'Absolutely no football knowledge!' - Ajax leadership torn to shreds by Francesco Farioli as Porto coach explains why he quit Dutch giants after promising debut season

Former Ajax boss Farioli has revealed the internal issues that pushed him to leave the Dutch giants after just one season in charge. Speaking to ESPN, the Italian described a dysfunctional environment behind the scenes despite overseeing a campaign in which Ajax came close to winning the Eredivisie title.

Farioli said internal politics and power struggles were preventing the club from moving forward. Ajax’s title challenge collapsed late in the season, with the club surrendering what had appeared to be a strong position in the closing rounds of the campaign. The Italian has since moved to Portugal and enjoyed immediate success with Porto, winning the league title in his first season at the club.

Farioli did not hold back when discussing the atmosphere inside Ajax. The former coach claimed political battles within the club were damaging its long-term prospects. The Italian also questioned the expertise of those responsible for making sporting decisions at the club.

"It is a huge club, but so many political games are being played, there is so much political interest and infighting within the club," Farioli explained. "To be honest, this is not going to move the club forward and it is not going to help get the club competitive again. Too many decisions within the club are made by people who have absolutely no football knowledge. This slowed everything down so badly."

Ultimately, the combination of internal power struggles and a lack of footballing vision from the board made it impossible for Farioli to see a long-term future at Ajax. Despite his work at the club, the coach felt he had no choice but to walk away from the project before he was dragged down by the club's administrative chaos.

"As I saw it, it was impossible for me to work under those circumstances," he added. "Together with the people close to me at Ajax, I saw how difficult it is to establish a good connection with one another within such a big club."

After successfully leading Porto to the Portuguese league title, defeating Sporting CP and Benfica, Farioli will now focus on strengthening his squad during the summer transfer window. Arsenal defender Jakub Kiwior has been signed permanently by the club, while Sky recently reported that the Dragoes are interested in signing Barcelona star Robert Lewandowski.