Archive · 27 Jan 2026
Ajax Legend Kovacs Revealed as Romanian Secret Police Informant
Stefan Kovacs was a famous football coach who led Ajax Amsterdam to win big tournaments in the 1970s.
Newly found documents show that he also worked as a secret informant for Romania’s government from 1955 to 1963.
He had a special code name, 'Vasile Munteanu,' and his job was to report on people who might be against the government.
This information was found in a big file in Romania’s archives.
Kovacs agreed to do this when he was 35 years old and working as a coach in Cluj.
The file shows he promised to help the secret police with their tasks.
Stefan Kovacs, the legendary Ajax Amsterdam coach, was revealed to have been a secret police informant in Romania.
He worked as an agent under the code name 'Vasile Munteanu' from 1955 to 1963.
A 31-page file discovered in the CNSAS archives details his collaboration with the secret police.
Kovacs pledged to report on activities hostile to the Romanian People’s Republic and carry out assigned tasks.
The documents were uncovered by an investigation conducted by Romanian sports newspaper Gazeta Sporturilor.
- Who
- Stefan Kovacs, a legendary football coach for Ajax Amsterdam
- What
- Served as an informant for Romania’s communist secret police
- When
- From 1955 to 1963
- Where
- Romania, particularly in the Cluj Region
- Why
- To monitor activities deemed hostile to the Romanian People’s Republic and report on athletes seeking to travel abroad
- Name
- Stefan Kovacs
- Role
- Football coach
- Team
- Ajax Amsterdam
- Years as Informant
- 1955-1963
- Code Name
- Vasile Munteanu
- Organization
- Romanian secret police
- Document Source
- National Council for the Study of Securitate Archives (CNSAS)