ANTWERP, Belgium (AP) — Former Dutch soccer great Marc Overmars was appointed sports director at Belgian club Antwerp on Monday, only weeks after abruptly quitting at Ajax following accusations of sexual harassment.
Overmars relinquished his sports director role at Ajax last month and apologized for sending inappropriate messages to female colleagues.
“I want to turn the Ajax page and start a new chapter here,” Overmars was quoted as saying in Belgian media. “My departure from Ajax was unfortunate. I have to overcome that and move on, that’s what I’m going to do now. What happened at Ajax had no influence on my discussions with Antwerp, which went well. It will not happen again."
Antwerp general manager Sven Jaecques said he did not consult with the female employees of the club before hiring Overmars.
“We are also a club that wants to give people a second chance," he was quoted as saying.
Overmars was a renowned winger in his playing days for Ajax, Arsenal and Barcelona. He has signed a four-year deal at Antwerp, where he replaced Luciano d’Onofrio.
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