Ajax has now also officially announced the contract extension of Marc Overmars. A video leaked out on Tuesday evening, making it clear that the director of football affairs would extend his contract until mid-2026. “Some movies are worth watching twice”, Ajax writes with the video that was already frequently shared on social media.
“I still enjoy it very much and get a lot of satisfaction from my work. The cooperation with my fellow board members is very good, just like with the people at the Future with whom I work in the field of scouting, youth, transfers and the like. I have the feeling that I am not ready for Ajax for the time being, so I would like to continue here”, says Overmars on the Ajax website. Overmars has held the position of technical person with final responsibility in Amsterdam since 2013 and had a contract until mid-2024.
Some movies are worth watching twice ?? pic.twitter.com/4Nmb22A2Fg
— AFC Ajax (@AFCAjax) December 8, 2021
Newcastle United was emphatically interested in Overmars’ services and that led, according to The Telegraph to ‘blind panic’ among the supervisory board. They allegedly ‘begged’ Overmars to stay on and were therefore prepared to grant ‘a large part of his (financial) wishes’. Overmars earned a total gross annual salary of 696,000 euros at Ajax, in the words of The Telegraph ‘more than a minister’s salary but a fraction of the salary of what a technical person with final responsibility can receive abroad’.
“The supervisory board is very happy with Marc Overmars as director of football affairs,” said chairman of the supervisory board Leen Meijaard on behalf of the supervisory board. “The performances of the A-selection composed under his responsibility are of course the most striking. Led by Erik ten Hag, appointed by Marc, the team is playing attractively and is successful, both nationally and internationally. But we also see good development in other football technical matters. With Marc in the management team, we believe that the upward trend that our ambitious club started a few years ago can be continued.”
We now have to wait for the so-called special general meeting of shareholders, at which Overmars can be officially reappointed as director of football affairs for the new period. Once that formality has been completed, Overmars can sign a new contract, which will run until mid-2026.