations did not lead to an agreement.

The search can now start over. Ajax has been without a technical director since the departure of Marc Overmars in February last year. The appointment of members of the Executive Board is a matter for the Supervisory Board, but according to the words of the recently appointed Supervisory Board Chairman Pierre Iringa, the dossier on Overmars’ succession is on van der Sar’s board.

Strong transfer window

No clear line could be detected in the former goalkeeper’s policy. Van der Sar had to dismiss coach Alfred Schroeder after six months, after disappointing results in the Champions League and Premier League. Shortly before that, Daley Blind, an Ajax player at heart and soul, had been left out by the management because the experienced player and Schroeder could no longer enter through the same door. That was one of the reasons Danny Blind did not return to the Supervisory Board as Technical Commissioner.

Part of Ajax’s sporting decline was due to last summer’s turbulent transfer window. A big mistake was made when recruiting new players due to the lack of experience and the network of technical managers Klaas-Jan Huntelaar and Jiri Hamstra. And the latter took responsibility for it, whether under pressure or not. He is in talks with the club to terminate his contract.

The football pole has been out of action for far too long

The so-called football axis – technical commissioner, director of football affairs, head coach – has not been at Ajax for long. Not only is the club looking for a technical director and technical commissioner, but a decision must also be made on the position of technical director. John Heitinga will carry the honor until the end of this season. Can he stay or does the club want a more experienced coach for the group?

Huntelaar and Van der Sar are currently together for the A selection coaching staff and first team squad for next season. A look at the current selection shows that Ajax have several (key) players under contract for a longer period of time, but Mohamed Kodos, Jurien Timber and Edson Alvarez appear to be aiming for transfers.

Need a clear story

Football players who want to keep Ajax or who want to lure the club next summer need a clear story. They want to know who the coach will be, what the selection will look like and whether Ajax will play in the Champions League. The latter is still the question. Feyenoord is the leader and is heading towards the title and direct participation in the lucrative tournament. Ajax is second (preliminary round for the Champions League) but is only two points ahead of PSV and Alfrikas.

The story that Ajax has to tell its current and future players is currently incoherent. After the departure of Overmars and coach Erik ten Hag, a void arose in which there was a clear plan, cooperation and communication with Van der Sar, Huntelaar, Hamstra and Schroeder.

Van der Sar is under pressure

Van der Sar is under increasing pressure in the organization, but the last thing Ajax is waiting for is the departure of the NV boss. His performance in the past year will be analyzed and evaluated by the Supervisory Board later – when the thick fog has cleared somewhat.

Van der Sar himself has often said that as general manager he does not aspire to take care of Ajax’s technical affairs. But it is in this area that the most important and difficult decisions can be made. The new chair of the Supervisory Board, Eringa, should take the lead on this. If there was already a rush at Ajax to get technical things in order, now it’s a huge rush.