board steps down due to lack of trust
NOS Football–
Unrest within Ajax in a season full of sporting malaise continues. The governing council, an influential body within the club, announced its resignation Wednesday night at a general members’ meeting.
Chairman Frank Eijken says his governing council feels no support for the policies being pursued. The reason for the felt lack of trust is a recent proposal to pay the board of commissioners from now on.
The board of directors represents the eight hundred members of the Ajax association and is major shareholder of the club with 73 percent of the shares. The board is also responsible for appointing the members of the supervisory board, which in turn oversees the Ajax management.
In addition to chairman Eijken, the governing council consists of Wendy Nagel, Sander Mallie and Marc Stuut. The rvc includes Pier Eringa, Jan van Halst, Cees van Oevelen, Georgette Schlick and Annette Morsman.
Dissatisfaction
Recently there has been great dissatisfaction with the plan to remunerate the members of the rvc from now on. Now supervisors still do their work voluntarily.
Initially, the plan was to pay chairman Pier Eringa of the rvc and technical commissioner Jan van Halst 50,000 euros annually. The other members would get 35,000.
Under pressure from prominent members such as Sjaak Swart, Keje Molenaar, Arie van Os and Arie van Eijden, the governing council was willing to reduce those amounts. In the new proposal, there is 45,000 euros for Van Halst, 35,000 euros for Eringa and 25,000 euros for the other three.
Ajax culture
Chairman Eijken planned to agree to the proposed payment at an extraordinary meeting of Ajax NV shareholders later this week. But there was much opposition to this. Some of the members also believe that the board of directors has too much of an ear for the management and too little regard for the “Ajax culture.”
The board’s resignation creates new problems at the Amsterdam club, at a time when the position of director Edwin van der Sar is under pressure and it is still unclear who will be the head coach next season.
