Ajax said it had learned that Alex Kroes had purchased more than 17,000 shares in the club a week before his planned appointment.
Ajax announced on Tuesday that it was suspending its CEO and president Alex Kroes on suspicion of insider trading, adding more woe to the Dutch giants who have endured a horror season.
The club said it had learned that Kroes had purchased more than 17,000 Ajax shares a week before his appointment was announced on August 2, 2023.
“The supervisory board requested an external legal opinion, which indicates that he probably engaged in insider trading. Insider trading is a criminal offense,” the club said in a statement.
The club’s supporters’ association said the news had come as a “bombshell” for already suffering supporters.
“The misery at Ajax continues and cannot be stopped… It is almost impossible to understand,” the association said in a blog post.
Kroes himself admitted it was “not the wisest decision”, but said he intended to send a “positive signal to radiate confidence in the club”.
He said he would not accept the decision and regretted the damage it caused to the club.
The latest developments are a fresh distraction for Ajax, who have suffered the worst start to a season in the Dutch top flight, briefly strengthening the Eredivisie table as fan frustration boiled over into violence.
The club of Johan Cruyff, Marco van Basten and Dennis Bergkamp, Ajax have struggled somewhat since those dark days, but still occupy an unknown fifth place in the Dutch top flight.
A humiliating 28 points behind rivals PSV Eindhoven, four-time European champions Ajax have work to do to even qualify for European football next season.
