The former Dutch footballer held the position of Director of Football in the capital discipline, where he spent part of his best years as a player. He has been dismissed after complaints from some women within the club.
Marc Overmars, known for his time at Ajax (1992-1997), Arsenal (1997-2000) and FC Barcelona (2000-2004) as the most prominent clubs, became part of the organization chart in the first of the aforementioned clubs. After practically a decade, the end of his stage has been announced based on the complaints of different co-workers who claimed to have been harassed by him. The capital entity has made it known through the following official statement:
It has decided this after talks held in recent days with the Supervisory Board and the General Director, Edwin Van Der Sar, to whom it has communicated its decision. Sending cross-border messages to several co-workers over a long period of time supports his decision to resign.
“I am embarrassed. Last week I was faced with reports about my behavior and how this spread to others. Unfortunately, I didn’t realize I had overstepped the mark with this, but it became clear to me these days. That’s why all of a sudden I felt enormous pressure.
I apologize. Certainly, for someone in my position, this behavior is inexcusable, as I have come to realize. But it’s too late. I see no other option than to stop at Ajax. This also has a big impact on my private situation. Therefore, I ask that you leave me and my family alone.”
“It’s a dramatic situation for everyone involved in any way. It’s drastic for the women who have had to deal with such behavior. When we found out about it, we acted immediately, carefully weighing what was best to do, all in consultation with the Director General and an external expert.
He is probably the best Director of Football Ajax has ever had. They didn’t improve and extended his contract for nothing. Unfortunately, he crossed the line, so continuing as director was not an option, as he himself admitted. It is very painful for everyone. I would like to express the hope that everyone involved is given the necessary peace and privacy to deal with this.”
“The situation is dire for everyone and I agree with Leen Meijaard’s words. In my role, I also feel responsible for helping my colleagues. A safe working environment is very important for everyone at Ajax. We are going to pay even more attention to this in the next period.
Marc and I have played together since the early 1990s, first for Ajax and then for the national team. We have been partners in the Ajax board for almost ten years. This will now stop very abruptly. We are working on something very nice here, so for everyone who cares about Ajax, this news will also be a shock.”
#Scandal #Amsterdam #Overmars #fired #harassing #colleagues