Explicit images, a heart attack and a worldwide ban – the wild life of Marc Overmars

A severe blow for Marc Overmars. The Royal Antwerp FC technical director has been be banned by FIFA worldwide after inappropriate behaviour towards female staff at Ajax, according to NRC. That is what the Dutch newspaper reportedly heard via email from the world football federation.

Overmars originally received a one-year ban (plus one year suspended) in the Netherlands, but this will now be extended to international level. As a result, Overmars must cease all football activities until mid-November 2024.

The ruling is a blot on the career of Overmars, who as a footballer won trophies in both the Netherlands and England. After his playing days, the Dutchman never really left football, causing controversy. Let's take a look back at Overmars' footballing career and life.

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Overmars started his career with Go Ahead Eagles in 1990, but would soon take the next step.

In 1991, he signed for Willem II, where he only played for a year.

It was Ajax who recruited Overmars in 1992, for a transfer fee estimated at €908,000, according to Transfermarkt.

The winger won several trophies with the Amsterdam club, the first of which was the Dutch Cup in his first season.

In his first year, Overmars was a constant threat to opponents and was awarded the Golden Boot for best player in the Eredivisie by Dutch newspaper De Telegraaf and Dutch football magazine Voetbal International.

After winning his first Dutch title in 1993/94, Overmars set his sights on European glory the following season. He made it to the Champions League final with Ajax, where he beat AC Milan 1-0 to add another trophy to his tally. It was Overmars's most successful season as a footballer, with Ajax dominating Dutch and international football.

In 1997, Overmars's Ajax story came to and end when he signed with Arsene Wenger's Arsenal.

Overmars scored a number of important goals for the Gunners, notably against Manchester United in the Premier League and Newcastle United in the 1998 FA Cup final, the year Arsenal claimed the double.

In 2000, Arsenal reached the UEFA Cup final against Galatasaray. It was Overmars's final game for the Gunners, and they lost on penalties.

After the 1999/00 season, Overmars was transferred to FC Barcelona, who paid €29.3 million, as stated by Transfermarkt, for the player, making him the most expensive Dutch footballer ever at the time.

However, his time at Camp Nou was not as fruitful as in Amsterdam and London, and Overmars did not win a single trophy with the Blaugrana.

Overmars retired in 2004 due to a problem with his knee, after a career rich in trophies but also injuries.

Overmars later made a brief comeback with Go Ahead Eagles and SV Epe, before retiring for good.

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Overmars not only showed his class for the clubs he played for, but also for the Netherlands. He made 86 appearances for his country, in which he scored 17 goals.

After his retirement, Overmars stayed in football and began working as technical director of Go Ahead Eagles in 2009.

In July 2012, he was appointed technical director at Ajax.

With Overmars on its board, Ajax built a great team with players like Frenkie de Jong and Matthijs de Ligt and reached the semi-finals of the Champions League.

However, the success story came to an end in February 2022, when Overmars stepped down after sending inappropriate messages and explicit photos to female colleagues.

That did not stop Belgium's Royal Antwerp FC, however, from signing Overmars as its new technical director in March 2022. It was a controversial move, causing the club to lose several sponsors.

Overmars did not look back and built a good Antwerp team that won the double in the 2022/23 season.

In December 2022, tragedy struck for Overmars when he suffered a cardiac arrest, forcing him to take it easy for a while.

Overmars also focuses on things other than football. He reportedly runs a real estate business with his family.

After his career, he was also involved in vintage cars and ran the company 'Overmars Classic Cars', which he sold, he told Arsenal Magazine in 2007.

Overmars fared well financially during his career, in which he played for several big clubs, but also made a lot of money from business ventures after his retirement. According to thinkrich.nl, Overmars has an estimated worth of around €50 million in 2023.

In his private life, Overmars is married to former Miss Netherlands Chantal van Woensel.

Despite his controversies, Overmars is still a big name in Dutch football, even after his active playing career.

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