An appeals court in the Netherlands has prevented Louis Van Gaal from becoming a director of Ajax.

The Amsterdam hearing found in favour of Johan Cruyff who claimed he had been kept in the dark when former Ajax coach Van Gaal was voted onto the board.

The ruling was the latest twist in an acrimonious boardroom battle between Cruyff and four other supervisory board members who named 60-year-old Van Gaal as a director at a meeting last November.

However, Cruyff, who joined Ajax on his 10th birthday, going on to win a host of honours including three European Cups, claimed he was not consulted.

The court ruled that the naming of Van Gaal was not on the agenda and therefore Cruyff, who did not attend, was not aware of the motion.

Cruyff was joined by a number of the club's youth coaches, including Dennis Bergkamp and Ronald de Boer, in protesting the appointment of former Barcelona and Bayern Munich coach Van Gaal.

Despite the court's ruling, lawyers close to the case claim Van Gaal could yet be appointed if the correct procedures are followed.