Alex Kroes appointed LASK vice‑chairman as Ajax tenure ends

Alex Kroes has been named the new vice‑chairman of LASK, the Austrian champions based in Linz, after announcing his departure from Ajax at the end of January. The 51‑year‑old former Go Ahead Eagles player will take up the role amid LASK’s partnership with Ajax. LASK, located in Linz, secured the Austrian league title and maintains a partnership with Ajax. The champion’s status was highlighted in the announcement of Kroes’s appointment. "LASK has it in them to not only perform well in Austria," Alex Kroes said on Tuesday on the club’s website. He added that he wants to use his experience and contacts across Europe to help chart the club’s future course. Various media outlets reported that Kroes will also receive shares in the Austrian champions. LASK itself has not confirmed any share allocation. The 51‑year‑old is a former owner of the real‑estate agency SEG and a former Eredivisie player for Go Ahead Eagles. He expressed a desire to help improve the club’s structure and culture. "We now need his expertise and network in Europe," LASK president Christoph Königslehner said about Kroes’s arrival. Königslehner emphasized the importance of Kroes’s European contacts for the club’s ambitions. At Ajax, Alex Kroes was hired as general director but purchased shares in the club shortly before his start date. The share purchase led to his suspension and reassignment to a different position. The appointment of John Heitinga as coach proved unsuccessful, and he was dismissed after the team failed to maintain the upward trajectory set under Francesco Farioli. Following Heitinga’s sacking, Kroes’s tenure at Ajax came to an end.