Ajax have parted ways with former Arsenal Head of Recruitment Sven Mislintat, citing the lack of broad support within the organisation while an investigation is launched into one of the club’s signings.
Ajax released a statement on Sunday to confirm that Sven Mislintat would be ending his collaboration with the club with immediate effect.
Mislintat had been working as a Director of Football for Ajax, taking on the role less than six months ago.
But Ajax have now announced that due to the “lack of broad support within the organisation”, they’ve decided to part ways with Mislintat.
The club add that parting ways with Mislintat is unrelated to the forensic accountant investigation announced last Wednesday.
Per their statement, Ajax signed Borna Sosa, who was represented by AKA Global over the summer.
AKA Global are a shareholder in Matchmetrics, founded by Mislintat, and they reportedly earned a commission from Ajax for brokering the transfer.
Ajax say they were aware of the connection, but there will be an independent investigation into whether Mislintat breached any stock exchange rules.
The timing of Mislintat’s subsequent departure may raise some eyebrows, but Ajax claim the two things aren’t linked.
De Telegraaf heavily implicated Mislintat, alleging WhatsApp conversations between Sosa and Thies Bliemeister, a manager at player advisory agency ICM Stellar, suggesting that Mislintat wanted to proceed with the Sosa deal only with AKA Global co-owner Arthur Beck.
It’s important to note that the presumption of innocence applies, and no one has officially confirmed these allegations which hint at corruption. The Stellar Group has not responded to inquiries about De Telegraaf’s portrayal, and both Beck and Sosa have denied it.
The key issue concerns who is genuinely advising Sosa, as both Stellar and Beck claim to represent him, an ambiguity allowed in Germany but not the Netherlands.
Sosa was keen to part ways with VfB Stuttgart. Stellar reportedly put forth informal proposals from both Eintracht Frankfurt and FC Sevilla, but these were untenable for various reasons for both Sosa and his club.
Preliminary talks were also held with AC Milan, though they didn’t progress as far as those with Frankfurt and Sevilla.
A report from Kicker suggests that an independent advisor, not linked with Stellar or AKA Global, was the individual who paved the way for potential talks with Milan.
An external group’s inquiry into Ajax will need to examine Stellar’s role and ascertain whether the WhatsApp conversations mentioned in De Telegraaf have any real incriminating substance.
Separately, it was stressed that the exit of Mislintat from his position has no bearing on the Sosa affair.
Mislintat, who has refrained from commenting, reportedly tried to pressure Ajax’s head coach Maurice Stejn’s team selection on Friday.
As a result, few players scouted by Mislintat were chosen for the match against Feyenoord which was ultimately abandoned.
Soon after, Mislintat was gone from Ajax.