Ajax Amsterdam have agreed a fee for the release of Nice coach Francesco Farioli, with the 35-year-old expected to sign a three-year contract in the coming days, sources told ESPN Netherlands.
After Ajax previously reached an agreement with Farioli, the Italian now looks set to replace John van ‘t Schip following a poor season in the Eredivisie in which Ajax ended fifth, their lowest finish since the 1999-00 season.
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An announcement is expected on Thursday, sources added to ESPN.
Ajax are reportedly paying a fee of around €1 million ($1.08 million) to buy out Farioli’s contract with Nice that runs until 2025.
Farioli will become the first foreign coach at Ajax since the Dane Morten Olsen in 1997.
Farioli, in his third full season as a coach, took Nice to fifth in Ligue 1 this term. He previously led Turkish clubs Fatih Karagumruk and Alanyaspor, and joined Nice at the start of the 2023-24 campaign.
Farioli was goalkeeper coach under former Brighton & Hove Albion manager Roberto De Zerbi at Benevento and Sassuolo, and did not play professional football himself.
Information from Reuters contributed to this report.
