Francesco Farioli decides to leave Ajax after historic title collapse
Francesco Farioli has announced his departure from Ajax Amsterdam following a dramatic end to the 2024-25 Eredivisie season, in which the club surrendered a nine-point lead to miss out on what would have been a record 37th league title.PSV Eindhoven snatched the championship on the final day, finishing one point ahead after overturning a nine-point deficit in the closing weeks of the campaign.advertisementFarioli was appointed last summer on a three-year deal after arriving from French side OGC Nice. Brought in to revive Ajax following a disappointing fifth-place finish in 2023-24, the 36-year-old became the club's first Italian manager and the first non-Dutchman in the role since 1998.
Ajax appeared to be cruising to the title, holding a commanding lead at the top as late as April 19. But a string of poor results allowed PSV to close the gap and eventually overtake them. Despite Ajax's 2-0 win over FC Twente on the final day, PSV's 3-1 victory at Sparta Rotterdam sealed back-to-back titles for the Eindhoven side.Farioli has decided to leave Ajax after careful consideration. The head coach has informed the club's board of his decision.Thanks for everything, Francesco!— AFC Ajax (@AFCAjax) May 19, 2025advertisementIn a statement released after the match, Farioli confirmed his decision to step down, citing differences in vision with the club's hierarchy."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," he said. "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, visibly emotional after the match, said managing Ajax had been a privilege and pointed to his role in reshaping the club's sporting culture during a transitional year.Ajax technical director Alex Kroes called the coach's departure "incredibly disappointing," especially after the team achieved Champions League qualification."Francesco played a key role in enhancing the high-performance culture at Ajax, for which we are extremely grateful," Kroes said. "This summer was already set to be a challenging transfer window, and it has now become even more so. It's up to us to ensure a strong new coaching team is in place by the time pre-season begins on June 26."
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