Dutch association football team

football club
Amsterdamsche Football Club Ajax ( dutch pronunciation : [ ˈaːjɑks ] ), besides known as AFC Ajax, Ajax Amsterdam, or plainly Ajax, is a dutch professional football club based in Amsterdam, that plays in the Eredivisie, the top tier in Dutch football. Historically, Ajax ( named after the fabled Greek champion ) has been the most successful clubhouse in the Netherlands, with 35 Eredivisie titles and 20 KNVB Cups. It has endlessly played in the Eredivisie, since the league ‘s origin in 1956 and, along with Feyenoord and PSV Eindhoven, it is one of the nation ‘s “ big three “ clubs that have dominated that competition.

Ajax is been one of the most successful clubs in the global. According to the IFFHS, Ajax were the seventh-most successful european club of the twentieth hundred and The World’s Club Team of the Year in 1992. [ 4 ] According to German cartridge holder Kicker, Ajax were the second-most successful european club of the twentieth century. The golf club is one of the five teams that has earned the correct to keep the european Cup and to wear a multiple-winner badge ; they won consecutively in 1971–1973. In 1972, they completed the continental ternary by winning the Eredivisie, KNVB Cup, and the european Cup. It besides won the first ( but not by UEFA ) organized UEFA Super Cup in 1972 against Glasgow Rangers ( played in 1973 ). Ajax ‘s stopping point external trophies were the 1995 Intercontinental Cup, 1995 UEFA Super Cup and the 1995 Champions League, where they defeated Milan in the concluding ; they lost the 1996 Champions League final on penalties to Juventus. In 1995, Ajax was crowned as World Team of the Year by World Soccer magazine. Ajax is besides one of four teams to win the continental ternary and the Intercontinental Cup or Club World Cup in the same season/calendar year ; [ 5 ] This was achieved in the 1971–72 season. [ 6 ] Ajax are one of the five clubs to have won all three major UEFA club competitions. [ 7 ] They have besides won the Intercontinental Cup doubly, the 1991–92 UEFA Cup, adenine well as the Karl Rappan Cup, a predecessor of the UEFA Intertoto Cup in 1962. [ 8 ] Ajax plays at the Johan Cruyff Arena, which opened as the Amsterdam ArenA in 1996 and was renamed in 2018. They previously played at De Meer Stadion and the Amsterdam Olympic Stadium ( for international matches ) .

history

Ajax was founded in Amsterdam on 18 March 1900. The club achieved promotion to the highest level of Dutch football in 1911 and had its foremost major success in 1917, winning the KNVB Beker, the Netherlands ‘ home cup. The follow season, Ajax became national ace for the beginning clock time. The club defended its claim in 1918–19, becoming the only team to achieve an unbeaten season in the Netherlands Football League Championship. [ 9 ] Throughout the 1920s, Ajax was a strong regional ability, winning the Eerste Klasse West division in 1921, 1927 and 1928, but could not maintain its success at national level. This changed in the 1930s, with the club winning five national championships ( 1931, 1932, 1934, 1937, 1939 ), making it the most successful Dutch team of the decade. Ajax won its second KNVB Cup in 1942–43, and an eighth Dutch title in 1946–47, the last season the club was managed by Englishman Jack Reynolds, who, up to this point, had overseen all of its national backing successes ampere well as its 1917 KNVB Cup gain. [ 10 ] [ 11 ] In 1956, the first season of the Netherlands ‘ new professional league, the Eredivisie, was played with Ajax participating as a initiation member. The Amsterdam golf club became the first national champions under the new format and made its debut in the european Champion Clubs ‘ Cup the adopt year, losing to hungarian champions Vasas SC 6–2 on aggregate at the quarter-final degree. The team were again Eredivisie champions in 1960 and won a third KNVB Cup in 1961. [ 12 ]
Johan Cruyff played at Ajax from 1959 to 1973, and from 1981 to 1983, winning 3 European Cups; his No. 14 is the only squad number Ajax has ever retired. Cruyff came back to manage the club from 1985 to 1988. In 1965, Rinus Michels, who had played for the club between 1946 and 1958, was appointed director of Ajax, implementing his philosophy of Total Football which was to become synonymous with both Ajax and the Netherlands national team. [ 13 ] [ 14 ] A year earlier, Johan Cruyff, who would go on to become the greatest dutch football player of all-time, made his debut. [ 15 ] Between them, Michels and Cruyff led Ajax through the most successful period in its history, winning seven Eredivisie titles, four KNVB Cups and three european Cups. Ajax won the dutch championship in 1966, 1967 and 1968, and reached the 1969 european Cup final, losing to Milan. During the 1966–67 season, Ajax scored a record 122 goals in an Eredivisie temper and besides won the KNVB Cup to achieve its first gear league and cup double. In 1969–70, Ajax won a one-fourth Dutch league championship and second league and cup double over in five seasons, winning 27 out of 34 league matches and scoring 100 goals. [ 16 ] The 1970–71 season saw Ajax retain the KNVB Cup and reach the 1971 european Cup final, where they defeated Panathinaikos 2–0 with goals from Dick vanguard Dijk and Arie Haan to become continental champions for the first time, with Cruyff being named european Footballer of the Year. After this success, Michels departed to become director of Barcelona and was replaced by the romanian Ștefan Kovács. In Kovács ‘ beginning temper, Ajax completed a treble of the european Cup, the Eredivisie and a third straight KNVB Cup. The follow season, the team drum Argentine club Independiente to win the 1972 Intercontinental Cup and retained their Eredivisie and european Cup titles, becoming the first club to win three consecutive european Cups since Real Madrid in the 1950s. In 1973, Michels ‘ Barcelona broke the world transmit record to bring Cruyff to Catalonia. Kovács besides departed to become director of the France national team, signalling the end of this period of international achiever. [ 17 ] In 1976–77, Ajax won its first domestic backing in four seasons and recorded a double of the Eredivisie and KNVB Cup two years late. The early 1980s saw the fall of Johan Cruyff to the club, arsenic well as the emergence of young players Marco avant-garde Basten and Frank Rijkaard. The team won back-to-back Eredivisie titles in 1982 and 1983, with all three playing a significant function in the latter. After Cruyff ‘s sale to rivals Feyenoord in 1983, Van Basten became Ajax ‘s key actor, top score in the Eredivisie for four seasons between 1983–84 and 1986–87. [ 18 ]
In 1985, Cruyff returned to Ajax as coach and the team ended his first season in charge with 120 goals from 34 matches. however, Ajax still finished as runner-up to PSV by eight points. The following season, Ajax again lost out on the Eredivisie claim to PSV, but won the european Cup Winners ‘ Cup, its first continental trophy in 14 years. After this, Cruyff left the club to become director of Barcelona and Rijkaard and Van Basten were sold to Sporting CP and Milan respectively. Despite these losses, Ajax reached a second straight Cup Winners ‘ Cup concluding in 1988, where they lost to belgian club KV Mechelen. [ 19 ] The 1988–89 season saw Dennis Bergkamp, a young forward who had beginning appeared under Cruyff in 1986, establish himself as a regular goalscorer for Ajax. Bergkamp helped Ajax to the 1989–90 Eredivisie championship and was the top scorer in the division in 1990–91, 1991–92 and 1992–93. Under the management of Louis vanguard Gaal, Ajax won the UEFA Cup in 1992 to become the second cabaret, after Juventus, to have won all three major european baseball club competitions. [ 20 ] After the sale of Bergkamp to Internazionale in 1993, Van Gaal re-signed the feel Frank Rijkaard to complement his young Ajax team featuring academy graduates Frank and Ronald de Boer, Edwin van five hundred Sar, Clarence Seedorf, Edgar Davids, Michael Reiziger and Winston Bogarde, angstrom well as mercurial foreign talents Finidi George, Nwankwo Kanu and Jari Litmanen, and veteran captain Danny Blind. [ 21 ] The team regained the dutch championship in 1993–94, and won it again in 1994–95 and 1995–96 to become the first Ajax side to win three back-to-back championships since 1968. The altitude of Van Gaal ‘s achiever came in 1994–95, where Ajax became the beginning, and to date lone, team to complete an integral Eredivisie season unbeaten. [ 22 ] The team besides won its beginning european Cup since its brilliant 1970s era, defeating Milan in the 1995 UEFA Champions League final examination 1–0, with the winning finish scored by 18-year-old Patrick Kluivert. Ajax again reached the final one class later, but were defeated on penalties by Juventus. Ajax ‘s reelect as a european military unit was ephemeral, as Van Gaal and respective members of the police squad soon departed to some of the continent ‘s biggest golf club. The 2000s was a tend decade for the cabaret, with lone two Eredivisie championships won. however, Ajax ‘s academy continued to produce star players such as Wesley Sneijder and Rafael van five hundred Vaart. In 2010, Frank de Boer was appointed coach of Ajax and led the club to its first league deed in seven years, and record 30th style overall, in the 2010–11 season. This was followed by back-to-back wins in 2011–12 and 2012–13 to match his three consecutive titles as a player in the 1990s. In 2013–14, Ajax were again Eredivisie champions, winning four straight league titles for the first gear clock time in clubhouse history. [ 23 ] After finishing as runner-up to PSV in both 2014–15 and 2015–16, De Boer resigned as Ajax head coach in May 2016. [ 24 ] Peter Bosz took over the clubhouse and led them to the 2017 UEFA Europa League final, their beginning european final in 21 years. They lost to Manchester United with a lineup that was the youngest ever in a european final examination, averaging an long time of 22 years and 282 days. [ 25 ] For the one-third consecutive temper, they finished runner-up in the Eredivisie, this time to Feyenoord. The 2018–19 season for Ajax involved a noteworthy run in the UEFA Champions League. Due to their runner-up finish in the 2017–18 Eredivisie, Ajax entered the tournament in the second qualify attack. After consecutive victories against Sturm Graz, Standard Liège and Dynamo Kyiv, they qualified for the group phase. Ajax was drawn in a group with german champions Bayern Munich, Portuguese english Benfica and Greek champions AEK Athens. Ajax finished runner-up in this group, qualifying for the knockout stages, where they were drawn against three-time maintain champions Real Madrid. After losing 1–2 in the first stage, they defeated Real Madrid 4–1 in the aside catch, stunning the defending champions in their own stadium, the Santiago Bernabéu, with an aggregate grudge of 5–3. [ 26 ] Dušan Tadić was awarded a arrant seduce of 10 by L’Équipe following the match. [ 27 ] therefore, Ajax progressed to quarter-finals and were drawn with italian champions Juventus. In the first gear leg in the Johan Cruyff Arena, they drew 1–1. In the second leg at the Juventus Stadium, Ajax came from behind to win 2–1 and 3–2 on aggregate. Matthijs de Ligt scored the gain goal for Ajax to help the team improvement to its inaugural Champions League semi-final since 1997. [ 28 ] There, they would face English side Tottenham Hotspur. In the first stage of the semi-final, Ajax beat Tottenham 1–0 away from home. [ 29 ] In the second leg, Ajax scored doubly in the first base half to generate a 3–0 lead on aggregate. however, in the second half, Lucas Moura scored three times, including in the 6th moment of add time, resulting in Ajax losing via the away goals rule. [ 30 ] Ajax were in first place on goal dispute when the 2019–20 Eredivisie was declared void, preventing them being dutch champions for the thirty-fifth time, but still qualified for the 2020–21 UEFA Champions League. [ 31 ]

UEFA ranking

As of 18 March 2021[32]

Academies ( Youth/Coaching )

The club is besides particularly celebrated for its celebrated young program that has produced many dutch talents over the years – Johan Cruyff, Edwin van five hundred Sar, Gerald Vanenburg, Frank Rijkaard, Dennis Bergkamp, Rafael van five hundred Vaart, Patrick Kluivert, Marco van Basten, Wesley Sneijder, Maarten Stekelenburg, Nigel de Jong, Frenkie de Jong, and Matthijs de Ligt have come through the ranks and are just some of the talents who have played for Ajax. Ajax besides regularly supplies the dutch national young teams with local endowment. due to common agreements with foreign clubs, the youth academy has besides signed foreign players as teenagers before making inaugural team debuts, such as belgian defensive trio Jan Vertonghen, Toby Alderweireld and Thomas Vermaelen along with winger Tom De Mul, all of whom are fully internationals, a well as Dutch international Vurnon Anita and Javier Martina, representing Curaçao. Ajax has besides expanded its endowment searching program to South Africa with Ajax Cape Town. Ajax Cape Town was set up with the assistant of Rob Moore. Ajax has besides had a satellite club in the United States under the name Ajax America, until it filed for bankruptcy. There are some youth players from Ajax Cape Town that have been drafted into the Eredivisie team, such as south african internationals Steven Pienaar, Thulani Serero and Cameroonian international Eyong Enoh. In 1995, the year Ajax won the UEFA Champions League, the Netherlands national team was about entirely composed of Ajax players, with Edwin avant-garde five hundred Sar in finish ; players such as Michael Reiziger, Frank de Boer and Danny Blind in defense ; Ronald de Boer, Edgar Davids and Clarence Seedorf in midfield ; and Patrick Kluivert and Marc Overmars in fire. [ 33 ] In 2011, Ajax opened its first young academies outside the Netherlands when the club partnered up with George Kazianis and All Star Consultancy in Greece to open the Ajax Hellas Youth Academy. The offices are based in Nea Smyrni, Attica, with the main coach facility located on the island of Corfu, hosting a total of 15 football youth academies throughout Greece and Cyprus. Eddie van Schaik heads the administration as coach and adviser, introducing the Ajax football doctrine at the assorted Greek football train camps. [ 34 ] [ 35 ] In 2016, Ajax launched the ACA ( Ajax Coaching Academy ) with the purpose of sharing cognition, setting up a variety of camps and clinics for both players and coaches. [ 36 ]

Stadiums

Ajax ‘s first stadium was built in 1911 out of wood and was called Het Houten Stadion ( “ The Wooden Stadium ” ). Ajax late played in the Olympic Stadium built for the 1928 Summer Olympics hosted in Amsterdam. This stadium, designed by Jan Wils, is known as the Olympic Stadium. In 1934, Ajax moved to De Meer Stadion in east Amsterdam, designed by architect and Ajax-member Daan Roodenburgh, who had besides designed the cabaret ‘s first stadium. It could accommodate 29,500 spectators and Ajax continued to play there until 1996. For adult european and national fixtures the golf club would much play at the Olympic Stadium, which could accommodate about twice the total of spectators. In 1996, Ajax moved to a new home land in the southeast of the city known as the Amsterdam Arena, since 2018 know as the Johan Cruyff Arena. This stadium was built by the Amsterdam city authority at a cost of $ 134 million. The stadium is capable of holding approximately 54,990 spectators. The median attendance in 2006–07 was 48,610, rising in the following season to 49,128. The Arena has a retractable roof and set a drift for other modern stadiums built in Europe in the pursue years. In the Netherlands, the Arena has earned a reputation for a severe grass peddle caused by the obliterable roof that, tied when unfold, takes away excessively much sunlight and fresh atmosphere. During the 2008–09 season, ground staff introduced an artificial light system that has last reduced this problem well. The much-loved De Meer Stadion was torn down and the bring was sold to the city council. A residential vicinity nowadays occupies the sphere. The only thing left field of the old stadium are the letters “ AJAX ”, which nowadays is in target on the façade of the youth training grounds De Toekomst, near the Johan Cruyff Arena .

Crest and colours

cap

In 1900, when the club was founded, the emblem of Ajax was just a visualize of an Ajax player. The cap was slenderly altered following the club ‘s promotion to the top class in 1911 to match the club ‘s new outfits. In 1928, the cabaret logo was introduced with the head of the greek hero Ajax. The logo was once again changed in 1990 into an abstract version of the previous one. The newfangled logo even sports the portrait of Ajax, but drawn with just 11 lines, symbolizing the 11 players of a football team. [ 37 ]

Colours

Ajax in the first place played in an all-black consistent with a red sash tied around the players ‘ waists, but that consistent was soon replaced by a red/white striped shirt and black shorts. Red, black and blank are the three colours of the masthead of Amsterdam. When under coach Jack Kirwan, however, the club earned forwarding to the top escape of Dutch football for the first clock time in 1911 ( then the Eerste Klasse or ‘First Class ‘, belated named the Eredivisie ), Ajax were forced to change their colours because Sparta Rotterdam already had precisely the same equip. especial kits for away fixtures did not exist at the clock and according to football association regulations the newcomers had to change their colours if two teams in the like league had identical uniforms. Ajax opted for white shorts and white shirt with a broad, vertical loss chevron over chest of drawers and spinal column, which silent is Ajax ‘s equip .

fiscal

AFC Ajax N.V .

AFC Ajax are the only Dutch clubhouse with an initial public offer ( IPO ). The clubhouse is registered as a Naamloze vennootschap ( N.V. ) listed on the neckcloth exchange Euronext Amsterdam, since 17 May 1998. With a launch price of ƒ25, – ( Guilders ) the club managed to a bring their total gross up to €54 million ( converted ) in their beginning year on the market. [ 38 ] After ephemeral success, however, the rate dropped, at one point adenine first gear as €3.50. criticism was brought forth that the legal power system for a naamloze vennootschap would not be suitable for a Football club, and that the sports related ambitions would suffer from the fresh commercial interests of the nowadays listed Ajax. Shares of the company in the year 2008 were valued at approximately €5.90 per contribution. [ 39 ] In 2008, a Commission under guidance of honorary penis Uri Coronel concluded that the IPO was of no value to the club, and that measures should be taken to exit the livestock substitution by purchasing back all populace shares. [ 40 ] Ajax remain on the stock commute. [ 41 ]

2011 AFC Ajax team wearing their home kit out by adidas with the AEGON sponsor across the thorax, ahead of their UEFA Champions League meet against Olympique Lyonnais. Ajax ‘s shirts have been sponsored by TDK from 1982 to 1991, and by ABN AMRO from 1991 to 2008. AEGON then replaced ABN AMRO as the new head presenter for a period of seven years. [ 42 ] On 1 April 2007, Ajax wore a different patron for the catch against Heracles Almelo, Florius. Florius is a trust program launched by ABN AMRO who wanted it to be the shirt patronize for one match. The shirts have been manufactured by Le Coq Sportif ( 1973–1977 ), Puma ( 1977–1979 ), [ 43 ] Cor du Buy ( 1979-1980 ), Le Coq Sportif ( 1980–1984 ), [ 44 ] Kappa ( 1985–1989 ) [ 45 ] and Umbro ( 1989–2000 ) in the past, and by Adidas since 2000 ( until at least 2025 ). [ 46 ] [ 47 ] At the decision of the 2013–14 temper, Ajax won the Football shirt of the Year award for their black and rose colored away shirt by Adidas. The annual award was presented by Subside Sports, which had previously given the award to Internazionale, Juventus and the Belgium home team. It was Ajax ‘s foremost time winning the prize. [ 48 ] On 7 November 2014, it was announced that Ajax had agreed to a four-and-a-half-year contract worth €8 million annually with Dutch cable operating caller Ziggo as the new shirt sponsor for the golf club. [ 49 ] Having extended their shrink with AEGON for half a season until December, the club featured Fonds Gehandicaptensport, a charitable fund for disabled sports on its away shirts for a six-month period before transitioning to Ziggo in 2015. [ 50 ]

Kit deals

Kit Supplier Period Contract
announcement		 Contract
duration		 Value Notes
Adidas 2000–present[51] 13 July 2018[51] 1 July 2019 – 30 June 2025[51] €50 million for six years[52]

other teams

Reserves team

Jong Ajax ( formerly more commonly known as Ajax 2 ) is the reservation team of AFC Ajax. The team is composed largely of professional footballers, who are much holocene graduates from the highest young person flush ( Ajax A1 ) serving their first master narrow as a military reserve, or players who are otherwise unable to play in the first team. [ 53 ] Since 1992, Jong Ajax competed in the Beloften Eredivisie, competing against other substitute teams such as Jong PSV, Jong FC Groningen or Jong AZ. They have won the Beloften Eredivisie title a phonograph record eight times, a good as the KNVB Reserve Cup three times, making them the most successful reservation team in the Netherlands. By winning the Beloften Eredivisie claim, Jong Ajax were able to qualify for the actual KNVB Cup, even advancing to the semi-finals on three occasions. Their best result in the dutch Cup was under coach Jan Olde Riekerink in 2001–02, when a semi-final loss to Utrecht in a Penalty shoot-out after excess time, which saw Utrecht progress, and thus preventing an Ajax–Jong Ajax Dutch Cup final. [ 54 ] The 2013–14 season marked the Jupiler League debut of the Ajax reserves ‘ police squad, Jong Ajax. [ 55 ] previously playing in the Beloften Eredivisie ( a separate league for modesty teams, not included in the dutch master or amateur league structure ), players were allowed to move around freely between the military reserve team and the beginning team during the season. [ 56 ] This is no longer the character as Jong Ajax now registers and fields a classify team from that of Ajax inaugural team for the Eerste Divisie, the second tier of professional football in the Netherlands. Their home matches are played at Sportpark De Toekomst, except for the casual meet in the Johan Cruyff Arena. immediately regarded a semi-professional team in their own respect, the only time period in which players are able to move between squads are during the transfer windows, unless the actor has made less than 15 appearances for the beginning team, then he is hush eligible to appear in both first base team and second team matches during the season. [ 57 ] Furthermore, the team is not eligible for forwarding to the Eredivisie or to participate in the KNVB Cup. Jong Ajax were joined in the Eerste Divisie by Jong Twente and Jong PSV, modesty teams who have besides moved from the Beloften Eredivisie to the Eerste Divisie, in target of VV Katwijk, SC Veendam and AGOVV Apeldoorn, increasing the sum number of teams in the Jupiler League from 18 to 20. [ 58 ] Ajax substitute team Jong Ajax left the Beloften Eredivisie in 2013, having held a 21-year tenure in the reserves league, having besides won the league title a record eight times ( 1994, 1996, 1998, 2001, 2002, 2004, 2005, 2009 ). [ 59 ]

Amateur team

AFC Ajax Amateurs, well known as Ajax Zaterdag, is a dutch amateur football club founded 18 March 1900. It is the amateurish team of the professional club AFC Ajax, who play their dwelling matches at the Sportpark De Toekomst training grounds to a capacity of 5,000. The team was promoted from the Eerste Klasse to the Hoofdklasse ahead of the 2011–12 season, the league in which they are presently competing. The team has won the Eerste Klasse deed twice, deoxyadenosine monophosphate well as the * KNVB District Cup West I on two occasions as well. [ 60 ] furthermore, Ajax Zaterdag have besides managed to qualify for the KNVB Cup on their own harmonize on three occasions, namely in 2004, 2005, 2008 and 2021. even advancing to the second polish before bowing out to Vitesse on 24 September 2008 .

Women ‘s team

AFC Ajax Vrouwen ( English: AFC Ajax Women ) are the women ‘s team of AFC Ajax, competing in the women ‘s eredivisie, the highest tied of women ‘s football in the Netherlands. Founded on 18 May 2012, the women ‘s team saw Ajax attracting many of the Netherlands top talents, with International players such as Anouk Hoogendijk, Daphne Koster and Petra Hogewoning joining the Amsterdam club in its inaugural season in women ‘s professional football. [ 61 ] The team won their first while of silverware when the defeated PSV/FC Eindhoven 2–1 in the final examination of the KNVB Women ‘s Cup .

other sports

baseball

Ajax HVA ( 1922–1972 ) was the baseball team of AFC Ajax founded in 1922, and competed as founding members of the Honkbal Hoofdklasse, the top trajectory of professional baseball in the Netherlands. [ 62 ] Ajax won the national baseball entitle a total of four times ( 1924, 1928, 1942, 1948 ) before the clubhouse opted to no long field a baseball team, and to focus entirely on football in 1972. [ 63 ] Ajax spent a total of 50 years at the top flight of Baseball in the Netherlands from 1922 to 1972. The dissolving of Ajax baseball club resulted in the players finding a newly sponsor in a mustard manufacture ship’s company called Luycks, while merging with the Diemen Giants to become the Luycks Giants, frankincense replacing both erstwhile clubs. [ 64 ]

eSports

In 2016, Ajax launched an eSports team, with Koen Weijland as the club ‘s first base bless, making their debut on the Global stagecoach of professional gambling. They have since signed the likes of Dani Hagebeuk, Lev Vinken, Joey Calabro and Bob van Uden, the latter spent his first season on loan to the eSports team of japanese club Sagan Tosu. [ 65 ] [ 66 ] [ 67 ]

Affiliated clubs

The stick to clubs are presently affiliated with AFC Ajax :
The follow clubs were affiliated with AFC Ajax in the past :

Rivalries

As one of the traditional big three clubs in the Netherlands, Ajax have amassed a number of intense rivalries over the years. Listed below are the most significant of the rivalries involving Ajax.

competition with Feyenoord

Feyenoord from Rotterdam are Ajax ‘s archrivals. Every year both clubs play the De Klassieker ( “ The Classic ” ), a pit between the teams from the two largest cities of the Netherlands. [ 88 ] During the 1970s, Ajax and Feyenoord were the only two clubs in the Netherlands who were able to clinch national titles, vitamin a well as achieve continental and even global success. [ 89 ] A meet between the two clubs became the measuring stick for who was in truth the best club in the Netherlands. The Klassieker is the most celebrated of all the rivalries in the Netherlands and the matches are constantly sold out. [ 90 ] The fastness is seen in the public eye as “ the elegant and elegant football of Ajax, against the indomitable fighting emotional state of Feyenoord ” ; the assurance of the capital city versus the blasphemous collar mentality of Rotterdam. [ 91 ] Matches are known for their tension and violence, both on and off the deliver. Over the years, several violent incidents have taken stead involving rival supporters, leading to the current prohibition of off supporters in both stadiums. [ 92 ] The lowest point was reached on 23 March 1997, when supporters of both clubs met on a field near Beverwijk, where Ajax-supporter Carlo Picornie was fatally injured, the incident is normally referred to as the “ Battle of Beverwijk “. [ 93 ]

competition with PSV

PSV are besides a rival of Ajax, but in terms of tension and competition, these matches are not vitamin a loaded as the duels with Feyenoord. The competition has existed for some time with PSV and stems from assorted causes, such as the different interpretations of whether current national and external successes of both clubs correlates and the supposed confrontation between the Randstad and the state. The matches between these two teams is normally referred to as “ De Topper ” ( “ The Topper ” ), and involves the two most trophy-laden sides in Dutch football and is basically a clash of two competing schools of think in Dutch football. Historically, PSV compete with a workmanlike ethic, preferring a more robust 4–3–1–2 or 4–2–3–1, typically shunning the frivolous 4–3–3 approach favoured in Amsterdam. While Rinus Michels and Johan Cruyff helped to innovate Total Football in the sixties and seventies, a unlike doctrine was honed in Eindhoven by Kees Rijvers and Guus Hiddink in the late 1970s and ’80s. [ 94 ] This in plow has created one of the more philosophical rivalries in football, an ideological battlefield, which is gradually becoming as heated and intense as the matches Ajax and Feyenoord partake in. [ 95 ]

Rivalries with other clubs

apart from Feyenoord and PSV, Ajax have respective other rivalries, although in most cases the sentiment is largely felt by the opposition and is more direct towards Ajax, with one of them being Utrecht. [ 96 ] Although the competition is more felt on the Utrecht side then with Ajax, match-up between the two sides are much quite acute. [ 97 ] Both teams have fanatic supporters, and clashes off the flip are more often the principle than the exception. The like goes for ADO Den Haag, with both assistant groups frequently getting in conflicts, when ADO-Hooligans set open fire to the supporters home of Ajax, and Ajax hooligans subsequently broke into the Supporters family of ADO tensions between the two clubs rose. In 2006, supporters from both clubs were banned from attending away matches for five years due to frequent violent outbreaks and clashes. [ 98 ] promote teams who parcel a competition with Ajax include Twente, Vitesse Arnhem, Groningen and AZ, although the latter is often regarded by Ajax supporters as the club ‘s “ short brother ”. [ 99 ] With AZ being from nearby Alkmaar and therefore situated in the lapp state as Ajax, match-up between the two sides are normally known as the “ De Noord-Hollandse Derby ” ( “ North Holland Derby ” ) and are frequently very competitive, intense and load fixtures. [ 100 ] past rivalries include local anesthetic Amsterdam derbies between Ajax and clubs such as Blauw-Wit, DWS and De Volewijckers ( which late merged to become FC Amsterdam in 1972 ). [ 101 ] however, the tension between the local anesthetic sides lessened as the division of the clubs through act in unlike leagues over clock became greater. Years of not competing in the same league resulted in less patronize match-ups, until tensions ultimately settled between the Amsterdam clubs. [ 102 ] The last Amsterdam bowler hat to take position in an official league match was when Ajax defeated FC Amsterdam 5–1 on 19 March 1978. [ 103 ]

Supporters

Ajax supporters Ajax are known for having fanatic core supporter-groups, of which F-Side and VAK410 are the most celebrated. F-Side were founded on 3 October 1976, and are situated right behind the finish in the Johan Cruyff Arena, on the southern goal of the stadium in rows 125–129. Their name is derived from the group ‘s former location on the F-side of the old De Meer Stadion. [ 104 ] The F-side supporters are responsible for a boastfully depart of the atmosphere in the stadium, but are besides known for rioting during and after matches. If in any match Ajax should win the mint toss, the second half of the catch Ajax always play towards the south-end of the stadium. [ 105 ] VAK410 ( english : Row 410 ) were founded in 2001 and are situated in the Zuidhoek ( South corner ) of the stadium on the upper berth ring in rows 424–425. The group was originally situated on the North-West slope of the stadium in row 410, from where it derives its name, until relocating to their current position in the stands in 2008. [ 106 ] Members of VAK410 are known to perform diverse stunts, which include massive banners, to enhance the standard atmosphere in the stadium. Neither F-Side or VAK410 have seats in their sections of the stadium, and both groups stand for the duration of the match. [ 107 ] Through the official Football Top 20 of Dutch sports research group SPORT+MARKT, it was revealed in 2010 that Ajax had approximately 7.1 million supporters throughout Europe. [ 108 ] This is importantly more than rivals Feyenoord and PSV ( each 1.6 and 1.3 million, respectively ), which puts Ajax as the cabaret with the 15th-most supporters across Europe. The learn besides revealed that approximately 39 % of the Netherlands were Ajax supporters. [ 109 ] not merely does Ajax have many supporters, but several fans attend their matches in european competition, with an median attendance of 48,677 spectators for every international equal Ajax played, putting the team at 12th place in Europe for highest attendance, ahead of high-profile clubs such as Milan and Chelsea. It is noteworthy that not all stadiums share the capacity of the Johan Cruyff Arena. [ 110 ]

Supporters clubs

Ajax supporters celebrating the club ‘s thirtieth Dutch national backing in 2011 The Supporters Club Ajax ( dutch : Supportersvereniging Ajax ) is officially the largest supporters club in the Netherlands with 94,000 members. [ 111 ] Founded on 7 May 1992, the supporters club organize big monthly events throughout the Netherlands, and peculiarly around the official Ajax Open Training Day, which attracts thousands of supporters each year. [ 112 ] Furthermore, the supporters group is responsible for the Ajax Life web site, deoxyadenosine monophosphate well as the fanzine which is issued 20 times a year. [ 113 ] In 2006, the AFCA Supportersclub was introduced as the club ‘s second official supporters ‘ association, through the fusion of the Onafhankelijke Fanclub Ajax ( OFA ) and the Ajax Supporters Delegatie ( ASD ). [ 114 ] The AFCA Supportersclub has a reported 42,000 members, deoxyadenosine monophosphate well as a erstwhile penis on the Board of Administration of Ajax, in Ronald Pieloor. [ 115 ] The one-third official supporters club is the Ajax Business Associates ( ABA ). Founded in 1991 the ABA is the Business club of Ajax. Members occupy the skyboxes in the stadium and can make use of the clubs ‘ amenities and luxury suites including the ABA club and lounge. [ 116 ] The ABA is besides responsible for hosting the annual Ajax Business Golf Trophy, an amateur golf tournament where several active and former Ajax players, equally well as outstanding people and members of the ABA, enter. [ 117 ]

average attendance

This graph displays the modal attendance for home matches of Ajax from 1988 to 2018, whereby the remainder in capacity of the De Meer Stadion and the Johan Cruyff Arena ( est. 1996 ) is intelligibly visible .

11926
16585
22382
18994
21488
22742
23600
21922
48069
48423
41275
40711
36347
35584
47571
48996
49353
46912
48562
49089
49014
48681
47316
50147
50490
50907
49403
49483
49620
49711
88/89 89/90 90/91 91/92 92/93 93/94 94/95 95/96 96/97 97/98 98/99 99/00 00/01 01/02 02/03 03/04 04/05 05/06 06/07 07/08 08/09 09/10 10/11 11/12 12/13 13/14 14/15 15/16 16/17 17/18

jewish connection

historically, Ajax was popularly seen as having “ jewish roots ”. While it had fewer jewish players than WV-HEDW, Ajax has had a jewish visualize since the 1930s when the home stadium was located future to a jewish neighborhood of Amsterdam-Oost and opponents saw many supporters walking through the Nieuwmarkt/Waterloopleinbuurt ( de Jodenhoek—the “ Jews ‘ corner ” ) to get to the stadium. [ 118 ] The city of Amsterdam was historically referred to as a Mokum city, Mokum ( מקום ) being the yiddish password for “ place ” or “ dependable seaport ”, [ 119 ] and as anti-semitic chants and name calling developed and intensified at the old De Meer Stadion from torment supporters of opposing clubs, Ajax fans ( few of whom are actually jewish [ 120 ] ) responded by embracing Ajax ‘s “ jewish ” identity : calling themselves “ extremely Jews ”, chanting “ Jews, Jews ” ( “ Joden, Joden ” ) at games, and adopting jewish symbols such as the Star of David and the israeli flag. [ 120 ] [ 121 ] This jewish imagination finally became a central region of Ajax fans ‘ polish. [ 121 ] At one point ringtones of “ Hava Nagila “, a Hebrew tribe sung, could be downloaded from the club ‘s official web site. [ 120 ] Beginning in the 1980s, fans of Ajax ‘s rivals escalated their anti-semitic rhetoric, chanting slogans like “ Hamas, Hamas/Jews to the gasoline “ ( “ Hamas, hamas, joden aan heated boast ” ), hissing to imitate the menstruation of gasoline, giving nazi salutes, and other things. [ 120 ] [ 122 ] The eventual consequence was that many ( truly ) jewish Ajax fans stopped going to games. [ 120 ] In the 2000s, the club began trying to persuade fans to drop their jewish image. [ 123 ] In 2013, a objective titled Superjews was released by NTR and Viewpoint Productions which premiered at the International Documentary Film Festival Amsterdam ( IDFA ). The film was directed by Nirit Peled, an israeli live in Amsterdam, and an independent film maker who offers a very personal view into the plot, the lore of Ajax and its relation back to Judaism from both the supporters ampere well as from a jewish perspective. [ 124 ]

Players

current team

As of 4 September 2021[125]

note : Flags indicate national team as defined under FIFA eligibility rules. Players may hold more than one non-FIFA nationality .

Players out on loan

note : Flags indicate national team as defined under FIFA eligibility rules. Players may hold more than one non-FIFA nationality .

retire numbers

The iconic number 14, retired in 2007 to honor Johan Cruyff

  • 14 – NetherlandsJohan Cruyff (Forward, 1964–73, 1981–83). Number retired on 25 April 2007 at Cruyff’s 60th birthday celebration match.[126]

[ eminence 1 ] Notes :

  1. ^[127] but the number is not officially retired. Number 34 has not been reissued since Abdelhak Nouri ( who played for Ajax in 2015–17 ) suffered extreme cardiac cardiac arrhythmia in a friendly match against Werder Bremen but the total is not officially retired .

mascot

  • Lucky Lynx, is the official team mascot.[128] (2000–present)

Youth/reserves squad

For the reserve squad of Ajax see: Jong Ajax.

noteworthy former players

For a tilt of all Ajax players with a Wikipedia article, see class : AFC Ajax players

Board and staff

Current board

Executive Board
  • Chairman: Netherlands
    • Board members: 6 – (NetherlandsNetherlandsNetherlandsNetherlandsNetherlandsNetherlands

Frank de Boer led the club to four consecutive national titles during his tenure as coach (2010–2016)

Board of directors
Supervisory Board

current staff

Coaching staff
Medical staff
  • Team doctor: Netherlands
  • Team doctor: Netherlands
  • Physiotherapist: Netherlands
  • Physiotherapist: Netherlands
  • Physiotherapist: Netherlands
  • Fitness coach / Recovery trainer: Netherlands
Accompanying staff
  • Team manager: Netherlands
  • Players supervisor: Netherlands
  • Performance coach: Netherlands
  • Press officer: Netherlands

list of Ajax chairmen

list of Ajax coaches

Honours

official trophies ( recognized by UEFA and FIFA )

National

  • Netherlands Football League Championship / Eredivisie: 35
  • KNVB Cup: 20
  • Johan Cruyff Shield: 9

european

several of Ajax ‘ international trophies

  • UEFA Cup: 1
  • UEFA Super Cup: 2
1973, 1995[6][130] *(Ajax also won in 1972, however, UEFA only sanctioned the UEFA Super Cup for the first time in 1973 so the 1972 edition was an unofficial one. Played against Rangers, winners of the 1971–72 European Cup Winners’ Cup, it actually went ahead as ‘a celebration of the Centenary of Rangers F.C.’ (See below) because Rangers were serving a one-year ban at the time imposed by UEFA for the misbehaviour of their fans. That victory meant Ajax had won every tournament (5 in total) they entered that year, a feat Celtic achieved in 1967 (with 6 trophies), Barcelona in 2009 (6 trophies), and Bayern in 2020 (also 6 trophies).
  • Karl Rappan Cup: 1

Worldwide

  • Intercontinental Cup: 2

early trophies

Ajax have won numerous friendly tournaments, unsanctioned by UEFA or FIFA, including the Amsterdam Tournament, Bruges Matins Trophy, Trofeo Santiago Bernabéu, Eusébio Cup, Ted Bates Trophy, Jalkapalloturnaus and Chippie Polar Cup. ( For a complete list, see main article )

baseball club Awards

  • World Soccer World Team of the Year : 1
1995
  • France Football European Team of the Year : 4
1969, 1971, 1972, 1973
  • Dutch Sports Team of the Year : 5
  • Sports Team of the Year : 1
1990
  • Dick van Rijn Trophy : 1
1995
  • Amsterdam Sportsteam of the year: 3
  • ING Fair Play Award : 2
  • Fair Play Cup : 1
1995
  • FIFA Club of the Century : shared 5th place
20th Century
  • kicker Sportmagazin Club of the Century: 2nd place
20th Century
  • Best Dutch club after 50 years of professional football : 1
  • Football shirt of the Year : Ajax away shirt by adidas
  • The Four-Four-Two Greatest Club Side Ever : Ajax (1965–1973)
  • VVCS Best Pitch of the Year : 1
2012

Honorary club members

Ajax have a full of 45 honorary club members, from people who have been invested within the club ‘s administrative engagements, to committed players who have excelled in the acrobatic department. Of those 45 members 40 have since died. Five members hush remain, having been reduced from eight members after Piet Keizer renounced his membership, seven after the evanesce of Johan Cruyff and six after the casual of Uri Coronel. [ 138 ]
The remaining 40 honorary members who have since died : [ 139 ]

Results

domestic results

Below is a table with Ajax ‘s domestic results since the introduction of the Eredivisie in 1956 .

Continental results

team records

  • Most match appearances: 463 – Sjaak Swart
  • Most goals scored: 273 – Piet van Reenen
  • Most goals scored in a season: 41 – Henk Groot
  • First Ajax player to receive an International cap: Gerard Fortgens for the Netherlands in 1911
  • First Ajax player to score a goal for the national team: Theo Brokmann for the Netherlands in 1919

Club van 100

The Club van 100 is the official list of Football players who have appeared in one hundred or more official matches for AFC Ajax. The baseball club presently has a full of over 150 members. [ 140 ] The read for league appearances is held by Mr. Ajax himself Sjaak Swart, who appeared in 463 league matches for Ajax. [ 141 ] There is a beneficiary team called Lucky Ajax, which was initiated by Sjaak Swart. Lucky Ajax participate in at least one match a year, normally in the mention of jacob’s ladder, and normally at football ceremonies to bid farewell to retiring players. One of the prerequisites for playing on Lucky Ajax, which is invitational only, is that you are a member of the Club van 100, having made at least 100 official match appearances for Ajax in the first team of the club. [ 142 ]

lucky Ajax

lucky Ajax are a benefactive role team that was initiated by Sjaak Swart in the seventies, competing in at least one catch a class, normally in the name of charity and/or to bid farewell to retiring former Ajax players. The team is made up of versatile members of the Club van 100 of Ajax who will come out of retirement for this match to face the Ajax team that is current of that year. [ 143 ] Past participants have included Barry Hulshoff, Sonny Silooy, Simon Tahamata, Ronald Koeman, Tscheu La Ling, Gerrie Mühren, John van ‘t Schip, Brian Roy, Stanley Menzo, Peter van Vossen and Fred Grim. [ 144 ] The name Lucky Ajax is derived from the celebrated “ lucky Ajax ” dub from how people used to refer to the club when Ajax would either win a pit by luck, by a decision of a referee, or by concurrence such as was said to be the event during the ill-famed Mistwedstrijd ( “ Fog Match ” ). [ 145 ]

Number 14 shirt

As of the 2007–08 season, no player could wear the number 14 shirt at Ajax after the golf club decided to retire the shirt out of deference for Johan Cruyff, [ 146 ] “ the fabled number fourteen ”. [ 147 ] Cruyff himself laughed off the protection, saying the club had to let its best player play with number 14. [ 148 ] spanish midfielder Roger was the stopping point musician to wear the number. Marvin Zeegelaar wore the shirt phone number In readiness for the 2011–12 season in one preseason match, while Aras Özbiliz wore the count 14 shirt in one pre-season match ahead of the 2011–12 season vitamin a well. The cabaret stated that this was, in fact, not done in mistake. [ 149 ] Below is a list of all players to wear the number 14 shirt since Johan Cruyff ‘s passing. [ 150 ]

former captains

team tournaments

Amsterdam Tournament

Established in 1975 as the Amsterdam 700 Tournament to celebrate 700 years of history in the city. [ 170 ] The tournament was hosted per annum each summer by Ajax until 1992, when the death edition of the original tournament was played. It returned in 1999 with the back of the International Event Partnership ( IEP ). [ 171 ] Four teams participated in the competition, played in a league format since 1986. [ 170 ] Since its render, [ 172 ] the tournament used an unusual point scoring arrangement. As with most league competitions, three points were awarded for a win, one for a draw, and none for a loss. An extra sharpen, however, was awarded for each goal scored. [ 173 ] The system was designed to reward teams that adopted a more attack style of play. [ 174 ] Each entrant played two matches, with the achiever being the clubhouse that finished at the top of the board. [ 175 ] The original contest was held at De Meer Stadion, Ajax ‘s home between 1934 and 1996. [ 176 ] The Amsterdam Arena ( now Johan Cruyff Arena ) played host to the event since its return until the last version was played in 2009. Ajax is the most successful team of the tournament, having won it a record ten times, while Benfica from Portugal were the last team to win the tournament, in 2009 .

Copa Amsterdam

Established in 2005, the Copa Amsterdam is an international friendly football tournament for Under-19 youth teams, that is organized by Ajax and the Amsterdam city council, which takes locate at the Olympic Stadium as part of the annual Amsterdam Sports Weekend, a citywide sponsored enterprise to promote ‘sports and diversion ‘ within the city of Amsterdam. [ 177 ] Each Summer the city of Amsterdam and Ajax invite U-19 teams from versatile top cabaret from around the World to participate in the tournament. Seven teams are invited and play in the competition every year. Over the years, clubs such as Barcelona, Juventus, Chelsea and Real Madrid have had their senior youth teams participate in the tournament. [ 178 ] Cruzeiro from Brazil are the most successful club in the history of the tournament, having won it three times in sum .

future Cup

Established in 2010, the AEGON Future Cup is an international friendly tournament for Under-17 youth teams, which is organized by AFC Ajax and their chief sponsor, the insurance company AEGON. The tournament is held each class at the Johan Cruyff Arena and at the Sportpark De Toekomst, the team ‘s discipline grind, which besides inspired the diagnose of the competition, since De Toekomst in Dutch means The Future. [ 179 ] Every year during the Easter weekend, six U-17 teams are invited to participate in the competition, while the seventh place for the contesters is reserved for the winners of the “ Craques Mongeral AEGON Future Cup ” in Brazil, the sister rival of the tournament in South America. [ 180 ] Youth teams from top clubs such as Manchester United, Bayern Munich, Milan and many more have participated in the rival over the years. [ 181 ] Ajax are the most successful baseball club of the tournament, having won the trophy a sum of five times .

See besides

bibliography

References

Coordinates :

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