Jordi Cruyff, son of soccer legend Johan Cruyff, is returning to Ajax Amsterdam after a long absence. The 51-year-old will become sporting director at the Dutch club.
Ajax Amsterdam officially confirmed on Sunday evening what De Telegraaf had already reported recently. The Dutch record champions announced that Jordi Cruyff will join the traditional club in February as the new sporting director and successor to Alex Kroes. “Ajax Amsterdam and Jordi Cruyff have reached a verbal agreement on the position of sporting director,” the announcement read. Although the deal is not yet finalized, the Amsterdam club is aiming to sign a contract effective February 1, 2026, as soon as possible. His contract will initially run until June 30, 2028.
Amsterdam closely associated with the Cruyff name
The 51-year-old is not unknown for two reasons. After all, Jordi Cruyff is the son of icon Johan Cruyff, who was trained at Ajax from 1959 and ultimately played there from 1964 to 1973 (winning three European Cup titles) and again in the 1980s, followed by years as a coach.
His son Jordi was also initially trained in Amsterdam (1981 to 1988) before moving on to FC Barcelona, like his father. After decades away—most recently as a strategic advisor to the Indonesian Football Association—Cruyff is now returning. And with him, the Ajax stadium, which was renamed the Johan Cruyff Arena in 2016, some time after the death of his father Johan.
The position that Cruyff has now been assigned was also held more than two years ago, between May and September 2023, by former Bundesliga official and current Düsseldorf sporting director Sven Mislintat.
In addition to his position with the Indonesian association, Cruyff also brings with him a wealth of experience from his work as an official and coach at Maccabi Tel Aviv, the Chinese clubs Chongqing Lifan and Shenzhen FC, and FC Barcelona. He also coached the Ecuadorian national team, Germany’s opponent at the upcoming 2026 World Cup in North America, in 2020.
