Ajax’s four headaches in the run-up to the Classic against Feyenoord – from a dubious deal to a language barrier

Also read: a report from Ajax – Marseillethe remarkable start to the Europa League, a match that ended 3-3.

There were people at Ajax who found it strange that Mislintat simply appeared at the De Toekomst training complex last Wednesday. Trainer Steijn had seen Mislintat walk past, but had not spoken to him further. He doesn’t need distractions and wants to concentrate on his team.

That has been difficult since Tuesday from research NOS showed that Mislintat has made a deal with a player’s agent (Arthur Beck) who is also a business partner of his. This concerns the transfer of Croatian defender Borna Sosa (25) from VfB Stuttgart, on the very last day that the transfer market was ‘open’.

Mislintat and Beck both appear to have shares in a company that supplies football data to clubs. Then wrote NRC that Sosa had only changed agents at the very last minute, which resulted in Mislintat negotiating with a man who has shared financial interests.

Ajax soon reported that Mislintat had not been open about this with the supervisory board. This is contrary to its own corporate governance code. A forensic accountant must find out whether it was an error in communication – as Mislintat claims – or whether there is more to it.

In the meantime, VfB Stuttgart, a former employer of Mislintat, has also been alarmed. The club has said it is investigating all transfers concluded by Mislintat.

Fans want to get rid of RVC

President-commissioner Pier Eringa cannot miss the banner when he arrives at the De Toekomst sports complex on Wednesday evening for the extraordinary general meeting of the Ajax association. ‘We want Ajax DNA at the top! Rvc fuck off’, is written in thick black letters on an elongated white cloth hanging on a fence near the parking lot.

Eringa came to De Toekomst at the invitation of the association, which has a 73 percent major shareholder in professional club NV Ajax. That evening, the association elects the new board of directors, the previous one resigns because it feels there is insufficient support for their policy. But that’s not what Eringa is for. He will provide an explanation of the investigation into director of football affairs Sven Mislintat.

I don’t speak Croatian or French

Kenneth Taylor midfielder Ajax

“Put him on hold,” say members in the crowded canteen, as several attendees say NRC. Someone says emotionally: “This man is damaging us, throw him out.” That is a sentiment that is strong in the room, where about two hundred of the eight hundred members are present. Eringa explains that as an employer you must act “proportionately”, by which he means that there must be sufficient material to send someone away. He makes it clear that the external investigation, carried out by a forensic accountant, does not only focus on the Sosa deal, other transfers are also looked at where necessary.

If the consequence of the investigation – which will last at least several weeks – is that Mislintat must leave or that sanctions will follow, this will also put further pressure on the position of the supervisory board. It is one of the questions from the audience: how does the supervisory board view its own role? Members hear Eringa say that they are watching them too. Have they fallen short? What should they have known? The newly appointed board of directors therefore becomes important: with the majority of the shares in their hands, they can in theory vote out the entire supervisory board.

Level on the field

A great Ajax against Marseille, said Maurice Steijn. Although he quickly added that much improvement was needed. That was also visible to the outside world. Because a lot went wrong, as happened in the matches against FC Twente (3-1 loss), Fortuna Sittard (0-0), Ludogorets (Europa League preliminary round, 1-0 loss) and Excelsior (2-2 ).

It is also difficult, with a team that has been completely renewed. Of the twelve purchases that Mislintat made, no one has really been able to distinguish themselves. They have to get used to the level (some have never played at the highest level before), to Ajax’s playing style and to each other.

Ajax takes a 2-0 lead against Marseille, but after that the team gives away such large spaces that it is easy to see how poorly the team has played. This becomes most clear when, after half an hour of play, Marseille striker Iliman Ndiaye is completely free on the left side of the field. As much space as he gets – you rarely see it at this level. His shot ends up on the crossbar.

After that opportunity, a camera captures Maurice Steijn, who clearly mutters a swear word. Understandable, because it is a game situation that has been discussed in advance. Both of his wing defenders are too far in front of the ball and therefore cannot defend. Steijn warned them in advance: if one of the backs goes forward, the other stays behind. Otherwise the defense is unbalanced and the Marseille attack is given far too much space.

It’s a simple instruction. But things go wrong at Ajax – several times. In addition, Ajax players, especially in midfield, often suffer unnecessary loss of ball. This allows the opponent to suddenly attack and it is even more noticeable how much the defense is out of position.

Elementary football mistakes, that much is clear. The question is: are the instructions not clear, do the players simply have too little quality and football insight, or do they not communicate with each other on the field?

Leadership

It may sound strange, but talking is also a problem at Ajax. Midfielder Kenneth Taylor admitted it this week: communicating with some new players is complicated. Georgian striker Georges Mikautadze speaks French, Josip Sutalo speaks Croatian – both of them barely speak English. Now, teams with many different nationalities are common in top football, but at Ajax there are eleven and English is not always sufficient. Moreover, Steijn had actually wanted to (re)introduce Dutch as the main language in Amsterdam. No, he “doesn’t speak Croatian or French,” Taylor said. But fellow midfielder Branco van den Boomen has played in France and can therefore interpret a bit. Taylor: “You can get everywhere this way.”

It just doesn’t help build a new hierarchy. The previous captain, Dusan Tadic, is gone and many other leading figures have also left. Based on a football CV, no logical hierarchy can be discerned, also because most purchases are not established names and have not yet won any major prizes. The Croatian international Sutalo could be a logical leader – he was captain against Fortuna – but the language barrier plays a role for him. Many people wonder whether Steven Bergwijn, the new captain, is a player who likes to lead a team.

“You can’t buy leadership,” said Sven Mislintat at the beginning of September. “That has to happen.” He expected to see the best version of the new Ajax within three to six weeks. He then asked for patience – “give the boys some time”. But there is no time in Amsterdam. Especially now that Mislintat itself has also come under fire. And now Feyenoord awaits, the eternal rival, the national champion, who is in good shape.