Kroes’ suspension underlines lack of vision and leadership at Ajax | Sport

Met een cynisch lachje beschreef oud-prof en ESPN-analist Kenneth Perez de zojuist aangetreden Ajax-directeur Kroes vorige maand als “Jezus die Ajax ging verlossen”. Zo hoog waren immers de verwachtingen van de man die moest puinruimen bij een club in nood.

De symboliek was wel erg tastbaar dat de raad van commissarissen (rvc) van Ajax uitgerekend in het paasweekend besloot om Kroes te schorsen vanwege handel in aandelen met voorkennis. Zo werd de Johan Cruijff Arena een bijna absurdistisch theater, waarin Ajax zich dit seizoen van crisis naar crisis sleept.

Een half jaar had Kroes moeten wachten om zijn grote liefde Ajax, waar hij een talent in de jeugdopleiding was en nog steeds als amateur speelt, te mogen leiden. Zijn vorige werkgever AZ had hem vanwege concurrentiebeding niet eerder willen vrijgeven, bij Ajax werd de rode loper voor hem uitgerold. Maar twee weken na zijn aantreden constateert rvc-voorzitter Michael van Praag dat “Alex dom en naiëf” is geweest.

De reconstructie met Van Praag van de vroege val van Kroes, dinsdag tijdens een informeel persgesprek in de Johan Cruijff ArenA, was pijnlijk en ontluisterend. Niet voor het eerst dit seizoen bleek Ajax een stuurloos schip, waar de kapitein al moest verdwijnen terwijl hij werd geacht een nieuwe bemanning te monsteren.

Ajax zocht al een nieuwe hoofdtrainer, een hoofd jeugdopleiding en een technisch directeur. En nu dus wederom een algemeen directeur, die de zo diep gezonken club nieuw elan moet bezorgen. Ajax staat vijfde in de Eredivisie en moet rekening houden met play-offs voor Europees voetbal, die vanwege concerten van de Toppers niet in het eigen stadion kunnen worden gespeeld.

The irony is that Kroes was expected to develop strong direction after the departure of former goalkeeper Edwin van der Sar, who had experienced the directorship as a yoke. But it is precisely the chronic lack of vision and leadership that continues to haunt Ajax. Van Praag had actually wanted to present the report from accounting firm KPMG on behalf of the supervisory board about the conduct of the dismissed technical director Sven Mislintat.

The German manager, who would spot talent with ‘Diamantenauge’ – his nickname, hired twelve new players for 115 million euros, who have hardly yielded a return. Mislintat was accused of a conflict of interest, as left back Borna Sosa was allegedly recruited through an agent with shares in Mislintat’s company. “The press release is ready,” said Van Praag. Then the next affair presented itself.

Mislintat now says he regrets hiring Maurice Steijn, who was also dismissed, as trainer last summer, while Peter Bosz was ready to return to Ajax. Bosz is now well on his way to the national title with PSV, while John van ‘t Schip, as interim coach, must do everything he can to hold on to at least fifth place with a vulnerable Ajax.

In the book published last year Ajax in Crisis by Menno de Galan, Kroes lashed out fiercely at Mislintat, whom he called a ‘master swindler’ and ‘charming swindler’. Now his image has been tarnished, as an entrepreneur who is alleged to have committed a criminal offense.

While Kroes was still warming up in the wings, Maurits Hendriks took flight as a board member by resigning. The former chef de mission of sports umbrella organization NOC*NSF was considered partly responsible for the appointment of Mislintat as ‘chief sports officer’. His credit was nil anyway in a club with many movements that regularly fought each other out.

This was already the case during the ‘velvet revolution’ unleashed by Johan Cruijff in 2010, when he believed the club should be led by former players. The period of success with the Marc Overmars-Erik ten Hag tandem – with a semi-final in the Champions League in 2019 as the highlight – still evokes melancholy in Amsterdam. Kroes is said to have even spoken to trainer Ten Hag, whose future at Manchester United is uncertain under new owner Jim Ratcliffe.

In addition to the reconstruction of the club, Kroes would also be closely involved in the renovation of the selection and the transfers that should enable a thorough cleaning. But not for the first time, the supervisory board at Ajax is accused of not taking its supervisory task sufficiently seriously.

At first Mislintat could go about its business freely, but last year the commissioners failed to ask Kroes what the status of his shares actually was. Not necessary, said Van Praag, because a CEO is allowed to own shares. Asking further would have been desirable, Van Praag acknowledged on Tuesday in the Johan Cruijff ArenA. It could have saved Ajax from another administrative failure.

Serving Ajax is virtually the life’s work of 76-year-old Van Praag, who succeeded his father Jaap as chairman and, after an earlier low point, prepared the club for the move from De Meer to the ArenA in the late 1980s. Van Praag also indirectly sent Ajax to the stock exchange; the club has been a listed company since 1998. But the desired director Kroes did not meet the rules of such a company.

Now Van Praag has to clean up the mess at Ajax himself, with club icons Louis van Gaal and Danny Blind continuing to prompt football director Marijn Beuker and chief scout Kelvin de Lang. It will not have escaped Van Praag that the straitjacket of a listed company is more constricting than ever now that the errant Ajax is trying to rediscover its true identity.