Netherlands shocked by Overmars' appointment at Royal Antwerp FC

People in the Netherlands react with shock after the announcement that Marc Overmars will get a new top job at football club Royal Antwerp FC. The former footballer was fired by the Dutch football club Ajax at the beginning of February, after years of transgressive behaviour.

When Royal Antwerp FC announced on Monday that the Dutchman would get a top job at the club, it did not only raise eyebrows in Flanders. Many Dutch people are not happy with the appointment of the ex-top footballer.

"There is a group of people who don't mind what he has done. But you can be surprised at the speed with which he gets back to work. There even is an investigation into the case at the Dutch Institute for Sports Law," Dutch football commentator Suse van Kleef said during an interview with Het Journaal Laat (VRT). 

Marc Overmars is a big name in Dutch football. He played for clubs like Ajax and Arsenal and was an important player in the Dutch national team for 11 years. After his football career, he returned to Ajax as director of football affairs. He worked there for 10 years, until last February. The scandal surrounding his transgressive behaviour, during which he sent photos of his penis to female colleagues, put an end to his career in the Netherlands. "I want to put it behind me and start a new chapter," he said at the Royal Antwerp FC press conference. 

"The director said that he did not consult with the female staff of the club. He also said that he had spoken to Overmars about his norms and values and that they agreed. What on earth are the norms and values of the club," Van Kleef wondered.

Like the Belgian football club, the supporters association of Royal Antwerp FC only want to look at the sports achievements of Marc Overmars, which Van Kleef believes is giving a wrong signal: "Then you are actually saying that someone can misbehave, as long as the football is good."

© BELGA