Kroes, who took up the roles of CEO and chairman of the board on March 15, was selected to replace Edwin van der Sar, who stepped down from his positions as general director and CEO in May 2023. The decision to suspend Kroes arose following Ajax’s discovery that he had bought more than 17,000 shares in the club just a week before his official appointment on August 2, 2023. After seeking advice from legal experts, the club suspects Kroes may have committed insider trading, a serious breach of trust and legality.

A club statement expresses deep disappointment at this development, considering it highly detrimental to Ajax and its stakeholders. Kroes’ actions are deemed inconsistent with Ajax’s principles, particularly given the timing of his share purchase, which suggests insider trading. Such misconduct, especially by the CEO of a publicly listed company, cannot be tolerated. After careful deliberation, the supervisory board has determined that Kroes’ position as a director of Ajax is untenable. It is emphasized that the technical policy will proceed with the existing personnel, following the trajectory Ajax was already on under Kroes.

Kroes’ suspension compounds Ajax’s challenges during a difficult season in sports. Presently positioned fifth in the Eredivisie, they trail eight points behind fourth place for European qualification.

Furthermore, their administrative appointments have fallen short of expectations. Sven Mislintat’s brief stint as sporting director abruptly ended after just 129 days in September 2023 due to a conflict of interest investigation. He succeeded Marc Overmans, who resigned amid allegations of inappropriate behavior, including sending inappropriate messages to female staff members. Overmars’ departure coincided with a decline in club shares amid growing stakeholder doubts.

Meanwhile, Maurice Steijn, preceding current manager John van ‘t Schip, was asked to depart after overseeing the club’s worst run in 54 years.

In response to Ajax’s decision, Kroes has released a statement expressing his longstanding association with the club and his purchase of shares out of loyalty and confidence, not for financial gain. He expresses disagreement with the supervisory board’s decision, intending to seek independent judgment from the AFM. Kroes regrets the turmoil caused to Ajax and hopes for a swift resolution, stepping back from club affairs henceforth.

Following Kroes’ suspension, board members will temporarily assume his responsibilities, with Michael van Praag overseeing operations as delegated commissioner. The Ajax board plans to convene an Extraordinary General Meeting of the Shareholders (EGM) to address Kroes’ dismissal and plot a new direction for the club.

Ajax is scheduled to face Go Ahead Eagles on April 4, with Jordan Henderson and the team aiming for consecutive victories after a 3-1 win against PEC Zwolle last weekend, ending a four-match winless streak across all competitions.

The Supervisory Board of AFC Ajax NV has decided to suspend Alex Kroes, CEO and chairman of the board, with immediate effect and intends to terminate the collaboration permanently.

— AFC Ajax (@AFCAjax) April 2, 2024

Jordan Henderson

This season he played in total 17 times for 1528 minutes for Pro League.

Jordan Henderson didn’t score any goal for Al Ettifaq. He procured 4 assists. He received 4 yellow cards and no red cards.

His team is currently 6th in Pro League. In the last match Al Ettifaq drew 2-2 against Al Ahli. The next match in Pro League will be against Al Fateh.

Ajax performance and stats

Ajax is currently 5th in the Eredivisie with 44 points.

In the last 26 games, it has won 12 times, drawn 9 times, and lost 5 times. In its last match, Ajax won 1-3 against PEC Zwolle.​​

It has a positive goal difference after scoring 60 goals and conceding 48.​

Ajax will play the next match in Eredivisie against Go Ahead Eagles on Thursday 4th of April in Amsterdam. The prediction is Ajax winning the match.​