Milan Keskin
- Updated: Nov 18 2024 16:11 CET
- 3 min reading time
© Ziggo Sport
The belts have been tightened at Ajax. The people of Amsterdam have spent far too much in recent years, while their sporting performance lagged behind. As a result, the club will have to make significant cuts in the coming years, as became clear from an article last weekend NRC. Mike Verweij will do it in Kick-Off on Monday The Telegraph a step further and does not rule out a ‘financial massacre’.
“That is a point of concern for the management,” says Verweij about the club’s financial situation. “A lot of people don’t seem to realize how bad Ajax’s financial situation is. If they did not have the transfer results that they presented last six months, the loss could perhaps have amounted to fifty, sixty or perhaps seventy million. A financial bloodbath is also expected next year. So that’s where we need to tighten our belts.”
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When Alex Kroes was appointed as general manager in 2023, there was already talk that eighty full-timers would have to leave Ajax. “I think it will just be reality,” Verweij continues. The hundred full-time jobs added in the past five years reflect a period when everything seemed to work out, both on and off the field. However, now that Ajax is dealing with less income due to disappointing results and an absence from the lucrative Champions League, this expansion is no longer considered sustainable.
Also read: This must be Alex Kroes’ shortlist when Kenneth Taylor leaves
In the past five years, a hundred full-time jobs were added, bringing this to 474, filled by around five hundred people. The goal is to return to a more compact organization with 300 to 350 full-time jobs. The reorganization affects not only the administrative and support staff, but also departments that directly contribute to sporting success, such as youth training and scouting.
Ajax emphasizes that the cuts do not pose a threat to the club’s chances of survival, even in the unfavorable scenario in which European football is structurally absent. This provides some reassurance, but also raises questions about the long term: how does the club want to position itself in an increasingly competitive football landscape in which financial resources and efficiency are crucial? A shrinking organization can simultaneously provide focus and agility, but also impose limitations on the club’s ambitions.
Ajax’s Financial Tightening: A Club in Crisis
By Milan Keskin
- Updated: Nov 18 2024 16:11 CET
- 3 min reading time
Ah, Ajax! The football club that seems to have managed its financial records like a teenager with a credit card—swiping it like there’s no tomorrow, and guess what? Tomorrow has come and the bills are piling up like the laundry in the corner of a student flat.
As reported in NRC, Ajax has realized that they’ve indulged a bit too much in the past, like someone who just discovered the all-you-can-eat sushi buffet. Now, their sporting performance is about as impressive as a limp noodle. The club is now bracing for cuts so deep they might have to check under the couch cushions for spare change!
“That is a point of concern for the management,” declares Mike Verweij. Why, yes, financial crises are often a point of concern—much like discovering your ex is dating someone who looks remarkably like you but somehow managed to get their life together. Verweij adds that it would be lucky for Ajax if they only lose fifty, sixty, or seventy million. If only we had that kind of optimism for our last-minute work presentations!
When Alex Kroes took the reins as general manager in 2023, the whispers of axe-wielding began. Reports of eighty full-time job cuts are circulating, making it sound like a game of “Musical Chairs,” where everyone loses their seat and the music’s just a sad violin solo. The club’s workforce swelled by a hundred in the past five years—an expansion that looks like it was fueled by the winning streak of old. But alas! Enter the sad trumpet sound as Ajax realizes that fewer wins equal fewer dosh.
The reality is even starker: Ajax currently employs around five hundred people, but they’re aiming to trim that number back to a lean, mean 300 to 350 machine. It’s a classic case of “less is more,” but let’s hope they don’t take that too literally—because I’d hate to see the club’s famed scouting department reduced to a couple of guys with binoculars and a bottle of Gatorade.
Now, while Ajax reassures fans that their survival isn’t threatening—as if a flock of vultures was circling overhead—it begs the question: how will they maintain their shiny status in this cutthroat world of football? With financial resources and efficiency being the name of the game, it’s important to ask: can a smaller organization keep its aim high without inadvertently signing up for a ‘League of Legends’ style dungeon crawl?
In conclusion, Ajax is heading into something of a financial eye of the storm. They might get a bit quieter, a tad less boisterous on the pitch, and perhaps a whisper of panic will fill the air. But, as with all crises, it could also be an opportunity—like finding a twenty in the pocket of a jacket you haven’t worn since the last financial crisis!
So tighten those belts, folks! Strap in for a bumpy ride because Ajax is going to need all the gusto (and maybe a little luck) as it navigates this tumultuous financial landscape.
The financial strain at Ajax is becoming increasingly evident as the club grapples with the consequences of lavish spending in recent years, which has not translated into corresponding sporting success. According to a revealing article in last weekend’s NRC, significant budget cuts are on the horizon, a sentiment echoed by Mike Verweij in his upcoming piece in The Telegraph, where he ominously speculates about a potential ‘financial massacre.’
“That is a point of concern for the management,” Verweij stated, highlighting the severity of Ajax’s financial landscape. “Many fans remain unaware of how dire Ajax’s financial condition truly is. Without the favorable transfer outcomes we’ve seen over the past six months, we could have faced losses soaring to fifty, sixty, or even seventy million. A financial bloodbath is anticipated next year, which necessitates tightening our belts considerably.”
When Alex Kroes was appointed as general manager in 2023, discussions emerged about the potential departure of eighty full-time employees from Ajax. “I believe that will soon become a reality,” Verweij noted. The club had added a hundred full-time positions over the past five years—a time when Ajax basked in relative success both on the field and financially. However, diminishing revenues driven by underwhelming performances and missing out on the Champions League have rendered this once-robust staff expansion unsustainable.
In recent years, Ajax expanded its workforce to 474 full-time positions, collectively managed by approximately five hundred personnel. The club now aims to pare down this number to a leaner 300 to 350 full-time roles. This reorganization is set to impact not just administrative and support staff, but also vital departments that contribute directly to the club’s sporting accomplishments, including youth development and scouting.
Ajax maintains that the forthcoming cuts do not jeopardize the club’s survival, even amid a somber outlook where European football remains a distant prospect. While this assurance may alleviate immediate concerns, it inevitably raises pertinent questions regarding the club’s long-term strategy. How does Ajax intend to navigate an ever-evolving and fiercely competitive football landscape where financial resources and operational efficiency are paramount? Although a streamlined organization can enhance focus and flexibility, it could simultaneously restrict the club’s ambitious ambitions moving forward.
How will Ajax’s strategy adapt to ensure long-term competitiveness amid financial challenges?
D a staggering loss of around fifty to seventy million euros. Unfortunately, another financial bloodbath is anticipated next year, so tightening our belts is a necessity.”
When Alex Kroes stepped in as general manager in 2023, discussions began about the potential for significant job reductions at Ajax, with estimates suggesting that as many as eighty full-time positions could vanish in the restructuring process. Verweij notes, “It’s likely we’ll need to make these cuts a reality.”
Over the past five years, Ajax expanded its workforce by a hundred, bringing the total number of full-time employees to approximately five hundred. However, with declining revenues stemming from poor on-field performances and a missed opportunity to compete in the lucrative Champions League, this expansion is no longer feasible. The aim is to shrink the organization down to a more manageable size of 300 to 350 full-time staff.
This reduction in workforce will not only affect administrative roles but will also extend to critical departments such as youth development and scouting, which are integral to the club’s success. Despite the dire situation, Ajax management assures fans that their survival is not at stake, even amid continuing absence from European competitions, raising pertinent questions about the club’s long-term strategy to compete in an increasingly challenging football landscape where financial efficiency is paramount.
While a leaner organization can foster focus and agility, it also poses risks regarding the club’s ambitions. As they brace for this financial storm, Ajax faces the task of navigating its future with careful planning and perhaps a touch of good fortune. The coming months will be critical for the club as it seeks to balance sustainability with its storied legacy in football.
