Mislintat named Ajax DoF; de Haan promoted to Heerenveen GM

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by Jonathan Rest

Ajax have secured a major coup in their quest for a new Director of Football, hiring the highly-regarded German executive Sven Mislintat.

We have been able to fill this important position with an internationally experienced Director of Football who can start quickly. A careful process preceded the search for the right person. We were looking for someone who stands for attacking and attractive football. Someone who has an international network, and has an eye for scouting, development, and the growth of our own youth. Sven meets the profile.

Edwin van der Sar

CEO, Ajax

Big coup for Ajax

Mislintat (pictured) has signed a contract in Amsterdam until June 2026, and is expected to begin work next month. He revealed he had been in talks with the club since February.

Since the departure of Marc Overmars in early 2022, the vacant position of Director of Football at Ajax was filled by the Technical Managers Gerry Hamstra and Klaas Jan Huntelaar.

Huntelaar will remain a Technical Manager and will report to Mislintat, while Hamstra announced his departure last week as he seeks a high-level position in football.

Mislintat left his role as Sporting Director of VfB Stuttgart in November 2022, after deciding he would not seek to extend his contact beyond this season as he sought new opportunities.

He joined VfB in April 2019, after a little over one year as Head of Scouting at Arsenal FC. He made a name for himself in Germany as Chief Scout of Borussia Dortmund.

Ajax CEO Edwin van der Sar said: "It is good for Ajax that we have been able to fill this important position with an internationally experienced football director who can start quickly. A careful process preceded the search for the right person. We were looking for someone who stands for attacking and attractive football. Someone who has an international network, and has an eye for scouting, development, and the growth of our own youth. Sven meets the profile."

Experienced scout on the move

Mislintat will, however, have to do without the services of Henk Veldmate, who is quitting as Ajax's Head of Scouting after seven years to rejoin FC Groningen.

Veldmate will take up the position of International Scout at Groningen in mid-June, with a contract to September 2026.

He worked for Groningen between 1995 and 2016, before joining Ajax.

De Haan takes steps up

At Eredivisie rivals SC Heerenveen, Ferry de Haan has been promoted to General Manager.

He has been Technical Director since 2021, and has now signed a three-year contract as GM, effective June 1.

A former CEO of Excelsior, de Haan succeeds Cees Roozemond, who is stepping down after four years as GM.

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Big coup for Ajax

Experienced scout on the move

De Haan takes steps up

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