Ajax has been severely affected financially by the consequences of the corona crisis, Edwin van der Sar agrees in an interview with Ajax Life. This week framed Football International the lost revenues amounted to approximately fifty million euros. Van der Sar indicates that Ajax is ‘the worst affected club in the Netherlands in absolute amounts’, but that it was considered important to compensate season ticket holders.
Season ticket holders could opt for full compensation, although many fans chose to donate part of their season ticket; for that they were rewarded with a gift from Ajax. “The non-binding support we have received is very much appreciated,” says Van der Sar, who is happy with the financial reserves that Ajax can draw from. “But we have created it ourselves in recent years. When I had just started, I saw empty spaces in the ArenA during the Champions League match against Manchester City (in October 2012, ed.).
“Together we have ensured that the level has risen and that the hunger for Ajax has increased. Fans crave European success, and that ambition is still standing. We are not going to scale back that ambition now,” emphasizes the director of Ajax. He also has in mind how Ajax can find the connection with the European top, after the financially difficult season. “As always: by working hard. And being inventive. In addition, we have a good youth academy that we can use again next season.”
Despite this, Ajax is at a disadvantage compared to large clubs from abroad. The lack of supporters hits a club like Ajax harder, says Van der Sar. “For the clubs in the major competitions, an empty stadium was less of a problem than for us, because they receive about two hundred million in TV money per club. We have to rely on the stadium revenues and they just fell away. compared to our foreign competition, so the gap has not narrowed.”
Related
More sports news