Along with Farioli, assistant coaches Daniele Cavalletto and Felipe Sanchez Mateos, as well as goalkeeping coach Jarkko Tuomisto, will also depart from the club.
36-year-old Francesco Farioli joined Ajax in the summer of 2024 after spending one season at Ligue 1 side OGC Nice. The Italian manager signed a three-year contract that ran until June 2027, and took over a club in turmoil after two disastrous seasons.
Farioli impressed in his one season in Amsterdam by stabilising the club and making it competitive in Europe. He reached the last 16 of the UEFA Europa League before getting knocked out by Eintracht Frankfurt.
In the Eredivisie, Ajax were en route to an improbable 37th league title, carrying a 9-point lead into the final five games of the season. However, Farioli's side squandered that lead and saw rivals PSV win a second-straight title on the last day of the season.
'Absolute privilege'
"My journey at Ajax started almost one year ago, at De Toekomst, with the aim of bringing Ajax back to where it belongs," Farioli says on the club website.
"And it ended at the Johan Cruyff ArenA, finally bringing Ajax back to the Champions League, the biggest stage of European football. We wanted to bring new energy to the whole Ajax community, sharing a positive way of working and thinking with the club at all levels.
"Being Ajax's first non-Dutch coach since 1998 and the club's first-ever Italian one have been an absolute privilege: together with my staff, we embraced this huge challenge with respect, responsibility, passion and determination to succeed. Earning the respect and support from Ajax fans, we felt throughout the whole season, meant a lot to me and my staff. We lived unbelievable and unforgettable moments all together: a unique, intense, emotional season in which we shared belief, fighting spirit and pride, finally achieving our goal, accomplishing our mission."
After Sunday's 2-0 win over FC Twente, rumours spread about Farioli's future at Ajax after a noncommittal answer during the post-match interview with ESPN: "The future of Ajax is most important," the Italian said.
Tensions
ESPN reported that tensions were rising between Farioli and the executive board, which includes technical director Alex Kroes, general manager Menno Geelen, and director of football Marijn Beuker. Farioli and Kroes reportedly could not agree on several crucial issues, including transfer business, tactics, the extension of several contracts, and club finances.
"The management and I have the same goals for the future of Ajax, but we have different visions and timeframes about the way we should work and operate to achieve those goals. Given these differences in the principles and foundations of the project, I feel deep in my heart that this is the best moment to part ways," Farioli explained.
Technical director Alex Kroes, with whom Farioli also reportedly disagreed about a transfer for club icon Dusan Tadic, a player Farioli would not want in his squad, has said he finds Farioli's sudden departure "incredibly disappointing" after a surprising season.
"It’s been an intense season filled with many memorable moments, and we achieved our goal: qualifying for next season’s Champions League. Francesco also played a key role in enhancing the high-performance culture at Ajax, for which we are extremely grateful."
Farioli was Ajax's fifth manager in two years after Alfred Schreuder and Maurice Steijn were fired in 2024. Caretaker managers John Heitinga and John van 't Schip also left the club after their tenures.
"This summer was already set to be a challenging transfer window, and it has now become even more so. It is up to us to ensure that a strong new coaching team is in place when pre-season preparations begin on 26 June."