Edwin van der Sar appears in the picture. It’s Wednesday and the general manager of Ajax has invited the entire club staff to an online meeting midway through one of the most tumultuous weeks in his time as boss in Amsterdam.
The microphones are closed. Employees can participate in the conversation, but only via chat, two sources tell independently of each other. Van der Sar will provide text and explanation about the departure of director of football affairs Marc Overmars, because of the “sending cross-border messages to several female colleagues for a longer period of time”, as Ajax announced late on Sunday evening. Publishing a day later NRC a research story about Overmars’ behavior and the culture in which it could thrive. A public debate about Ajax erupts.
It is unknown what is happening internally. Van der Sar tells the staff what the management knew about the misbehavior of his colleague, but especially what they did not know. He says it is a serious matter. Commercial director Menno Geelen, financial director Susan Lenderink and press secretary Miel Brinkhuis also spoke.
It’s also about the women
Geelen says the matter has touched him “deeply”. He starts talking about his own daughters and says he hopes they will grow up in a society – and soon in a working climate – in which these kinds of excesses do not occur. He also hopes that Ajax will draw lessons from what happened.
Also read: NRC’s research story about Marc Overmars. His apps became more and more compelling
The women who spoke anonymously to the press are also discussed during the approximately 35-minute meeting. Brinkhuis says that he finds it a pity that (former) employees came out without permission from the media department. He praises the women who were not tempted to do so. Some reporters no longer work at the club, he says, others do.
Crisis or not, Van der Sar tells the staff: Ajax must play another match this Wednesday evening, in the KNVB Cup against Vitesse. Football always goes on, he says, football is leading.
Van der Sar has a similar message for the selection players on Monday morning, when the news about Overmars’ departure goes around the world. At De Toekomst training complex, the director promises to keep them out of the wind as much as possible, says one person involved. He himself does not appear in front of the camera during the week to tell his story. Only the ANP news agency will speak briefly on Tuesday. He knew nothing about Overmars’ sexually transgressive behavior, he says. Just like Ajax coach Erik ten Hag. He is “stunned,” he says before the game against Vitesse.
Van der Sar, who is very upset according to those involved, talks with several parties around the club during the week. Just before the match against Vitesse, he speaks to the business club, previously the major sponsors. On Tuesday he will speak with Ziggo, Wednesday morning with ABN Amro, which came to the Arena with three people.
The press secretary praises the women who did not speak to the media
The bank, which has been a sponsor of the club for thirty years, wants to know as precisely as possible what happened: who knew about something at what time. Like Ziggo, ABN demands that Ajax have an independent investigation carried out. The club agrees to this, but asks for some time for the precise details. ABN has a sponsor contract until the summer of 2023, aimed at the women’s branch of Ajax. Initiating an external investigation is of great importance to the bank in deciding whether or not to renew that contract.
When asked about the working culture at Ajax, Van der Sar refers to the ABN Amro slogan: ‘A world to be won’. That also applies to Ajax, he says. Commercial director Geelen and chairman of the supervisory board Leen Meijaard also joined the conversation on behalf of the club. They say that Ajax wants to be transparent about what happened.
Questions remain unanswered
Still, some questions – not only for sponsors, but also for supporters and media – remain unanswered. For example, it is not clear whether Ajax received signals of transgressive behavior from Overmars before his reappointment during the extraordinary general meeting of shareholders on Friday 28 January. Overmars’ contract extension until July 2026 was ratified that day. He received a signing bonus (signing fee) of 1.25 million euros, according to the explanatory notes that Ajax published†
NRC has asked Ajax questions several times this week. When did Van der Sar reach the first signal about the alleged transgressive behavior of Overmars? Did the CEO know there was a problem before the shareholders’ meeting? Were one or more members of the supervisory board aware of this before the same meeting on 28 January? Ajax did not want to answer the questions. “We stick to the information we put in the press release (of Sunday).”
With the cooperation of Joris Kooiman
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