By David Gold
December 12 – Louis van Gaal’s appointment as a director of Dutch champions Ajax has been suspended by a judge temporarily to give the club’s shareholders a chance to vote on the change.
The decision to put van Gaal into the role of a technical director at the Dutch side exposed a rift within their Supervisory Board, four of whom wanted him on the Board, against the wishes of club legend Johan Cruyff, the fifth member of the board.
The three time Ballon D’Or winner has a long running feud with van Gaal and the whole of the board were asked to leave by club shareholders as a result.
“The judge believes these steps are necessary to allow shareholders to decide on the ‘Cruyff line’ or the ‘Van Gaal line,”’ the court said.
The decision to suspend van Gaal’s appointment is a victory for Cruyff, who had sought an injunction against the appointment on the grounds that it clashed with his plan to reorganise the Ajax academy.
Though the judge ruled the appointment was legal, the judgment was that shareholders should have the chance to have their say, and Cruyff has called the decision “a victory for footballers” whilst the club will not comment as yet.
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