Edwin van der Sar confirms that he will step down from his role as Ajax CEO
‘I’m exhausted!’: Edwin van der Sar DISCARDS his role as CEO of Ajax and reveals ‘incredibly tough period’ at the club…
- Edwin van der Sar stops as CEO at Ajax
- The former Man United goalkeeper assumed the role at the club in 2016
- However, after their poor campaign in 2022-23, he has decided to leave the job
Edwin van der Sar has resigned as CEO of Ajax, revealing the ‘incredibly tough period’ that led to the decision.
The former Manchester United goalkeeper had spent seven years in this role since his appointment in 2016 before opting to leave on Tuesday morning.
The decision comes shortly after the end of the Eredivisie campaign, where Ajax finished 13 points behind national champions Feyenoord.
It wasn’t the season many fans expected – as they ended up missing out on Champions League football for next season – given their long-standing dominance.
However, things did not go well for the Dutch side and when he parted ways with the club, Van der Sar explained his reasons for leaving the role.
Edwin van der Sar (above) has resigned from his position as chief executive officer at Ajax
The news comes at the end of a disappointing season for Ajax – who finished third in the league
Speak against the club website, said van der Sar: ‘After almost eleven years on the board, I am exhausted. We have been through very beautiful things, but it has also been an incredibly difficult period.
‘I am very grateful to the people I met and worked with during my second career at Ajax for what we have achieved and experienced. I need to step back now, relax and do other things.
“It doesn’t feel right to have to make decisions about the future of this great club in the near future. Hence my decision to stop now.’
The former United goalkeeper has come under fire in recent weeks as Ajax struggled to perform on the pitch, dropping to third.
It was their worst league performance for 13 years and the first time since 2008–09 they have failed to qualify for the Champions League.
Despite making 10 signings during the season – including Steven Bergwijn and Calvin Bassey – they finished well below title winners Feyenoord.
In addition, Van der Sar had already faced backlash over the respective departures of director of football Marc Overmars and head coach Erik ten Hag.
Van der Sar already had to deal with setbacks after the departure of Erik ten Hag (R) last summer
And while there was displeasure among fans about Van der Sar’s performance, Supervisory Board chairman Pier Eringa reiterated that they wanted him to ‘stay’.
“We wanted Edwin to stay, but his decision was made and we have to respect that,” Eringa explains. ‘Last season is not representative of the total period of Ajax under his leadership.
‘The club has achieved many successes, has grown enormously and has also gained international prestige. His duties will be taken over by the current management. Edwin will remain available for transfer and advice until August.
‘We expect to be able to announce the new management composition soon after 1 August. Our ambition is to add someone with an Ajax background to the top.’
Steven Bergwijn was one of Ajax’s big summer signings, having joined from Spurs for £28m
