Former Dutch great Marc Overmars gets one-year ban for inappropriate messages to female colleagues

By The Associated Press

FILE - Marc Overmars, left, Director of Football of AFC Ajax, shakes hands with Pavel Nedved, Vice President of Juventus FC, at the UEFA headquarters in Nyon, Switzerland, Friday, March 15, 2019. Former Dutch soccer great Marc Overmars has been suspended one year from working in soccer in the Netherlands after admitting to sending inappropriate messages to female colleagues, it was announced Thursday, Nov. 16, 2023. Overmars relinquished his sports director role at Ajax last year and apologized for his behavior because of the scandal. (Salvatore Di Nolfi/Keystone via AP, file)[ASSOCIATED PRESS/Salvatore Di Nolfi]

AMSTERDAM (AP) — Soccer great Marc Overmars has been suspended from working in soccer in the Netherlands for one year after admitting to sending inappropriate messages to female colleagues. Overmars relinquished his sports director role at Dutch club Ajax last year and apologized for his behavior. He was later appointed sports director at Belgian club Antwerp. The Dutch Sports Tribunal decided that Overmars should be prevented from “exercising any function” with any Dutch soccer association-affiliated organization for a period of two years, one of which is suspended. The ban does not affect his job in Belgium. Antwerp did not immediately react to the news of Overmars’ suspension.