Dusan Tadic is leaving Amsterdam football club Ajax with immediate effect, the club said on Friday evening.

The striker and team captain had a contract with the club until 2024.

“We would have liked to keep him but respect his wishes and wish him all the best for his future career,” Ajax technical director Sven Mislintat said in a website statement.

“Ajax has earlier spoken with him about his future career in connection with a role as trainer, and we have told him that door remains open.”

Tadic said in a reaction on the Ajax website that he felt the decision was the best for himself and for the club. “This is no definitive farewell,” he said. “ I will always be an Ajax supporter and I hope in the near future to be back in a different role, as a coach.”

The 34-year-old Serbian was known to be unhappy about the club’s selection and transfer strategy ahead of the new season. He has not appeared at training this week.

‘My dream club, my love’ 🤍

— AFC Ajax (@AFCAjax) July 14, 2023

Tadic has been at the Amsterdam club for five seasons and is the last of the squad who reached the semi-final of the Champions League under Erik ten Hag in 2019. During his time at Ajax Tadic has scored 105 goals in 241 matches.

Ajax had a miserable last season, coming third in the league and failing to get past the group stage of the Champions League.

The club’s staff has also undergone considerable upheaval. General manager Edwin van de Sar has since stepped down from the job and Sparta coach Maurice Steijn has been drafted in as the permanent successor to Alfred Schreuder, who was sacked in January