Michael van Praag is in conversation with Ajax Life discussed the administrative crisis at Ajax. The chairman of the Supervisory Board of Ajax says that there is no possibility for the suspended general manager Alex Kroes to return, whether or not in another position. According to Van Praag, the damage to Ajax would then be great. He points out, among other things, the 'credibility of Ajax'. “Ethical leadership is part of us.”

Kroes was recently suspended by Ajax when it turned out that he was trading in shares with insider information. According to Van Praag, the decision to suspend the newly appointed Kroes was not taken lightly. “We did not immediately suspend Alex. We had eight days of intensive consultation with experts and lawyers to reach a well-considered decision.”

“Alex was able to explain how he sees it, but the conclusion – no matter how painful – remained the same: you cannot maintain a general manager who carries this with him.” It is currently unclear whether Kroes will actually return. The majority in the Ajax board of directors is in favor of Kroes' return as general manager.

The board of directors is also of the opinion that the Supervisory Board has made mistakes in its supervisory function. For example, according to the board of directors, which is a major shareholder with 73%, there was not enough supervision of the actions of then director of football affairs Sven Mislintat. The board is also of the opinion that the incident surrounding Kroes could have been prevented if the Supervisory Board had inquired about the director's share package.

The Supervisory Board maintains its position that the situation is irreversible. Van Praag also indicates that there was 'really no possibility' for Kroes to be assigned another position. “We have looked at this extensively. Should we fine him? Another position?”

“To start with the latter: it would be very nice for the club if, for example, he could fill a technical position. We sought advice on this. In short, the advice was: don't do that. As a listed company, you can do that. cannot afford.”

According to Van Praag, a return of Kroes would cause some damage. “Firstly, the credibility of Ajax. Ethical leadership is part of us. You have to deal with the Ajax organization and with the outside world. How strong is Alex still in negotiations, for example?”

“In discussions with UEFA, towards the KNVB… If you have been demoted from general manager to a technical position. The legal advice was very firm. Then it is difficult to explain if you remove him from the board and then move to another position offers.”

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