Ajax are set to appoint Francisco Farioli as their new head coach, replacing John van ‘t Schip after a disastrous season. The Dutch side finished fifth in the table, their worst finish since 1999/00. And now, they have reached an agreement with Ligue 1 club OGC Nice for their manager.
The fee in question is €1 million to buy out the remainder of Farioli’s contract, that runs until 2025. Ajax have already agreed personal terms with the manager, with a three year contract on the table for the 35-year-old.
Francisco Farioli to join Ajax as new head coach
🔴⚪️ Francesco Farioli could already fly to Amsterdam on Thursday to sign in as new Ajax head coach until June 2027.
— Fabrizio Romano (@FabrizioRomano) May 22, 2024
Three year deal ready, waiting for final details to be sorted and then he will be unveiled as new manager. pic.twitter.com/MBv77fp4VU
Interestingly, the Italian will become the first foreign manager of Ajax since 1997 when Morten Olsen of Denmark was in charge. And after helping Nice finish fifth in the table, he has now earned a move to Amsterdam.
While Francisco Farioli didn’t play professional football, he worked under former Brighton manager Roberto De Zerbi as the goalkeeping coach at Benevento and Sassuolo. His only first team coaching experience in the past has been with Turkish sides Fatih Karagumruk and Alanyaspor.
An official announcement is expected on Thursday, 23 May, confirming the arrival of the new coach.