Marc Overmars resigns as Royal Antwerp sports director, citing health and exhaustion
Marc Overmars has stepped down as sports director of Royal Antwerp FC, the Belgian club he joined in 2022, citing health issues and exhaustion. In a letter to supporters published Wednesday, Overmars wrote that his energy is "completely depleted" and that his doctors warned of a high risk of serious consequences if he continued working at the same pace.
Overmars announced his resignation in a personal letter to Royal Antwerp supporters, describing "all the fatigue that has built up over the years and the enormous amount of stress" as central reasons for his departure. He stated he "can no longer cope with this hectic, stressful professional life."
The former Netherlands international winger had previously recovered from a mild stroke in December 2022, shortly after joining Antwerp. In his letter, Overmars wrote that his doctors told him there is "a very high risk of things ending badly" if he does not stop his professional activities, leading him to describe his decision as a "drastic" but necessary one.
Before his time at Antwerp, Overmars spent nearly a decade as director of football at Ajax — the Dutch club where he began his playing career — before resigning in February 2022 after it was found he had sent inappropriate messages to several female colleagues. He apologized for that behavior at the time.