After manager John Heitinga was fired earlier in November, technical director Alex Kroes announced he'd put his position up for availability. Kroes said he took responsibility for the club's unstable current situation but would remain as the club's technical director until a replacement was found.
During this week's stakeholders' meeting, Ajax general manager Menno Geelen confirmed that the club will prioritise the search for a new technical director over the search for a new manager.
"We now want to create a long-term solution," Geelen said. "Our ambition is first to appoint a technical director and then work with him to appoint a new manager. That is our preference."
This means that caretaker Fred Grim will remain in his position for the foreseeable future. "These are challenging times," Geelen continued.
"We are working towards structural success. Improvement takes time and cannot be achieved in a single season. We must remain patient and calm."
Maxwell and Jordi Cruyff targets
The search for a new technical director is underway, and names are circulating. Dutch newspaper De Telegraaf revealed that former Ajax players Maxwell and Jordi Cruyff are the club's top targets.
Maxwell played for the club between 2001 and 2006, playing a total of 156 games for the Amsterdam outfit. Following his decorated career, the Brazilian full-back completed UEFA's Executive Master for International Players management course and was appointed assistant football director at Paris Saint-Germain.
Jordi Cruyff, son of football great Johan Cruyff, played for Ajax in the youth ranks before making his professional debut at FC Barcelona in 1994. After his playing career, Cruyff became technical director at AEK Larnaca, Maccabi Tel Aviv, and FC Barcelona. He's currently a technical advisor to the Indonesian national team.