Ball Town

He sent inappropriate messages to women colleagues. Now soccer great Marc Overmars has been banned from world football

January 10, 2024

Former Dutch international Marc Overmars has been handed a global ban from holding a post in soccer after a suspension issued in the Netherlands was extended by the sport’s world governing body FIFA.

Overmars left his position as Ajax’s Director of Football Affairs, which he had held for 10 years, in 2022 after sending inappropriate messages to female colleagues. At the time he said that he was “ashamed” of his “unacceptable behavior,” acknowledging he later realized he was “crossing the line.”

An independent sports tribunal last year banned Overmars, who played for Ajax, Arsenal and Barcelona during his playing career, from any position in Dutch football for two years over the incidents, with one year suspended, Reuters reported.

The Royal Netherlands Football Association (KNVB) commented at the time it had “a duty to report this sanction to FIFA’s disciplinary committee … which has decided to take over the suspension as of Nov. 16, 2023,” per Reuters.

“FIFA can confirm that following a request by the Royal Netherlands Football Association (KNVB), the FIFA Disciplinary Committee has decided to extend the sanction imposed by KNVB on Mr Marc Overmars to have worldwide effect,” a FIFA spokesperson confirmed to CNN in a statement on Wednesday.

It’s not clear when Overmars’ worldwide ban will end, and FIFA didn’t reply to CNN’s request to confirm that timeline.

CNN has reached out to Overmars’ representatives and also Belgian side Royal Antwerp, where the 50-year-old is technical director, for comment.

A spokesperson for Overmars said on Tuesday evening that they had “just been informed” about the ruling of the FIFA disciplinary committee. They still have to study the substantiation, “and that is why we are not responding at this time,” according to Dutch newspaper NRC.

At the time of his appointment at Antwerp, Sven Jaecques, the club’s general manager, said: “It is important to give people new opportunities and to turn the page,” while Overmars promised that, “What has happened at Ajax won’t happen again.”

“I am glad to be here,” added Overmars. “It is a new chapter for me. A beautiful challenge at a club where I see potential to grow,” he said at the time of his appointment, which came little more than a month after his departure from Ajax.

Source: Woodyatt, Amy. “Dutch Soccer Great Marc Overmans given Global Ban from Football for Inappropriate Behavior towards Women.” CNN, Cable News Network, 10 Jan. 2024, http://www.cnn.com/2024/01/10/sport/marc-overmars-global-ban-football-intl-spt/index.html.