Jordi Cruijff becomes the new technical director of Ajax. The Amsterdam football club has that on Sunday evening announced. Ajax and Cruijff have reached a verbal agreement and are in “the final phase” in the process towards a permanent appointment. According to the club, Cruyff can start in February 2026, succeeding Alex Kroes.
Kroes has been under fire since his appointment as general manager of Ajax in 2024 for insider trading. He had purchased shares in the club prior to his appointment. After a short suspension by the Ajax supervisory board, he returned as technical director. Kroes decided in November, immediately after the dismissal of coach John Heitinga, to resign due to dissatisfaction with the management culture within the club. During the last period he held the position of technical director while awaiting a successor.
His successor Cruijff (51), son of club icon Johan Cruijff, played in the youth of Ajax and later for clubs such as FC Barcelona and Manchester United. As coach of Maccabi Tel Aviv, among others, he did not experience great success. In recent years, Cruijff has been active in management positions, including for Maccabi Tel Aviv and FC Barcelona.
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