‘But take consequences if AFM thinks I was wrong’

NOS Football•yesterday, 11:51 PM

Is Ajax’s administrative soap opera finally coming to an end? In a specially convened crisis meeting at Sportpark De Toekomst, in which all leaders of the football club had their say, the ranks were closed and the focus was turned forward. “I’ve already started tonight,” said lead actor Alex Kroes.

Earlier in the day, Ajax announced that Kroes, the intended general manager who was suspended for alleged insider trading, will remain at Ajax. He does this in a different role, as technical director.

Michael van Praag, as chairman of the supervisory board (SB), was responsible for Kroes’ suspension at the beginning of this month. He was very firm in his assessment at the time: a return of Kroes, in any position, was out of the question. In recent weeks, he was forced to make a major U-turn under pressure from the board and members. However, according to Van Praag, there is no loss of face.

“Why would that be the case? Sometimes you get a different opinion, that’s called progressive insight. We have listened to all the reactions from club members, the media, supporters, the board of directors and Kroes himself. It would only be a loss of face if I already had ignored those reactions and we had stubbornly continued with the supervisory board.”

Kroes can therefore continue at the club, but Ajax is still looking for a general manager. “The KNVB’s rule is that you must have a new director within sixty days,” says Van Praag. “So the search for a new CEO has started today.”

Van Praag: ‘Looking for a new CEO from today’

According to Van Praag, there is no question of a disturbed relationship with Kroes, although the two were previously diametrically opposed to each other.

“We contacted Alex to see if there was a solution that helped him and us. And that had as few consequences as possible in view of the Netherlands Authority for the Financial Markets (AFM). This is what he got. It is a result which I am very happy with, as chairman of the supervisory board and as an Ajax member.”

If the AFM determines in the near future that Kroes has committed a serious violation of the rules regarding insider trading, the supervisory board will reconsider Kroes’ position. “I have been very flexible there from minute one,” says Kroes. “If the AFM finds that I have made more than one mistake there, then I will take my consequences.”

Kroes, who speaks of a “bizarre month”, has no problem with the demotion from general manager to technical director. “I am very happy in the situation we are in now. As CEO I had an incredible amount of energy to help the club and I now also have that as technical director. It may sound cliché, but Ajax must become Ajax again.”

“I’ve already started tonight,” he says with a broad smile. “We’re picking things up very quickly.”

Kroes: ‘It’s been a bizarre month, fortunately we can now look ahead’

Kroes is brief about the contact with Van Praag and the supervisory board. “I have tried to get all the information to the AFM as quickly as possible and to enter into dialogue with the supervisory board: can we come to something? This has accelerated in recent days.”

Ernst Boekhorst, chairman of the Ajax board of directors, also spoke. He and his committee are responsible for filling the Supervisory Board, which has been relatively empty in recent weeks. Three of the six members resigned.

Boekhorst states that the three remaining members will “just” remain seated. These are Michael van Praag, Danny Blind and Leo van Wijk. The other three spots are still vacant.

“We may nominate new commissioners,” says Boekhorst. “We can come up with specific names, so we will do that soon.”

Chairman of the Boekhorst board of directors: ‘The best thing for Ajax is that we can move forward’