Overmars receives an explicit request: ‘We cannot run the risk that…’
Tuesday, January 16, 2024 at 6:43 PM
Mark van Bommel thinks it is a shame that the national punishment that Marc Overmars received for transgressive behavior during his time as technical director at Ajax is being adopted globally. As a result, he is not allowed to exercise his position as technical director of Royal Antwerp for a year. The reigning Belgian champion does not want any more problems and has banned Overmars from all complexes for the time being.
“Marc has been suspended, but we absolutely don’t know what it means and we are waiting for that,” Van Bommel was quoted as saying by Het Laatste Nieuws on Tuesday in the run-up to the quarter-final match in the Croky Cup on Wednesday evening. FIFA will shortly provide text and explanation regarding Overmars’ suspension.
“I can’t say more about it. I assume that FIFA will come up with a precise punishment as soon as possible,” Van Bommel, like everyone else in Antwerp, is waiting for a decision from the world football association. The trainer does not want to rule out any risk and will therefore not see Overmars at the training complex of the Great Old in the near future.
“Until then, we have said ‘take it easy’. We cannot run the risk of Marc walking around here and having his picture taken. We want to avoid that. We just want an answer as quickly as possible,” said Van Bommel, who could have used the help of the technical director in this transfer month.
“As a trainer, it is strange that the technical director is not there on a daily basis. Marc normally follows all the training sessions, so he can create a good picture. The contracts for incoming and outgoing transfers are all done through Marc.”
“Things are not completely at a standstill, because of course we still have Sven Jacques (general director of Antwerp, ed.), but it is not easy at all,” Van Bommel concludes his story about Overmars’ suspension.
Antwerp is therefore preparing for the away match against OH Leuven in the quarter-finals of the Belgian national cup. The number six in the Jupiler Pro League starts the second half of the season on Sunday with a home match against Charleroi.
