Arno Vermeulen made a noteworthy revelation on Sunday evening NOS Studio Football. According to the journalist, who was present at Ajax – FC Twente, Ajax is working on a motion of no confidence towards the Supervisory Board. The board would like to send away the entire council, just to get rid of Michael van Praag. “They are willing to do that,” says Vermeulen.

It starts on Sunday NOS Studio Football soon about the crisis at Ajax. In addition to the crisis on the field, there are also problems at administrative level at the Dutch record champion.

Vermeulen describes it as 'a guerrilla war between Michael van Praag and Alex Kroes', and knows what development is coming. “The supporters are anti-Van Praag, but in Ajax circles there was talk in the stadium that more is happening than that.”

“There is a vote of no confidence awaiting Van Praag,” Vermeulen then reveals. If this is accepted by the shareholders, the board would have to dismiss not only chairman Van Praag, but also other supervisory directors Leo van Wijk and Danny Blind. “It is a huge step, but they are willing to do it,” said Vermeulen.

The journalist therefore suspects that Van Praag will eventually die. “I think Kroes is in a better position. If you have the fans behind you and there is a threat of a vote of no confidence… There is another members meeting on April 25, if necessary an extraordinary meeting of shareholders on May 21… I think that it is not sustainable and he is going to lose out. And that Kroes will ultimately emerge as the winner, or the AFM (Financial Markets Authority, ed.) will have to investigate and give him a big push.”

The situation

About two weeks ago, Ajax issued a press release that Kroes had been immediately suspended by the Supervisory Board. The general manager had purchased more than 17,000 Ajax shares just before the publication of his appointment, which indicated insider trading. Because insider trading is punishable in the Netherlands, the Supervisory Board felt compelled to suspend Kroes, Van Praag later explained. The Supervisory Board chairman also indicated 'that there was no way back' for Kroes.

Kroes soon indicated that he wanted to submit the matter to the AFM 'in all transparency'. A little later it turned out that Van Praag had also made a mistake regarding his own Ajax shares. Van Praag had not registered his own share package with the AFM, which only further increased tensions in Amsterdam. The board of directors supported Kroes and now appears to be making the next move.

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