Shareholders ask Ajax "what went wrong" with fired football director Sven Mislintat

At the shareholders' meeting, Ajax was asked critical questions about its transfer policy under the dismissed director of football Sven Mislintat. Finance director Susan Lenderink, for example, was asked "what went wrong with your performance".

"Why did you sign 12 transfer deals without critical assessment?" asked Gerben Everts, director of the Shareholders' Association (VEB). Under Mislintat, more than 110 million euros were spent on the arrival of 12 players, many of whom were still relatively inexperienced. Ajax, normally a top club, is currently 12th in the Eredivisie. "We have looked at the valuation models and know that the players were valued much lower than they were paid," Everts continued.

Michael van Praag, shortly before taking office as chairman of the supervisory board, accused Everts of "scoreboard journalism". The value of the newly signed players, whose performances have been disappointing so far, could increase if the quality of soccer also improves, he argued. "With all due respect, you are now judging like a fan," he said.

VEB had previously been very critical of the events surrounding Mislintat, who is now being investigated by auditors and a law firm for possible conflicts of interest. Everts insisted that this investigation should not only examine Mislintat's transfers but also the transfer policy before he took office.

Van Praag promised that Ajax would report transparently on the results. "We would have loved to have the results already, but unfortunately that is not the case. But this also shows that it is being done very thoroughly." Ajax also announced "corrective measures" in the event that conflicts of interest are proven.

Lenderink emphasized that Mislintat had never operated alone in transfers. "Take it from me, we didn't send him off with Ajax's wallet," she said. "There are easily fifteen people involved in a transfer."

Acting Ajax director Jan van Halst, until recently a member of the supervisory board, called football "severely disappointing". When asked about his role as "football commissioner" within the supervisory board, he spoke of a "pressure cooker" in which many new people were hired in a short space of time to determine player policy. "Such a pressure cooker has proven to be a very fragile situation," he said. "I hope that we will have more stability and continuity in the future."