Marc Overmars

Former Gunners
#1

Marc Overmars is a Dutch former footballer and the current director of football at Ajax. During his footballing career, he played as a winger and was renowned for his speed and technical skills.

Overmars was born in Emst and was passionate about football at an early age. He began his playing career at SV Epe before joining Go Ahead Eagles’ youth team in 1987. He secured a place in the first team by the 1990–91 season, but joined Willem II in time for the following season. His stay at the club was short; after 31 appearances he signed for Ajax in 1992. He established himself as a key member of the team that won three Eredivisie titles from between 1994 and 1996 and the UEFA Champions League in 1995. In December 1995, Overmars sustained a cruciate ligament injury which ruled him out of playing for eight months.

In 1997, he joined Arsenal; his performances at the club were indifferent to begin with and attracted criticism from football pundits and fans alike. By the end of his first season, Overmars became a focal point of Arsenal’s league and cup double success. He scored the winning goal against league rivals Manchester United which set his team on their way to securing the Premier League title and opened the scoring against Newcastle United in the 1998 FA Cup Final. In 2000, he moved to Barcelona in a deal worth £25 million and became the most expensive player in Dutch football history.

The club failed to win silverware during his stay and numerous managerial changes made him a peripheral player. A persistent knee injury prompted Overmars to announce his retirement in 2004, but he reversed his decision in 2008 and went on to play one season for Go Ahead Eagles before retiring again.

In 2012, he was named as Ajax’s director of football.

Many tabloids and rumors from Amsterdam and London are linking Marc Overmars to Arsenal as new sporting director for the next season.

Our former player joined the Ajax board five years ago as director of football, but I don’t understand how is big his impact on decisions, scouting, if he talks with players and media or prefers to be a ghost figure as Ivan Gazidis.

However, thanks to his work Ajax earned 170M (more or less) from the departures [Vertonghen to Spurs, Anita to Newcastle, van der Wiel to PSG, Eriksen to Spurs, Toby to Atletico Madrid, Blind to Manchester United, De Jong to Newcastle, Milik to Napoli, Cillessen to Barça, Bazoer to Wolfsburg, El Ghazi to Lille, Gudelj to a chinese team, Fischer to Boro].

Talking about the players bought, it’s difficult because Ajax prefers to privilege the Academy’s products. He bought Schone (an important player now for them) for free, Bojan and Cuenca on loan from Barça, Onana for 150k, Milik for 3M, Younes for 2.5M, Bertrand Traorè on loan from Chelsea, Neres for 12M (I don’t know this brazilian player but looks a future super star), Ziyech for 11M and Davinson Sanchez froma a colombian team for 5M (Barça want him).

@DutchGooner, can you help us to know? :eyes:

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#2

Would love him here

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#3

Welcome to Arsenal Mark!

#4

Maybe (even if wenger stays) there are literally going to be changes whether wenger likes it or not. It seems that there are bustlings of Sanchez being offered 300k if he stays here, so Overmars (if he comes) and it seems like the board have overruled this shit socialist wage structure it is a fucking waste of money all it does it gives shit/mediocre players here because you cant offload them and makes it impossible to sign world class players. So maybe there are genuinely changes afoot for life after wenger and even if he stays.

#5

Maybe if he stays they want to reduce his power by appointing Overmars.

#6

yes they probably are starting to slowly pull the plug on wengers regime, even if he stays he is done for, because even if he stays he will get 2 years max and i am DAMN sure that he will not get a new deal at 69-70 the only way he is getting the 2 years is because they dont have a top manager to call on as yet, but it seems like they are undoing the shit he has put up and are starting to go their own way instead of BS wenger has set up and be set up like a proper club!

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#7

No idea what his credentials are as a staff member but I sure did love him as a player. Certainly would be a feel-good appointment. I leave it to more informed people to judge whether it might be an improvement.

#8

Cruijff imported a model during his revolution in which multiple people are responsible for football decisions. The guy whose responsible for the youth (Said Ouaali), coach Peter Bosz, Overmars and Bergkamp as the one who connects them all, are all together responsible for the technical direction of Ajax.

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#9

I know nothing about Overmars time at Ajax bit presumably he’s pretty involved and at this stage has almost certainly had involvement in appointing a new manager after DeBoer left.

Don’t remember hearing it at the time but plenty of stories from last summer about Chelsea supposedly wanting him for the role.

#10

Very interesting manager for the future.

#11

he loaned sanogo ffs.

3 Likes
#12

If Overmars has genuine connections in the industry, bring him in. Just hope he knows what the fuck he’s doing otherwise it’ll be a pointless acquisition.

#13

Good Rangers lad. Bring him on.

#14

Overmars has said that the link to Arsenal is “not exciting yet” :joy:

To be fair, what those who think getting rid of the manager will solve all problems (not that I don’t think the manager should go) are perhaps failing to appreciate is that the mess behind the scenes at the club is well known. It will be difficult for us to attract quality or even competent staff.

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#15

What’s your idea of competent staff? Should we start preparing ourselves for life under Steve Kean?

As much as I agree that Wenger going doesn’t solve everything I feel like the problems the club have are exaggerated because he is such a focus for everything about the club. We can and will attract quality staff right from the off once he is gone.

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#16

Will we though?

I guess. It’s incredible to think Liverpool were able to get Klopp after years in the wilderness with managers like Hodgson, Dalglish and Rodgers.

Those are my biggest fears.

#17

Yes.

Who we appoint might well be another matter…

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#18

Nobody thinks that. But were in a situation were we can not take that step. Especially since the only thing that spoke in Wenger’s favour still (top four) has become an uncertainty with him too.

#19

Are we not that far away right now of one of them seasons. Hodgson was a disaster. Dalglish made 2 domestic finals in a season and Rodgers was a hairs breath of a title.
Not saying thats the full picture on those but if you consider Leciester taking the title and having a decent campaign in europe dont see the fear anymore.

#20

The direct quotes coming from Overmars seem to suggest he wants to continue his project at Ajax so I don’t see anything in this.

He’s just signed a 4 year deal with a resurgent club on the up. He might be choosing his words carefully so as not to offend but I’m not getting anything from his words that he’s interested in this. Maybe one for the future

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