Former Dutch winger and Ajax’s ex-director of football Marc Overmars has been provisionally banned from Dutch football for one year. Overmars was found guilty of sending inappropriate images and videos of himself to female staff at Ajax. The Dutch Sports Tribunal (ISR) also ruled that the 50-year-old will not be able to hold any position within the Dutch FA for the next two years.
The ISR’s decision took into account the public’s attention and the damage to Overmars’ reputation. But it mainly focused on the length and repetition of his inappropriate conduct.
In February 2022, Overmars announced his resignation from Ajax, in which he admitted to the misconduct and expressed remorse. A month after his resignation, however, he was offered a job as technical director at the Belgian club Royal Antwerp.
The immediate impact of the ban on Overmars’ employment in Belgium is still unclear. The sanction imposed by the ISR is only applicable to entities within the Netherlands Football Association (NFA). Overmars’ sentence is significantly less than the five-year minimum.
“When considering the appropriate punishment, the disciplinary committee took into account the fact that this affair has received a lot of publicity and that the accused has been damaged by it,” the ISR said in its ruling according to news agency AFP.
Also Read:
- Harry Maguire receives positive messages from England teammates Jude Bellingham & Declan Rice
- Lionel Messi set to make history with another Olympics appearance? Know details
- Barcelona set to sell old Camp Nou seats as new way to solve financial issues?
Overmars played for Ajax and won the Champions League in 1995. He also played in four major international competitions for the Dutch national team. After retiring from playing, he became the sporting director of Ajax in 2012.