Desperate Ajax set to break 26-year tradition in incredible rule change with crisis-club in genuine relegation battle
AJAX are reportedly set to break a 26-year tradition to help them battle relegation.
The Dutch giants, the record 36-time Eredivisie title winners, have made a shocking start to the campaign.
The four-time European champions suffered a 4-3 defeat to FC Utrecht last Sunday as they slipped to 17th in the table.
That left them with just five points from their opening seven matches and in their lowest-ever league position.
To run further salt in their wounds, they were beaten 2-0 at Brighton on Thursday to leave them bottom of their Europa League Group B.
They have not won a game of any description for over two months and that dismal form led to summer appointment Maurice Steijn being fired on Monday.
John van 't Schip was placed as interim boss and took charge against the Seagulls.
Now a fresh report has claimed that Ajax are looking to appoint a foreign coach in a remarkable change of philosophy.
Dane Morten Olsen was the last foreigner to manage the club, with chiefs deciding since his exit in November 1998 to only employ Dutch coaches.
However, this update claims that they are re-thinking that strategy due to a huge lack of candidates within the Netherlands.
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The 2019 Champions League semi-finalists have also endured a traumatic period off the pitch.
Marc Overmars quit in disgrace last year from his job as director of football after sending inappropriate messages to female colleagues.
His eventual successor Sven Mislintat, who was previously at Arsenal, was sacked in September after just five months after a poor summer transfer window.
Edwin van der Sar resigned as CEO in the summer after the club’s third-placed finish last term and he was replaced by Jan van Halst temporarily.
Alex Kroes was appointed as general manager and chairman of the board at Ajax and will be tasked with finding a new permanent manager.
However, he will not begin his duties until March 15 2024.
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