Ajax has much going for it-especially its phenomenal player development and its excellent approach to communicating with fans, which cuts across multiple communication pathways. However, the company has a problem with player attrition. In essence, it is developing players for the competition, because they stay with Ajax just long enough to become outstanding and then move on to accept offers elsewhere.
The major issues inherent in Ajax's problem include the fact that it sees "selling" players as a source of revenue and its migration from being a club to being a business. Ajax's primary source of profitability is its outstanding players, and it takes three years to train each one adequately, so selling its talent to pay for coaches and cover other costs is a failure tactic that has resulted in its churning through players rather than keeping talent on board. In its transition from club to business, Ajax has also done an excellent job of building its brand, but it has sacrificed players to do so.
Strategic alternatives that Ajax could consider are community-based ownership and funding through a nonprofit organization. Community-based ownership would ensure that Ajax could focus on retaining its best players rather than merely grooming them for the competition, as it would no longer be forced to sell players in order to fund its operations. Community-based ownership would also have the advantage of engaging the community in Ajax's success, thus building substantial local support for the team. In addition, community-based ownership would leverage community resources on behalf of the team so that many things that the team currently pays for might be contributed by the community, or at least offered at lower cost. The formation of a nonprofit organization to fund the team's operation also has benefits, especially protection of assets.
The chief recommendation is opting for community-based owner...