Ajax striker Brian Brobbey was the target of a lengthy and violent extortion attempt involving arson, explosions and a shooting, according to an investigation by the Parool.

The threats began in late 2022, when notorious Amsterdam criminal Jeymon A. allegedly approached Brobbey at a music festival, claiming to have “solved a problem” for him and suggesting he should pay €150,000 in return. When Brobbey refused, a series of attacks followed.

In January 2023, fireworks were pushed through the letterbox of his mother-in-law’s home in Amsterdam-Zuidoost. In March, an explosive was detonated near Brobbey’s car. In April, his sister-in-law’s car was set on fire. The violence culminated in July when a close friend of Brobbey’s, who had tried to intervene on his behalf, was shot and seriously wounded in a confrontation with Jeymon A.

Brobbey did not report the threats to Ajax until after the shooting. When police later seized his phone during an unrelated investigation, club management became fully aware of the situation. The player chose not to press charges, fearing that doing so would make matters worse.

The Parool reports that Ajax officials, including then-director Jan van Halst and coach Maurice Steijn, offered support to Brobbey, but he insisted on handling the matter privately. Some within the club now question whether Ajax should have intervened more forcefully to protect its player.

Prosecutors did not include the extortion in the formal case against Jeymon A., who was sentenced in November 2024 to 10 years in prison for the attempted murder of Brobbey’s friend, firearms offences, and drug trafficking. The police found no evidence that Brobbey paid the demanded sum.

Brobbey’s performance on the pitch was affected by the turmoil. In the 2024-2025 season, he scored just four league goals — a sharp drop from the previous year. He has since expressed a desire to leave Ajax this summer.

Ajax’s current management, including technical director Alex Kroes, only learned the full details of the case shortly before the Parool’s article was published in November 2024. Sources told the paper that such knowledge could have influenced the club’s decisions on the player’s future, especially given interest from clubs such as West Ham United.

Brobbey’s lawyer told the Parool that his client did not wish to cooperate with their reporting. Ajax declined to comment on players’ private affairs. Lawyers for Jeymon A. said there is no evidence their client was involved in the extortion.