An important day in the power struggle at Ajax: tonight Alex Kroes, Michael van Praag, the board and about 200 Ajax members come together to discuss the administrative unrest. Relations are on edge, but what can we expect from the members meeting?
First of all, it is important to emphasize that the members meeting is not an official meeting. For an official meeting, all kinds of formalities have to be completed that were not feasible at such short notice. However, Supervisory Board Chairman Van Praag did not want to wait until May 21 – the day on which the Extraordinary General Meeting of Shareholders (EGM) takes place – to remove the unrest among Ajax members.
At Van Praag’s request, the board of directors facilitated an unofficial members meeting. On Thursday evening at 8:00 PM, the members of Ajax, Supervisory Board members Van Praag and Leo van Wijk and the provisionally suspended general manager Alex Kroes will meet at De Toekomst.
Supervisory Board prevents Kroes’ return
If it is up to the board and the members, Kroes will return to Ajax as soon as possible. Whether this is in the same role, the same role without signing authority or a different position can then be determined further. This position has been clear for weeks. The big stumbling block? Van Praag and therefore the Supervisory Board are preventing Kroes from returning.
Through Van Praag, the Supervisory Board is of the opinion that Kroes acted ‘stupidly’ and ‘naïve’ when he purchased more than 17,000 more Ajax shares a week before his intended appointment as general manager of Ajax. They point to a moral compass and state that ‘ethical leadership suits Ajax’. The Supervisory Board fears losing sponsors and major reputational damage if Kroes returns to Ajax in any position after his alleged insider trading.
According to Van Praag, there is therefore still no other option than to permanently dismiss Kroes. The Supervisory Board and the Board of Directors have different views on this. The board acknowledges Kroes’ mistake, but states that this mistake can also be dealt with by a fine or warning.
All parties have their say
Van Praag and the Ajax members will discuss this on Thursday evening, during which Kroes will also have the floor. The board of directors, in the person of chairman Ernst Boekhorst, leads the meeting and ensures that everyone has the opportunity to tell their story. Van Praag’s original goal was to restore peace among the Ajax members, but in the run-up to the members’ meeting, this seems like a utopia.
Kroes and Van Praag are diametrically opposed to each other. It is currently impossible that they will ever work together again at Ajax. Kroes has a lot of support from various sections within and around Ajax, as has once again become apparent in recent weeks. Within Ajax, a majority recognizes that the sporting importance of Kroes’ return outweighs his undeniable mistake in purchasing Ajax shares.
This makes Kroes’ return seem inevitable. The biggest question is how much Van Praag wants to bend, whether he keeps the honor to himself or whether he still remains steadfast. This was previously the case when the F-Side and other supporter groups around Ajax – FC Twente turned against Van Praag.
Governing Council is waiting
If Van Praag again stands his ground on Thursday evening, the board of directors could proceed to oust the entire Supervisory Board. In addition to Van Praag, this also costs Van Wijk and Danny Blind their jobs as commissioners. The board does not want to go that far at the moment, because this means that the Enterprise Chamber may appoint a new Supervisory Board.
This also brings with it a lot of uncertainty and, moreover, there is no guarantee that this newly appointed Supervisory Board will be prepared for Kroes’ return. Therefore, the Ajax board of directors is currently reluctant to use their power in this way, although it is not impossible that they will return to this at a later stage and still seize power.
The board of directors will mainly use the members meeting to gather information. Although it will be tough, it is not expected that any major decisions will be made immediately tonight. The unofficial members meeting mainly serves as a prelude to the EGM of May 21.
