THE HAGUE, May 23 (Xinhua) -- Ajax have reached an agreement with Francesco Farioli and OGC Nice for the transfer of the head coach to Ajax, the Amsterdam based soccer club announced on Thursday.
The 35-year-old Italian signed a three-year contract until mid-2027. Farioli's so far short career as head coach started in 2021 at Fatih Karagumruk in the Turkish Super Lig and later that year he signed for Alanyaspor. Last season he led OGC Nice to the fifth place in the French Ligue 1.
"We want to reconnect with the DNA of the club, aiming to bring new energy with a positive way of working and thinking," Farioli stated in a press release. "I'm aware that there is a lot of work to do, but we have already begun preparing. We don't want to waste any time getting ready for the new season and bringing Ajax back to where it belongs."
In October last year Ajax fired coach Maurice Steijn after only four months at the helm after a disappointing start of the season, hitting a historically low of last place in the Eredivisie. With John van't Schip as successor, Ajax managed to climb to the fifth place.
"Francesco is a coach who is passionately engaged in his profession," technical director Alex Kroes said. "We became very enthusiastic through the conversations we had with him, but also through the information we had gathered about him beforehand." ■
