Has any one person had a greater impact on football than Johan Cruyff? World class player. World class manager. Innovator.

Reflecting on last season, Ajax faced considerable challenges, finding themselves at the bottom of the Eredivisie table—a place no fan of the club would have imagined during their fruitful years.

Even though financial troubles are now a thing of the past for Ajax, Geelen admits Ajax will have to keep selling players in ...