Alex Kroes can only start as general manager of Ajax in March. “We would have liked to have him there sooner,” Michael van Praag said today after a general meeting of shareholders of the Amsterdam club. “But to my great incomprehension, AZ has pulled the plug on our conversations.”
Kroes may not start at Ajax until March, because he has signed a non-competition clause with AZ. Louis van Gaal, Ajax advisor, and Van Praag tried in vain to change AZ’s mind. Van Gaal led AZ to the national title as a coach in the 2008-2009 season, but he too was unable to force anything.
“We made a very normal and obvious proposal,” Van Praag said about the conversations he had with the Alkmaarders. “AZ did not want to do so, and we expressed our disappointment about that.” As a result, Jan van Halst will remain interim director until mid-March. The former midfielder has already announced that he will not return to the Supervisory Board of Ajax. Van Praag was appointed chairman of the Supervisory Board during the meeting. He succeeds Pier Eringa, who left in September after heavy criticism of his performance.
Van Praag was appointed as a new member of the Supervisory Board together with Leo van Wijk during the general meeting for shareholders. Danny Blind will be nominated at the end of December as technical man of the Ajax supervisory body, which also consists of Georgette Schlick, Annette Mosman and Cees van Oevelen.