Ajax Cape Town’s only focus is promotion

Ajax Cape Town Football Club has noted with disgust the malicious and defamatory reports published by Sport24 under the title “Efstathiou leaves partnership with Ajax Amsterdam on brink of collapse” written by one Baden Gillion.

In the report, Sport24 makes all sorts of unfounded allegations that are backed by a statement issued by disgruntled ex-employees that tried to hold the Club at ransom and resigned after their attempts failed.

Mr. Ari Efstathiou commented that “this level of journalism is quite concerning and shocking to say the least. The journalist in question did not bother to contact me and give me an opportunity to reply as all journalist are obliged to do. Had he bothered to do so, he would have noted that the accusations against me are baseless.”

Ajax recently issued a statement on the resignation of the former Head Coach Mr. Adries Ulderink in which it detailed the circumstances of Mr. Ulderink departure.

In that statement Ajax also noted that Mr. Hans Vonk had been placed on suspension pending an investigation into allegations of serious misconduct against him. Mr. Vonk subsequently resigned from his position at the Club.

Mr. Efstathiou added that “Mr Ulderink resigned after his demands were not acceded to by the Club. Mr Vonk resigned in the middle of an investigation into serious allegations of misconduct against him in a clear move designed to conceal all the facts and avoid going through the disciplinary process.

“In both instances, neither I nor the Club could have forced them to stay when it was clear that their hearts were no longer with the Club and would not act in the best interests of the Club if they were compelled to stay. The joint statement by Mr. Ulderink and Mr. Vonk and the report by Sport24 are nothing but malicious attempts to derail the efforts of the Club to gain promotion into the Premier Division of the PSL.

“It is sad and concerning that a publication like Sport24 has elected to abandon all journalistic ethics in order to further an agenda by discredited individuals who thought they were bigger than the Club.”

Ajax and Mr. Efstathiou will be seeking legal advice on this malicious report by Sport24 and will exercise all its rights, including but not limited to filing a complaint with the Press Ombudsman.

Neither Ajax Cape Town nor Mr. Efstathiou will be commenting any further on this matter and will instead focus all energy on the remaining 10 matches in the league.