Edwin van der Sar announced on Tuesday that he is stepping down as chief executive (CEO) of Ajax, after an “extremely difficult period” of more than ten years at the helm of the Amsterdam club.
The dismissal of the 52-year-old former goalkeeper comes after the worst season in 14 years for the emblem from the capital of the Netherlands, which finished the national championship in 3rd place.
“After almost 11 years on the Board of Directors, I am tired of it. We have been through wonderful things together, but it has also been an incredibly difficult period,” he said in a statement.
Ajax failed to qualify for the Champions League after finishing the Dutch league behind Feyenoord and PSV Eindhoven.
According to local media, fans blamed Van der Sar for breaking Ajax’s hegemony after the departure of sporting director Marc Overmars and trainer Erik ten Hag.
Overmars referred to resigned in February last year after admitting to sending inappropriate messages to club staff. Ten Hag left for Manchester United last summer.
Van der Sar said he should “go away, get some rest and do other things”. The former goalkeeper’s contract ran until June 30, 2025.
Ajax’s chairman of the Supervisory Board, Pier Eringa, said the club “wanted Edwin to stay, but he has made his decision”. “We must respect,” he stressed. “Last season does not reflect the entire period that he led Ajax,” Eringa emphasized.
Regarded as one of the best Dutch goalkeepers of all time, Van der Sar defended Ajax goal between 1990 and 1999, after winning the Champions League in 1995, a trophy he would win again in 2008 for Manchester United, after stints at Juventus and Fulham. At the same time, he added 130 caps for the Netherlands.
Van der Sar returned to Ajax in 2012 as chief marketing officer before being promoted to CEO four years later.
Source: DN
