Football’s ruling body FIFA has banned Marc Overmars from football activities around the world for one year in connection with inappropriate behaviour, extending an original sanction limited to his Dutch home country.
FIFA said its disciplinary committee extended a two-year ban, one of them suspended, imposed by a Dutch tribunal “to a worldwide effect” upon a Dutch football federation request.
Former Netherlands winger Overmars, who played for clubs including Ajax Amsterdam, Barcelona and Arsenal, was sanctioned over inappropriate messages he sent to female colleagues while he was director of football at Ajax.
He stepped down from the position in February 2022, saying: “I am ashamed. For someone in my position this behaviour is unacceptable.”
Overmars has since worked at Belgian club Royal Antwerp as technical director. He told NRC Handelsblad paper through his spokesman he has been informed of the FIFA decision but did not want to comment on it.