The Voice of Holland scandal has shaken up the whole of the Netherlands: tackling abuse is high on the agenda at companies and is keeping the minds busy. Now that Overmars, the ex-director of football affairs, is stepping down, the question arises: what are the consequences of this, what is the culture like at Ajax and could this lead to sponsors withdrawing their support? Sports Economist at Erasmus School of Economics Thomas Peeters offers an answer.
Companies and Dutch football clubs
According to Peeters, the influence of commercial parties on football clubs in the Netherlands is relatively large: 'Compared to other European countries, the income from TV rights is not high in the Netherlands. That makes sponsorship and commerce more important. That is why this issue is risky for Ajax'. Whether this will actually lead to the sponsors of Ajax pulling the plug and dissolving their agreement, is not clear. Peeters: 'This is the first time in Europe that a club has found itself in a MeToo case so clearly. Recent bribery scandals in Belgium and Italy show that clubs are not that bothered. You would think that companies would not want to be associated with bribery and fraud. But it scares few sponsors. This is a scandal of a different order, with possibly different reactions.' The situation of Manchester United player Mason Greenwood, who was arrested for assaulting his girlfriend, is telling: Nike cancelled the cooperation. There is a negative momentum for this kind of scandal', says Peeters. You saw that in the reactions to the revelations about The Voice of Holland. Sponsors are under pressure not to let such matters pass unchallenged.'
Consequences for European Football
Peeters points out that Ajax has a very different position in the Netherlands than in European football. 'In the Netherlands, Ajax has a big financial head start. If it's bad luck in terms of income, that doesn't have to be a problem. It's different in the Champions League. To perform there, Ajax needs every euro.' Only the future will tell what the consequences will be: until then, we have to wait and see.
