Ajax Amsterdam

Ajax Amsterdam is a football (soccer) club from Netherlands.

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Amsterdamsche Football Club Ajax , also referred to as AFC Ajax, Ajax Amsterdam or simply Ajax, is a professional Association football football team from Amsterdam, Netherlands. Ajax Amsterdam is historically one of the three clubs that dominate the Dutch national football league (Eredivisie), the others being PSV Eindhoven and Feyenoord.

Ajax is historically one of the most successful clubs of the world. Ajax Amsterdam is one of the five teams that has European Champion Clubs' Cup to keep the UEFA Champions League and to wear the badge of honour; they won consecutively in 1971-1973. In 1972, they completed the Treble (association football) Continental treble by winning the Dutch Eredivisie, KNVB Cup, and the European Cup; to date, they are the only team to keep the European Cup and accomplish the European treble.

They are also one of two teams to win the treble and the Intercontinental Cup (football) in the same season/calendar year; This was achieved in the 1971-72 season. Ajax, Juventus F.C., and FC Bayern Munich, are the three clubs to have won all three major European trophies. They have also won the Intercontinental Cup (football) twice, and the Karl Rappan Cup, a predecessor of the UEFA Intertoto Cup in 1962.

History

Amateur Era

Ajax Amsterdam was founded in Amsterdam on March 18, 1900 by Floris Stempel, Carel Reeser and Johan Dade. It was the second incarnation, after a short-lived previous attempt (as the Footh-Ball Club Ajax) in 1894.

Ajax succeeded in promotion to the highest level of Dutch football in 1911, under the guidance of Jack Kirwan (their first official coach). The promotion meant that Ajax were forced to alter Ajax Amsterdam's strip, as Sparta Rotterdam of Rotterdam had the same kit, red-white vertical stripes with black shorts. Ajax adopted a broad vertical red stripe on a white background with white shorts, Ajax Amsterdam's kit to this day.

Although their efforts were not unnoticed (Gé Fortgens became a frequent member of the Netherlands national football team for a while) they were relegated in 1914. While they immediately bounced back, they had to wait until 1917 to regain higher level status again: they did become league champions in both 1915 and 1916, however the 1915 league was declared unofficial (due to World War I), whereas in 1916 they did not make it through the promotion round.

Under the guidance of Jack Reynolds (1881-1962) (Kirwan's successor as of 1915) Ajax Amsterdam was promoted to the highest level in 1917 and won the Dutch national cup final, defeating VSV 5-0. Ajax went on to win their first national championship in 1918. The championship was secured in Tilburg where they faced Willem II Tilburg without Jan de Natris, arguably Ajax Amsterdam's first 'star player', who missed the train to Tilburg and opted to stay in Amsterdam instead - earning him a fine of 10 cents. In the following season he earned a six month ban, but Ajax did well in his absence: not only did they retain the championship title, their 1919 campaign was also an unbeaten run for them - an accomplishment that was only repeated 76 years later by Ajax themselves.

Now a regular contender for the Western Regional championship in the Netherlands, Ajax marched through the twenties with regional titles in 1921, 1927 and 1928, next to a few minor cups. The 1930s would prove to be more successful however; with household names as Wim Anderiesen was so successful that many people dubbed it 'the Dutch golden age' (a reference to the 17th century, the heyday of the Dutch Republic).

With six regional titles (1930, 1931, 1932, 1934, 1935, 1936, 1937, 1939) and 5 national championships (1931, 1932, 1934, 1937, 1939) Ajax was the most successful team of that era in the country. The thirties were also notable for the final culmination of the rivalry with Feyenoord, another squad that earned many awards in that time, as well as the creation of the stadium 'het Ajax-Stadion' dubbed De Meer Stadion (named after the borough of its residence). Until the emergence of the Amsterdam ArenA in 1996, this was Ajax' home ground together with the Olympisch Stadion (Amsterdam) for the bigger games.

As of the 1940s, perhaps in line with Jack Reynolds' retirement (he had stayed - save for a few spells of absence - on for the entire time as Ajax' manager since his entry in 1915), Ajax went through a period of rebuilding. Gerrit Fischer and Erwin van Wijngaarden were retained, with Joop Stoffelen, Guus Dräger, Gé van Dijk, Jan Potharst and later Rinus Michels and Cor van der Hart brought in. After a Cup Final victory in 1943, Ajax went on to finish second in the championship league in 1946 (behind HFC Haarlem) followed by a league championship win in 1947.

They became regional champions in 1950 again, though they never came near winning the championship. The season was notable for a match against SC Heerenveen, with Heerenveen coming back from 5-1 down to win 6-5. In 1941, Ajax performed the opposite: after being 6-0 behind to VUC in The Hague they managed to pull out a draw in the end (6-6).

Until 1954, the year that professional football was introduced in the Netherlands, Ajax had some minor successes, with the regional title in 1952 and a second place in the regional championship in 1954 (equal in points with fellow Amsterdam club Door Wilskracht Sterk).

Professional football and the road to the top

In 1955, professional football was finally permitted in the Netherlands. Ajax was still far from the international top, as was demonstrated in the UEFA Champions League match against Vasas SC, where they were beaten by the Hungarians 4-0 in the Stadium Puskás Ferenc). Similar European failures followed in 1960, with Ajax being knocked out by the Norwegian amateurs of Fredrikstad FK and in the UEFA Cup Winners' Cup in 1961 by Újpest FC of Ferenc Bene.

Ajax achieved some success on the domestic level, earning the first Eredivisie-championship in 1957 and again in 1960 - the 1960 title decided by a playoff after equalling in points with arch-rivals Feyenoord. Ajax cruised to a 5-1 victory with a hat trick by striker Wim Bleijenberg.

Bleijenberg was not the top scorer however. Henk Groot - the younger brother of Cees Groot who scored 100 goals for Ajax in his 5 year stay - arrived in 1959 from Stormvogels and scored 38 goals in 1959/60 and 41 goals in 1960/61. He was a vital part of Ajax in the early sixties, replacing star striker Piet van der Kuil who left for PSV Eindhoven in 1960. Alongside the man who would later become Mister Ajax, Sjaak Swart, Co Prins, Ton Pronk, Bennie Muller and a young Piet Keizer, Ajax added the National Cup in 1961 and the Intertoto Cup 1962 to their trophy cabinet.

After missing out on the championship after a 5-2 defeat against PSV in 1963, Ajax entered a period of decline in the national league. Henk Groot left to Feyenoord that summer, and in 1964/65 they were near relegation. Things improved after former player Rinus Michels replaced Vic Buckingham as the head manager. Ajax managed to secure a midtable spot under Michels; however Buckingham's second tenure saw the introduction of Johan Cruyff during a 3-1 loss at GVAV.

Michels started a revolution in Amsterdam, beginning with the return of Henk Groot and Co Prins, as well as the signing of goalkeeper Gert Bals. Michels built a side around the vision of Total Football, sacrificing players who he considered not to be good enough or fit the style of play. The most notable example of this was defender Frits Soetekouw - replaced by Ajax' new captain Velibor Vasović - whose own goal aided the victory of Dukla Prague in the quarter-final of the European Cup in 1966/67, after Ajax had knocked out Beşiktaş J.K. and defeated Liverpool F.C. 5-1.

Ajax sealed their second consecutive championship in 1967. They were not as dominant as the previous year, but with a seemingly unstoppable attack they scored no less than 122 goals (still a national record), of which 33 were from Johan Cruijff, at 20 years old already the star player. It was also the season for another important milestone: for the first time in history, Ajax won the double (after defeating NAC Breda in the cup final).

It earned them European Cup qualification, being knocked out by Real Madrid C.F. in the subsequent season, with Ignacio Zoco scoring the winner for Los Merengues in extra time after two 1-1 draws, results which greatly enhanced the reputation of the club.

Ajax won the Dutch title of 1968 overhauling Feyenoord, the league leaders for much of the season, and reached the European Cup final of 1969 in Madrid against A.C. Milan. In qualifying for the European Cup final Ajax defeated 1. FC Nuremberg in the first round. They were almost knocked out by S.L. Benfica in the second, losing 3-1 to them in Amsterdam but winning the second leg in Lisbon 3-1. The decisive third match in neutral Paris was won 3-0 through goals by Inge Danielsson and Johan Cruyff. They repeated this score at home against the next opponent, FC Spartak Trnava in the next round, but struggled in the second leg qualifying narrowly on aggregate. In the final, Milan - lauded for their excellent defense and counter-attacks - easily won 4-1 with Pierino Prati opening the scoring after seven minutes and going on to score a hattrick, while Velibor Vasović was the only Ajax player on the scoresheet with a penalty. Milan's win was capped by a goal by Angelo Sormani.

Gloria Ajax - European dominance and treble

Following their loss in the European Cup final, Ajax entered another period of rebuilding. Among the new additions were national top scorer Dick van Dijk and midfielders Gerrie Mühren and Nico Rijnders, while a second team player, Ruud Krol, was promoted to the first eleven. They replaced Klaas Nuninga, Inge Danielsson, Theo van Duijvenbode (all sold to other clubs) and Henk Groot, who retired from football after an injury while playing against Poland national football team. Ton Pronk and Bennie Muller were no longer as frequently in the first eleven after many years of service.

In 1969-70 Ajax won the Dutch league championship, winning 27 out of 34 games and scoring 100 goals. Feyenoord remained in contention throughout the season, but they had to settle for second place. Both clubs won a trophy however, with Ajax winning the Eredivisie title while Feyenoord captured the European Cup 1969-70. Ajax reached the semi-finals of the Inter-Cities Fairs Cup in 1970 (being knocked out by Arsenal F.C. after defeating Hannover 96, S.S.C. Napoli, Ruch Chorzów, and FC Carl Zeiss Jena)

1971 became the long awaited year of glory, with Ajax winning trophies at both domestic and European level. For a substantial part of the season Ajax seemed to be on their way to the European treble (a feat only previously performed by Celtic F.C. in 1967). Domestically, Ajax finished second to Feyenoord in the league, winning the KNVB Cup after a replayed final against Sparta. In Europe, Ajax defeated 17 Nëntori, FC Basel, Celtic F.C. and Atlético Madrid en route to the 1971 European Cup final played at Wembley Stadium (1923) on June 2. There, 83,000 spectators witnessed a 2-0 victory over Panathinaikos FC, with goals from Dick van Dijk and an Arie Haan shot deflected by defender Kapsis. Captain Vasović could finally lift the European Cup, having lost two previous finals in 1966 with FK Partizan and again in 1969.

In the following years Ajax established itself as the foremost club in European football. Stefan Kovacs replaced coach Michels in 1971, while Rijnders and Vasović' departed in the same year. Van Dijk's departed in 1972. Such changes in the side and management did not disrupt the success of the club, with Ajax completing the treble of European Cup, Dutch National Championship and the KNVB Cup in 1972 to which was added the Intercontinental Cup (football). In 1973, Ajax won a third consecutive European Cup and another Dutch championship; however, failure in the KNVB Cup meant Ajax missed out on a second consecutive treble.

The departure of Johan Cruyff for FC Barcelona in 1973 signalled the end of the period of success, effectively ending the reign of the so called 'Twelve Apostles' (The usual line-up Heinz Stuy, Wim Suurbier, Barry Hulshoff, Horst Blankenburg, Ruud Krol, Arie Haan, Johan Neeskens, Gerrie Mühren, Sjaak Swart, Johan Cruyff, Piet Keizer plus the usual twelfth man who was Ruud Suurendonk until 1972 and then Johnny Rep). Whereas clubs like Real Madrid C.F., FC Bayern Munich, F.C. Internazionale Milano, Arsenal F.C., Juventus F.C. and Club Atlético Independiente were beaten by Ajax between 1971 and 1973, failure in the European Cup at the hands of PFC CSKA Sofia in late 1973 signalled the decline of Ajax in European football.

Nevertheless, the Total Football that they had propagated became a lasting memory for many football fans, contributing to the Netherlands national football team reaching the final of the 1974 FIFA World Cup using similar tactics. The decline of Ajax and the loss to the Germans in the World Cup final saw the end of the Total Football era; later Ajax manager Tomislav Ivić would dub the era 'Gloria Ajax', illustrating the impact of their years at the top.

The 1st Renaissance and 1980s

After a period of decline, in 1977, Ivić coached Ajax to their first domestic championship since 1973. Ajax returned to domestic success winning 5 league championships after '77 as well as 4 cups, though impressive European performances were sparse. Ajax were knocked out by Juventus in the quarter-finals of the European Cup in 1978 and reached a European Cup semi-final in 1980, losing to eventual winners, the Brian Clough-managed Nottingham Forest F.C.. Disappointing European form between 1980 and 1986 saw Ajax Amsterdam not getting past the second round for six years in a row. Johan Cruyff returned to Ajax Amsterdam in 1981, with Ajax Amsterdam producing some talented youngsters in the mid-1980s such as Wim Kieft, John van 't Schip, Marco van Basten, Gerald Vanenburg, Jesper Olsen, and Frank Rijkaard.

After leaving Ajax Amsterdam in 1983 after a conflict with president Harmsen, Cruyff returned once again in 1985 as the new manager.
Cruijff's attacking tactics were immediately illustrated in his first active season, where Ajax ended the season with 120 goals in total, of which 37 were from Ajax's new star player Marco van Basten. Despite this, Ajax finished as runners up in the league to PSV Eindhoven twice in a row in '85/'86 and '86/'87. Despite the lack of domestic league success, Cruyff's Ajax won the UEFA Cup Winners' Cup 1986-87, beating Lokomotive Leipzig. They reached the final again in the following season, losing out to KV Mechelen.

Cruyff departed prior to the second Cup Winners Cup final, as a result of the declining results in the national league. With most of the 80's stars such as van Basten also leaving, Ajax once again declined. They continued to compete for the title with PSV in subsequent years, who became the dominant club in European and Dutch football, matching Ajax's 1972 achievement of Treble (association football) Continental treble in 1988. Negative aspects of the period 1988-1991 were the fraud-case in 1989 and a year long ban from European competition in 1990-91 following an incident whereby a fan threw an iron bar at the FK Austria Wien goalkeeper during a UEFA Cup tie in the 1989-1990 season. Under manager Leo Beenhakker, Ajax went on to win the championship race with PSV in 1990. They almost won the league again in 1991, losing narrowly to PSV.

Van Gaal, European Success and Decline

On departure to Real Madrid C.F. in 1991, Beenhakker was replaced by Louis van Gaal, the former assistant-coach. Like Cruyff, van Gaal rapidly made his mark by altering Ajax' tactics. Also like Cruyff, his efforts were rewarded in his first season at the helm by winning the 1992 UEFA Cup after a thrilling final against Torino F.C.. Although he did not play the final, the tournament saw the arrival of Dennis Bergkamp who contributed six goals during the competition. Despite Bergkamp being the top goalscorer in Dutch football in 1991, 1992, Ajax once again finished as runners up to PSV in the league. In 1992/93 Ajax even had to settle for a third spot, for first time since 1984, but won the KNVB Cup.

In 1993, Bergkamp and Wim Jonk left to F.C. Internazionale Milano, allowing Finn Jari Litmanen to establish himself as the new number 10 of Ajax. Aside from Litmanen, Ajax attracted Finidi George and the return of Frank Rijkaard, providing a base for van Gaal to build on.

The 1994-95 season saw the return of European success after two decades, with Ajax winning the UEFA Champions League 1994-95 and the league title. The season saw an unbeaten run in the national league and the final season for Frank Rijkaard, while striker Patrick Kluivert had an excellent start to his season, with the then 18-year-old coming off the bench to score a late winner to beat A.C. Milan in the final of the Champions League. Ajax went on to beat Brazilian side Grêmio Foot-Ball Porto Alegrense on penalties to win the Intercontinental Cup (football). The following season, Ajax continued to succeed on the European front, succumbing only to Juventus F.C. on penalties in the European Cup final.

However, the subsequent period saw the departure of manager van Gaal along with an exodus of many key players, several on free transfers following the Bosman ruling. Clarence Seedorf departed in 1995; Edgar Davids, Michael Reiziger, Finidi George, and Nwankwo Kanu in 1996; Patrick Kluivert, Marc Overmars, and Winston Bogarde in 1997; Ronald de Boer and Frank de Boer in 1998; and Edwin van der Sar and Jari Litmanen in 1999, together with the retirement of Frank Rijkaard in 1995 and Danny Blind in 1999. Van Gaal's replacement, Morten Olsen, attracted Danish national team captain Michael Laudrup to the club. Ajax won the league championship and the Dutch cup. Despite this success, Olsen could not replace the key players who had departed or maintain the success under van Gaal. In Olsen's second year at the club, tension arose between Olsen and the Dutch players Ronald de Boer and Frank de Boer, and Olsen was sacked in 1998. In 1999, Ajax finished 6th in the league, their lowest position in over 20 years.

Recent events

Since the lost Champions League final in 1996, Ajax have struggled to return to European success. In the 2002-03 season, led by captain Cristian Chivu, Rafael van der Vaart, Zlatan Ibrahimović, Mido (footballer), and the return of a legend in Jari Litmanen, manager Ronald Koeman guided a new crop of exciting young talents to the Champions League quarter finals against A.C. Milan, losing only to a last minute winner in the second-leg encounter at the San Siro.

Koeman's early success was short-lived. In 2005, he resigned after Ajax's defeat to AJ Auxerre in the UEFA Cup tournament. This resignation was also the aftermath of Koeman's long-standing spat with then football director Louis van Gaal who had questioned Koeman's managerial abilities after Ajax's dry spell in the domestic league — which saw them languishing in fifth position at the beginning of 2005. Former Ajax-player Danny Blind, who, aside from working as Koeman's technical coach and advisor, had virtually no top-level manager experience, was unveiled as their new coach. Blind instantly caused consternation by announcing that Ajax Amsterdam was to play using a 4-4-2, abandoning the Total Football-oriented 4-3-3 that has become Ajax' trademark. This season also saw the departure of key players Rafael van der Vaart and Nigel de Jong to Hamburger SV and Zlatan Ibrahimović to Juventus F.C., while six others (Hatem Trabelsi, Tomáš Galásek, Hans Vonk (footballer), Nourdin Boukhari, Steven Pienaar, and Maxwell Cabelino Andrade) revealed they would leave Ajax Amsterdam at the end of the 2005-06 season. Blind was sacked on 10 May 2006 after 422 days in charge. New coach Henk ten Cate, who won the Champions League and La Liga in 2006 as the assistant of Frank Rijkaard with FC Barcelona, gave youngsters a shot to enter the selection of the first team. Ten Cate said youngsters Jan Vertonghen and Robbert Schilder would be included in the selection, whereas Greek forward Angelos Charisteas was sold to Feyenoord. Ten Cate announced that he wished to return to form and win the Eredivisie in 2007.

Ajax missed out on a UEFA Champions League place in 2006-07 after their defeat against F.C. Copenhagen (3-2 on aggregate). As a result, Ajax played against IK Start from Norway in the first round of the UEFA Cup on 14 and 18 of September, and won the match 9-2 on aggregate (2-5 away and 4-0 home). Having then progressed through the Group Stage, they drew German club SV Werder Bremen in the Round of 32. In the first leg in Germany, Ajax lost 3-0. On the return leg in Amsterdam, they rallied for two second half goals to win 3-1, but lost 4-3 in aggregate.

In the Eredivisie 2006/2007 Ajax also achieved some successes with ten Cate in charge. They won the Johan Cruijff Shield after a 3-1 win over rivals PSV and they also beat AZ (football club) 8-9 on penalties in the KNVB Cup 2006-07 after a 1-1 draw after extra time. Ajax was very close to clinch the Eredivisie title after deducting a 10 point deficit from PSV, but lost it on goal difference on the last matchday to PSV (PSV: 75-25, Ajax 84-35).

In the following Eredivisie 2007-08, Ajax sold two of the biggest talents: Ryan Babel for €17 million to Liverpool F.C. and Wesley Sneijder for €27 million to Real Madrid C.F.. Luis Suárez (Uruguayan footballer) came from FC Groningen to replace Babel. Ajax decided not to buy a replacement for Sneijder because of the difficulty in finding a similar-position type of player to replace him and also because the deal was finished close to the transfer window and Ajax would not rush though any signings.

These events together with Edgar Davids breaking a leg disrupted the preparation for the qualification games for a UEFA Champions League 2007–08 place. Opponent Slavia Prague won both matches; with a 2-1 scoreline in Prague and 0-1 victory in Amsterdam. The failure to clinch a position in the Champions League group stage led to great criticism from both the supporters and the media, mainly directed at Henk ten Cate and the board of directors. A 1-0 victory over PSV Eindhoven for the Johan Cruijff Shield could not make up for the loss of a Champions League spot. Despite quite a good start in the competition with a lot of goals from both Luis Suárez and Klaas-Jan Huntelaar, Ajax lost ground again in Europe after not making it to the group phase of the UEFA Cup; managing a 0-1 win away against NK Dinamo Zagreb but lost the tie in Amsterdam after extra time with the score 2-3 to Dinamo. With these string of European failures, coach Ten Cate has already failed to lead Ajax Amsterdam to the Champions League group stage for two seasons in a row and no European football at the ArenA for the remainder of the 2007/2008 season. With this result, ten Cate lost the confidence of the supporters who demanded that the board sack him. A more viable solution came when Chelsea (in the same week) offered ten Cate the job of assistant manager with a 3-year deal. On 9 October, ten Cate left Ajax. Adrie Koster was selected to helm the squad. On 29 October 2007, captain Jaap Stam announced his immediate retirement from professional football because of a lack of motivation to continue. Ajax finished the season second and, following the Eredivisie 2007-08 Play-offs, qualified for the UEFA Cup 2008–09.

Following UEFA Euro 2008, ex-Ajax striker Marco van Basten was appointed as the new manager, succeeding Koster. Johan Cruyff was poised to take up a new position with Ajax Amsterdam to overhaul the youth program but after a dispute with van Basten, he reneged on this commitment. Following van Basten's appointement, a host of new players were brought into the squad, including Ismaïl Aissati and Miralem Sulejmani, whose €16.25 million transfer from SC Heerenveen broke the Dutch transfer record. Van Basten chose Klaas-Jan Huntelaar as the new club captain following his appointment. Huntelaar transferred to Real Madrid C.F. (for €27 million) after the 2008-09 transfer period finished, a decision for which Ajax has been criticised in the Dutch papers. de Volkskrant, for instance, referred to Ajax as a mere "trading company" which reduces its chances for a title by selling its main striker.
In the 2008-09 season, Ajax were unable to qualify for the UEFA Champions League for the 2009-010 season as FC Twente finished second in the regular competition, placing them in the third round of the qualifying stage. Ajax did not take several opportunities to gain the second place, as they were trashed 6-2 by PSV Eindhoven, drew 1-1 with champions AZ (football club), and did not take the last opportunity to overtake Twente as they were sent home by Sparta Rotterdam after a staggering 4-0 loss.

On 6 May 2009, coach Marco van Basten resigns citing the season's results and his inability to perform better next season as main reasons. He informed general manager Van den Boog early Wednesday morning and at 5pm local time, both men held a press conference where van Basten enlightens the press about his decision. The team will be managed by assistant coach John van 't Schip during the last game of the season against Twente. Ajax will start their search for a new manager immediately and hopes to commit someone for a longer period of time, someone who knows the club, the playing style, the expectations, and someone who is able and experienced as a coach.

On 26 May 2009 Martin Jol has signed a contract for three years, which will make him the new coach of Ajax.

On 27 June 2009, Ajax claimed a first win under Martin Jol beating an amateur club D.W.V. Amsterdam. The team performed better than expected and Jol allowed them to have a free Sunday. Soon, the other players will come back from their national football team duties and Ajax are scheduled to play against their satellite club from South Africa Ajax Cape Town FC on 4 July 2009. A couple of other matches are scheduled as well.

The Amsterdam ArenA will also hold the 2009 Amsterdam Tournament on 24 and 26 July. The competing teams are Ajax, Atlético Madrid, S.L. Benfica, and Sunderland A.F.C.

The Eredivisie 2009–10 begins on 31 July with a match between SC Heerenveen and Roda JC. Ajax will play on 2 August against FC Groningen.

It's hard to predict what to expect from Ajax Amsterdam in the coming season. Martin Jol seems to be even more than the right person for the job, but,as of today (28 June), Ajax have failed to transfer at least one new player to the team. With Marcus Berg performing so well that he might attract attention from clubs from a better league and FC Twente blocking the transfer of Eljero Elia to Ajax, it really seems like once again it's going to be down to the old squad and the youth team to try and claim the long-awaited 30th title and, as a result, to place a 3rd star above the Ajax logo on their shirts. There has been a lot of media speculation about Ajax transfer targets but negotiations haven't been fruitful. In fact, many claim that Ajax has scored an own-goal selling one of their better defenders, Thomas Vermaelen to Arsenal F.C. and failed to transfer a player in his place. Talks of transferring Nicklas Bendtner to Ajax have taken place with Arsenal, but soon reached nought. Toby Alderweireld is seen as a rising star just like Gregory van der Wiel, who performed well both in the last season and for the Netherlands national football team.

Youth program

Ajax Amsterdam is also particularly famous for its renowned youth program that has produced many Dutch talents over the years - Johan Cruyff, Edwin van der Sar, Dennis Bergkamp, and Marco van Basten. Dutch national first-team players Ryan Babel, Wesley Sneijder, Rafael van der Vaart, John Heitinga, Nigel de Jong, and André Ooijer had also came through the ranks at Ajax and all are now playing for top-flight clubs. Ajax has also expanded its talent searching program to South Africa with Ajax Cape Town FC. Ajax has also had a satellite club in the United States under the name Ajax Orlando Prospects, until it filed for bankruptcy. There are some youth players from Ajax Cape Town that have been drafted into the Eredivisie squad, such as Steven Pienaar and Cameroonian Eyong Enoh. In 1995, the year that they won the UEFA Champions League, the Netherlands national football team was almost entirely composed of Ajax players, with goalkeeper Edwin van der Sar; 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 attack.

Rivalry

Although Ajax have been vying for the championship with PSV Eindhoven in recent years, its main traditional rivalry is with Feyenoord from Rotterdam, culminating every year in the "Klassieker". It is a match between the two largest cities of the Netherlands, which are both quite distinct from each other.

Amsterdam is a historic, touristic as well as a business city and it is the capital of the country. Furthermore the city identifies itself with artists, creativity and sophistication, whilst Rotterdam hosts the biggest port of Europe and thus identifies itself with hard, no-nonsense, industrial labour.

There have been many violent clashes between the supporters of both clubs, of which the Beverwijk fight in 1997 was the most famous, resulting in the death of Ajax supporter Carlo Picornie.

Ajax is historically both the most successful and the most popular club in the Netherlands. At the same time Ajax is also the most hated club by supporters of other clubs. Its historic success and with that its attitude, which is often seen as arrogant, contribute to that negative stance towards Ajax. Not only Feyenoord from Rotterdam but also fans of FC Utrecht and ADO Den Haag regard Ajax as their main rival.

Satellite clubs

The following clubs are affiliated with AFC Ajax:
- K.F.C. Germinal Beerschot
- Cruzeiro Esporte Clube
- Beijing Guoan
- Ajax Cape Town FC
- HET-clubs
- HFC Haarlem
- FC Volendam
- FC Omniworld
- FC Barcelona
- Ajax Orlando Prospects (disbanded)

Logo

In 1900, when Ajax Amsterdam was founded, the emblem of Ajax was just a picture of an Ajax player. In 1928, Ajax Amsterdam logo was introduced with the head of the Greek hero Ajax (mythology). The logo was once again changed in 1990 into an abstract version of the previous one. The new new logo still sports the portrait of Ajax, but drawn with just eleven lines, symbolizing the eleven players of a football team. Many supporters still consider the new logo a break from tradition and a symbol of the modern management of the club, which is seen as being cold and money-oriented.

Colours

Ajax originally played in an all black uniform with a red sash tied around the players' waists, but that uniform was soon replaced by a red/white striped shirt and black shorts. Red, black and white are the three colours of the flag of Amsterdam. However, when, under manager Jack Kirwan, Ajax Amsterdam got promoted to the top flight of Dutch football for the first time in 1911 (then the Eerste Klasse or 'First Class', later named the Eredivisie), Ajax were forced to change their colours because Sparta Rotterdam already had the exact same outfit. Special kits for away fixtures did not exist at the time and according to football association regulations the newcomers had to change their colours if two teams in the same league had identical uniforms. Ajax opted for white shorts and white shirt with a broad, vertical red stripe over chest and back, which still is Ajax's outfit.

Ajax's shirts have been sponsor (commercial)ed by TDK, and by ABN AMRO from 1991 to 2008. AEGON has replaced ABN AMRO as the new head sponsor for a period of at least seven years. On 1 April 2007, Ajax wore a different sponsor for the match against Heracles Almelo: Florius. Florius is a banking program just launched by ABN AMRO who wanted it to be the shirt sponsor for one match. The shirts have been manufactured by Umbro (1989-2000) and Adidas since 2000 (until at least 2009).

Stadium

Ajax' first stadium was built in 1911 out of wood and was simply called "The Stadium". Ajax later played in the stadium that was built for the 1928 Summer Olympics, held in Amsterdam. This stadium, designed by Jan Wils, is known as the Olympisch Stadion (Amsterdam). In 1934, Ajax moved to De Meer Stadion in east Amsterdam, designed by architect and Ajax-member Daan Roodenburgh. The stadium could host 29.500 spectators and Ajax would continue to play there until 1996. During big European and national fixtures Ajax Amsterdam would often play at the Olympic Stadium, where the capacity was about twice as high.

In 1996, Ajax moved to a new home ground in the southeast of the city known as the Amsterdam ArenA that was built at the cost of $134 million. The stadium is capable of holding approximately 52,000 people. The average attendance in 2006/07 was 48,610 people; in the next season this rose to 49,128. The Arena has a retractable roof and was the example for other modern stadiums built in Europe in the following years. In the Netherlands, the Arena has earned a reputation for having a terrible grass pitch caused by the removable roof that, even when open, takes away too much sunlight and fresh air. A during the 2008-2009 season introduced artificial lighting system has finally reduced this problem considerably.

The much-loved De Meer stadium was torn down and the land was sold to the city council. A residential neighbourhood now occupies the area. The only thing left of the old stadium are the letters AJAX, nowadays in place on the façade of the youth training grounds De Toekomst, near the Amsterdam Arena.

Ajax and Jews

Ajax is popularly seen as having "Jewish roots" and in the 1970s supporters of rival teams began taunting Ajax fans by calling them Jews. Ajax fans (few of whom are actually Jewish) responded by embracing Ajax's "Jewish" identity: calling themselves "super Jews," chanting "Jews, Jews" ("Joden, Joden") at games, and adopting Jewish symbols such as the Star of David and the Israeli flag. This Jewish imagery eventually became a central part of Ajax fans' culture.

Fans of the Polish team Cracovia Kraków use similar symbolism.

Players and managers

As of July 24, 2009. Source:

Youth squad

- See Jong Ajax

Staff

- Chairman: Uri Coronel
- Technical Manager: Danny Blind
- Teammanager: David Endt
- Manager: Martin Jol
- Assistant managers: Danny Blind, John van 't Schip

List of Ajax managers

- Martin Jol (2009-present)
- John van 't Schip (interim, 2009)
- Marco van Basten (2008-2009)
- Adrie Koster (interim, 2007-2008)
- Henk ten Cate (2006-2007)
- Danny Blind (2005-2006)
- Ruud Krol (interim, 2005)
- Ronald Koeman (2001-2005)
- Co Adriaanse (2000-2001)
- Hans Westerhof (interim, 2000)
- Jan Wouters (1999-2000)
- Morten Olsen (1997-1999)
- Louis van Gaal (1991-1997)
- Leo Beenhakker (1989-1991)
- Spitz Kohn et al. (interim 1988-1989)
- Kurt Linder (1988)
- Johan Cruijff (1985-1988)
- Aad de Mos (1982-1985)

- Kurt Linder (1981-1982)
- Leo Beenhakker (1979-1981)
- Cor Brom (1978-1979)
- Tomislav Ivić (1976-1978)
- Rinus Michels (1975-1976)
- Hans Kraay (1974-1975)
- George Knobel (1973-1974)
- Ştefan Kovács (1971-1973)
- Rinus Michels (1965-1971)
- Vic Buckingham (1964-1965)
- Jack Rowley (1963-1964)
- Joseph Gruber (1962-1963)
- Keith Spurgeon (1961-1962)
- Vic Buckingham (1959-1961)
- Karl Humenberger (1954-1959)
- Walter Crook (1953-1954)

- Robert Thomson (footballer) (1950-1953)
- Walter Crook (1948-1950)
- Robert Smith (manager) (1947-1948)
- Jack Reynolds (1881-1962) (1942-1947)
- Dolf van Kol (1942-1942)
- Wim Volkers (1941-1942)
- Vilmos Halpern (1940-1941)
- Jack Reynolds (1881-1962) (1928-1940)
- Stanley Castle (1926-1928)
- Harold Rose (1925-1926)
- Jack Reynolds (1881-1962) (1915-1925)
- Jack Kirwan (1910-1915)

Number 14

As of the Eredivisie 2007-08, no player will wear the number 14 shirt at Ajax, since Ajax Amsterdam decided to retire the shirt out of respect for legend Johan Cruyff. Cruyff himself said that it would be better if the best player of Ajax Amsterdam would wear number 14. Spanish midfielder Roger García Junyent was the last player to wear the number.

Honours

Official trophies (recognized by UEFA and FIFA)

National

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International

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Other trophies

- 2003, ISBN 0-7528-4274-9
- Evert Vermeer, 95 jaar Ajax. 1900-1995, Luitingh-Sijthoff, Amsterdam, 1996, ISBN 90-245-2364-8

ADO Den Haag, Ajax Amsterdam, AZ Alkmaar, De Graafschap, FC Groningen, FC Twente, FC Utrecht, FC Volendam, Feyenoord, Heracles Almelo, NAC Breda, NEC Nijmegen, PSV Eindhoven, Roda JC, SC Heerenveen, Sparta Rotterdam, Vitesse Arnhem, Willem II