Ajax Amsterdam, the Dutch football league champion, announced that former star Marc Overmars has resigned from his position as the club's sporting director after sending "a series of inappropriate messages" to several female colleagues. Overmars (48), who won the UEFA Champions League title with Ajax in 1995, expressed his "shame," apologized, and admitted that he "crossed the line," according to a statement from the club that addressed the messages he sent to "several women" over a period of time.
The club's chairman, Lin Meyard, expressed his regret in a press release, describing it as a "tragic situation, devastating for the women who had to deal with this behavior." He emphasized that Overmars was "probably the best football director Ajax has ever collaborated with," but that "continuation was not an option."
Overmars, who has served as sporting director since 2012, played a role in the recent successes of Ajax Amsterdam, particularly highlighting the team's impressive performance in the prestigious continental competition in 2019 (reaching the semi-finals) and the runner-up position in the UEFA Europa League in 2017.
Recently, Overmars extended his contract until 2026, at a time when Ajax is experiencing another nearly perfect season, leading the league by 5 points ahead of their rival PSV Eindhoven and advancing to the knockout stage of the UEFA Champions League where they will face Portuguese side Benfica.
Overmars drew attention as a brilliant winger in the 1990s when he was a player, winning the UEFA Champions League with Ajax in 1995, in addition to three Dutch league titles. He moved to England to play for Arsenal, winning the Premier League in 1998, before transferring to Spanish club Barcelona in 2000. He participated in the World Cup finals in 1994 and 1998, finishing in fourth place, and scored 17 goals in 86 matches for the "Oranje" national team.
