Ajax board stands down

The supervisory board of Ajax will step down as soon as suitable replacements have been found, according to the Eredivisie club’s website.

The supervisory board, consisting of Edgar Davids, Steven ten Have, Marjan Olfers, Paul Romer and Johan Cruyff, was appointed on July 25 last year, charged with reviving the club’s fortunes on and off the field.

The team secured their first league championship crown since 2004 last season, but the supervisory board have failed to make progress in administrative matters due to internal divisions.

Ajax made headlines for the wrong reasons following public disagreements between Cruyff and the other four figures.

The proposed appointment of former coach Louis van Gaal as the club’s new CEO marked a low point in the relationship between the parties.

Davids, Ten Have, Romer and Olfers appointed Van Gaal during a meeting in November 2011, reportedly without consulting Cruyff.

Cruyff filed a lawsuit to have the decision reversed, and Van Gaal’s appointment was prohibited by an Amsterdam court on Monday.

The supervisory board was expected to be disbanded during a shareholders’ meeting on Friday, and they have pre-empted such a decision by voluntarily stepping down.

The departing supervisory board will now invite the annual general meeting and a club works council to propose replacements.