Pro ShotsAlex Kroes
NOS Voetbal•vandaag, 06:19
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Porskamp himself
follows Ajax on behalf of NOS Sport
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Porskamp himself
follows Ajax on behalf of NOS Sport
“What are you getting yourself into?” It is the question that Ajax’s new director, Alex Kroes, has been asked the most in recent months. The former director of Go Ahead Eagles and AZ starts the biggest job of his life today: he has to help the imploded Ajax get back on its feet.
Kroes can immediately get to work on a number of urgent files.
Ajax has never before been in such a bad position as it is now. The number five in the Premier League can no longer catch up with leader PSV after 25 rounds – a negative club record – and Kroes saw from the stands in Birmingham on Thursday evening that his new club was eliminated with a shocking defeat by Aston Villa (4-0) in the Conference League, the third level in Europe.
A level that Kroes’ predecessor Edwin van der Sar once said would be gone if Ajax reached it.
NOSCurriculum vitae of Alex Kroes
The current state of Ajax is the result of years of uncertainty and wrong choices about the filling of crucial positions. All these emergency bandages must come to an end with the arrival of Kroes. Something that, according to insiders, he can be trusted with.
With his direct management style and tenacious vision, which he displayed in building the SEG agent office – now one of the largest in the world – and at football clubs Go Ahead and AZ, he will leave little to chance.
File ‘new head coach’
The successor to temporary director Jan van Halst and Van der Sar wants to make a quick decision about who will be head coach next season. As agreed, the current coach, John van ‘t Schip, will take on a different role within the organization after this season.
A name that is mentioned and praised internally is that of Young Ajax coach Dave Vos. He scores high in many areas that policymakers consider important.
With his drive and vision, he fits into the intended picture, but at the same time there are doubts as to whether it is too early to put Vos forward, who until last year only fulfilled the role of assistant and youth coach.
Pro ShotsDave Vos
Pepijn Lijnders, the retiring assistant of success coach Jürgen Klopp at Liverpool, is also a name that is being bandied about. Although it is not clear whether he is seen as head coach or assistant. Lijnders will sit down with his agent in the coming international match to look at all options.
Pascal Jansen, who knows Kroes from his time in Alkmaar, has been spotted in the Johan Cruijff Arena twice since his dismissal from AZ and has been on Ajax’s radar for some time. Moreover, according to his representative, there was no need to look too much behind this. “It was more just a matter of visiting a match, as he does at other clubs. But it has been known since the summer that he is on a list.”
In Studio Voetbal, Rafael van der Vaart suggested another striking name: Ruud van Nistelrooij. He has been free since his departure from PSV.
Van der Vaart surprised: ‘Take Van Nistelrooij as the new Ajax coach’
There is also speculation about a return of Manchester United coach Erik ten Hag, which is not entirely illogical since he is affiliated with the SEG agent firm founded by Kroes. But just like the names mentioned earlier, that is still anything but certain. Now that Kroes has started, the search will become more concrete, with the transfer director yet to be appointed also playing an important role.
File ‘major cleaning selection’
This new director, who will mainly deal with transfer matters, is high on Kroes’ wish list. Since the departure of Sven Mislintat, head of scouting Kelvin de Lang has been responsible for transfers and contract extensions.
With the signing of veteran Jordan Henderson and the contract extension of the talented Jorrel Hato, Ajax is satisfied with De Lang, who is therefore also in the picture as transfers director.
No other contenders have emerged yet, but whoever it is: hurry is required, because the selection is being overhauled. “Four left defenders and not a single right winger. It’s really terrible,” Kroes was quoted in the book Ajax in Crisis. It is no secret that Kroes is not impressed by the work of Mislintat, whom he called a ‘master swindler’ in the same book.
An outline of Ajax’s current organizational structure, with the nuance that some shifts will also take place in the near future:
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Daily management of Ajax
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Supervisory Board
It is therefore not surprising that more than half of summer purchases are scheduled to be sold. The agents of the players in question have already been informed.
So it promises to be a busy summer in Amsterdam (again). In addition to sales, players also have to be attracted and retained. The latter will be quite a task, because trendsetters Brian Brobbey, Steven Berghuis and Steven Bergwijn will not be deaf to a summer departure after the disastrous season.
Kroes will play an active role in the composition of the selection with his knowledge and network in the transfer market, in close consultation with the new transfer director.
Cross-pollination
Cross-pollination will certainly be an adage within Ajax in the near future. Since the departure of the triangle Ten Hag (trainer), Marc Overmars (technical director) and Van der Sar (general manager), there has been a lack of good cooperation between all levels.
With Kroes, Marijn Beuker (football director) and De Lang (temporary transfer director), Ajax has policy makers who think the same way and with whom many similarities can be discovered. They prefer facts over gut and value creating and formulating a clear vision.
But, it is always quickly added: practice is explicitly taken into account. They all have a lifelong love for Ajax and the line of contact with advisor Louis van Gaal is short.
Pro ShotsMarijn Beuker and Kelvin de Lang in conversation during the winter training camp in Cádiz
The new head of youth training must fit the same mold. After the departure of Saïd Ouaali, a temporary solution was also chosen in this area with Edmond Claus, who will leave after this season. Training should be the club’s capital. Kroes, who once played football for Ajax’s youth team, knows this better than anyone.
Mythical status
Expectations are sky-high in Amsterdam, where supporters are longing for strong leadership after a season with only low points. “Kroes has acquired an unprecedented mythical status. It is as if Jesus will soon descend on Ajax,” ESPN analyst Kenneth Perez aptly outlined earlier.
Kroes himself mainly preaches peace and patience. In a few months, when Ajax has taken the first steps forward (or not), the first judgment can be made.
2024-03-15 05:19:22
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