Edwin van der Sar
Nationality: Dutch
Date of birth: 29 October 1970
Club role: CEO of AFC Ajax
ECA Executive Board Member since: 2013
Biography
Former AFC Ajax, Juventus, Manchester United FC and Dutch national team goalkeeper Edwin van der Sar is now the CEO of AFC Ajax.
The Amsterdam-based club is the most successful team in the history of Dutch football and over the years, has produced many of the world’s best players such as van der Sar, Johan Cruyff, Marco van Basten, Frank Rijkaard, Dennis Bergkamp, Clarence Seedorf and Wesley Sneijder.
Ajax has always been synonymous with developing young talent. Van der Sar describes Ajax as “a club that focus on producing young players” with the club’s academy built on Cruyff’s football ideology and the club as a whole prioritising youth where possible. In 2017, AFC Ajax reached the UEFA Europa League Final, which they lost against Manchester United FC.
After calling time on his playing career, van der Sar did a master’s degree in Sports and Brand Management at the Johan Cruyff Institute before joining AFC Ajax in November 2012 as Marketing Director. He is part of a cadre of former players now working at the club to implement the club’s philosophies on the next generation. Since 2016, van der Sar has been CEO and Chairman of the managing board of AFC Ajax.