102-549: De Klassieker ( The Classic ) is the main football rivalry of the Netherlands, between Ajax (of Amsterdam ) and Feyenoord (of Rotterdam ). The record attendance was on 9 January 1966, when 65,562 watched in Rotterdam. The rivalry between these two clubs goes beyond the football rivalry, transcending into the city rivalry between Amsterdam and Rotterdam. This rivalry began when these two cities first received their city rights in
204-557: A Feyenoord fan threw an iceball in Jansen's eye, forcing him to leave the field for treatment. The rivalry intensified even further during the 1983/84 season when Ajax legend Johan Cruyff made the transfer from Ajax to Feyenoord. This was after a contract dispute between Cruyff and Ajax; Cruyff wanted a contract extension, but Ajax balked on account of his age. This transfer angered both fanbases; Ajax fans were outraged that Cruyff had jumped to their biggest rival, while Feyenoord fans did not like
306-610: 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 it is currently competing. The team has won the Eerste Klasse title twice, as well as the * KNVB District Cup West I on two occasions as well. Furthermore, Ajax Zaterdag has also managed to qualify for the KNVB Cup on its own accord on three occasions, namely in 2004, 2005, 2008 and 2021. Even advancing to
408-504: A direct transfer between the clubs Arnold Scholten – 1995 direct transfer Dean Gorré – 1997 not a direct transfer between the clubs Richard Knopper – played in the Feyenoord youth system Henk Timmer – 2002 direct loan transfer Leonardo – 2007 not a direct transfer between the clubs Evander Sno – 2008 not a direct transfer between the clubs Ronald Graafland – 2010 direct transfer Anwar El Ghazi – 2013 played in
510-483: A direct transfer between the clubs Eljero Elia – 2015 played in the Ajax youth system Danilo – 2022 direct transfer Quinten Timber – 2022 not a direct transfer between the clubs Kostas Lamprou – 2023 not a direct transfer between the clubs Hans Kraay was manager at Ajax during 1974/75 and at Feyenoord during 1982/83 and 1988/89. Leo Beenhakker has been a manager at both clubs numerous times. Ronald Koeman
612-406: A direct transfer between the clubs Ronald Graafland – 2011 direct transfer John Goossens – 2012 played in the Ajax youth system Bilal Basacikoglu – 2014 played in the Ajax youth system Warner Hahn – 2014 not a direct transfer between the clubs Kenneth Vermeer – 2014 direct transfer Marko Vejinović – 2015 played in the Ajax youth system Jan-Arie van der Heijden – 2015 not
714-439: A direct transfer between the clubs Simon Tahamata – 1984 not a direct transfer between the clubs Keje Molenaar – 1985 not a direct transfer between the clubs Tscheu La Ling 1986 not a direct transfer between the clubs Martin van Geel – 1988 not a direct transfer between the clubs Arnold Scholten – 1989 direct transfer Rob Witschge – 1990 not a direct transfer between the clubs Harvey Esajas – 1992 played in
816-485: A double of the Eredivisie and KNVB Cup two years later. The early 1980s saw the return of Cruyff to the club, as well as the emergence of young players Marco van Basten and Frank Rijkaard . The team won back-to-back Eredivisie titles in 1982 and 1983 , with all three playing a significant role in the latter. After Cruyff's sale to rivals Feyenoord in 1983, van Basten became Ajax's key player, top scoring in
918-405: A few players who have played for both Ajax and Feyenoord. The most controversial players have been Johan Cruyff, Wim Jansen and, most recently, Steven Berghuis. Hans Kraay Sr. and Leo Beenhakker have trained both clubs (with Kraay Sr. also having played at Feyenoord), while Peter Bosz was technical director at Feyenoord and later coach at Ajax. Ronald Koeman is the only former player and coach to hold
1020-480: A fourth Dutch league championship and second league and cup double in five seasons, winning 27 out of 34 league matches and scoring 100 goals. 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 van Dijk and Arie Haan to become continental champions for the first time, with Cruyff being named European Footballer of
1122-408: A launch price of ƒ25,- (Guilders) the club managed to a bring its total revenue up to €54 million (converted) in its first year on the market. After short-lived success, however, the rate dropped, at one point as low as €3.50. Criticism was brought forth that the legal grid for a naamloze vennootschap would not be suitable for a Football club, and that the sports related ambitions would suffer from
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#17331109317791224-441: A majority of Ajax and Feyenoord players. These players would be important during the 1974 FIFA World Cup and 1978 FIFA World Cup in which they displayed what is known to be Total Football . During the season 1980/81, Feyenoord legend Wim Jansen , who played for Feyenoord for 15 years, made the leap to Ajax which created much anger for the Feyenoord fans. On his debut for Ajax, which happened to be an away game against Feyenoord,
1326-454: A picture of an Ajax player. The crest was slightly altered following the club's promotion to the top division in 1911 to match the club's new outfits. In 1928, the club 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 new logo still sports the portrait of Ajax, but drawn with just 11 lines, symbolizing
1428-422: A player who was introduced into the Ajax first team by Vic Buckingham . Rinus Michels, who played under Reynolds, later became manager of Ajax in 1965. Michels developed the tactics of Total Football after 1970, most importantly with the introduction of forward Johan Cruyff, perhaps the system's most famous exponent. Although Cruyff was fielded as centre forward, Michels encouraged Cruyff to roam freely around
1530-623: A semi-final loss to Utrecht in a Penalty shoot-out after extra time, which saw Utrecht advance, and thus preventing an Ajax–Jong Ajax Dutch Cup final. The 2013–14 season marked the Jupiler League debut of the Ajax reserves' squad, Jong Ajax. Previously playing in the Beloften Eredivisie (a separate league for reserve teams, not included in the Dutch professional or amateur league structure), players were allowed to move around freely between
1632-609: A source of pride for the supporters, and one of irritation for the Feyenoord fans. The Rotterdammers feel that those hailing from Amsterdam possess delusions of grandeur, and there is a saying to reflect these sentiments: "While Amsterdam dreams, Rotterdam works". Rotterdam was forced to work after being bombed heavily in the Second World War by the Nazis. A harbor town, its people are proud of their work ethic and resentful of Amsterdam's showiness. The first encounter between these two clubs
1734-509: A third KNVB Cup in 1961. In 1965, Rinus Michels , who had played for the club between 1946 and 1958, was appointed manager of Ajax, implementing his philosophy of Total Football which was to become synonymous with both Ajax and the Netherlands national team . A year earlier, Johan Cruyff , who would go on to become widely regarded as the greatest Dutch footballer of all time, made his debut. Between them, Michels and Cruyff led Ajax through
1836-546: A total of 50 years at the top flight of Baseball in the Netherlands from 1922 to 1972. The dissolution of Ajax baseball club resulted in the players finding a new sponsor in a mustard manufacturing company called Luycks, while merging with the Diemen Giants to become the Luycks Giants, thus replacing both former clubs. In 2016, Ajax launched an esports team, with Koen Weijland as the club's first signing, making its debut on
1938-504: A trend for other modern stadiums built in Europe in the following years. In the Netherlands, the Arena earned a reputation for a terrible grass pitch caused by the removable roof that, even when open, takes away too much sunlight and fresh air. During the 2008–09 season, ground staff introduced an artificial lighting system that finally reduced this problem considerably. The much-loved De Meer Stadion
2040-451: A year since then. In the season 1960/61 the highest scoring match between these two occurred. The total number of goals scored was 14 where the score was 9–5 in favour of Feyenoord. This season Feyenoord won the league with Ajax being second place with 2 points behind first place. Four years later in the season 1964/65 the same scoreline was almost replicated by a 9–4 scoreline in Feyenoord's favour. This rivalry heated up considerably in
2142-537: 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 legendary Greek hero ) is the most successful club in the Netherlands , with 36 Eredivisie titles and 20 KNVB Cups . It has continuously played in the Eredivisie since the league's inception in 1956, and along with Feyenoord and PSV Eindhoven , it
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#17331109317792244-419: Is known in Dutch as het Olympisch Stadion . In 1934, Ajax moved to De Meer Stadion in east Amsterdam, close to the location of Het Houten Stadion. It was designed by architect and Ajax-member Daan Roodenburgh , who had also designed the club's first stadium. It could accommodate 29,500 spectators and Ajax continued to play there until 1996. For big European and national fixtures, the club would often play at
2346-521: Is one of the country's " big three " clubs that have dominated that competition. Ajax was one of the most successful clubs in the world in the 20th century. According to the International Federation of Football History & Statistics , Ajax was the seventh-most successful European club of the 20th century and The World's Club Team of the Year in 1992. According to German magazine Kicker , Ajax
2448-448: Is the reserve team of AFC Ajax. The team is composed mostly of professional footballers, who are often recent graduates from the highest youth level (Ajax A1) serving their first professional contract as a reserve, or players who are otherwise unable to play in the first team. Since 1992, Jong Ajax competed in the Beloften Eredivisie , competing against other reserve teams such as Jong PSV , Jong FC Groningen or Jong AZ . They have won
2550-829: The Eredivisie title and was the top scorer in the division in 1990–91 , 1991–92 and 1992–93 . Under the management of Louis van Gaal , Ajax won the UEFA Cup in 1992 to become the second club, after Juventus , to have won all three major European club competitions . After the sale of Bergkamp to Internazionale in 1993, van Gaal re-signed the experienced Rijkaard to complement his young Ajax team featuring academy graduates Frank and Ronald de Boer , Edwin van der Sar , Clarence Seedorf , Edgar Davids , Michael Reiziger and Winston Bogarde , as well as mercurial foreign talents Finidi George , Nwankwo Kanu and Jari Litmanen , and veteran captain Danny Blind . The team regained
2652-470: The 1995 Intercontinental Cup , 1995 UEFA Super Cup and the 1995 Champions League , where they defeated Milan in the final ; 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 also one of four teams to win the continental treble and the Intercontinental Cup or Club World Cup in
2754-580: The 1995 UEFA Champions League final 1–0, with the winning goal scored by 18-year-old Patrick Kluivert . Ajax again reached the final one year later, and was defeated on penalties by Juventus . Ajax's return as a European force was short-lived, as van Gaal and several members of the squad soon departed to some of the continent's biggest clubs. The 2000s was a lean decade for the club, with only two Eredivisie championships won. However, Ajax's academy continued to produce star players such as Wesley Sneijder and Rafael van der Vaart . In 2010, Frank de Boer
2856-522: The Ajax Hellas Youth Academy . The offices are based in Nea Smyrni , Attica , with the main training facility located on the island of Corfu , hosting a total of 15 football youth academies throughout Greece and Cyprus. Eddie van Schaik heads the organization as coach and consultant, introducing the Ajax football philosophy at the various Greek football training camps. In 2016, Ajax launched
2958-510: The Eredivisie for four seasons between 1983–84 and 1986–87 . In 1985, Cruyff returned to Ajax as manager 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 title to PSV, but won the European Cup Winners' Cup , its first continental trophy in 14 years. After this, Cruyff left
3060-625: The KNVB Beker , the Netherlands' national cup. The following season , Ajax became national champion for the first time. The club defended its title in 1918–19 , becoming the only team to achieve an unbeaten season in the Netherlands Football League Championship. Throughout the 1920s, Ajax was a strong regional power, winning the Eerste Klasse West division in 1921, 1927 and 1928, but could not maintain its success at
3162-516: The UEFA Champions League . Due to their runner-up finish in the 2017–18 Eredivisie , Ajax entered the tournament in the second qualifying round. After successive victories against Sturm Graz , Standard Liège and Dynamo Kyiv , they qualified for the group stage. Ajax was drawn in a group with German champions Bayern Munich , Portuguese side Benfica and Greek champions AEK Athens . Ajax finished runner-up in this group, qualifying for
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3264-511: The first season of the Netherlands' new professional league, the Eredivisie , was played with Ajax participating as a founding member. The Amsterdam club became the first national champions under the new format and made its debut in the European Champion Clubs' Cup the following year , losing to Hungarian champions Vasas SC 6–2 on aggregate at the quarter-final stage. The team was again Eredivisie champions in 1960 and won
3366-436: The flag of Amsterdam . Under manager Jack Kirwan , however, the club earned promotion 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 was forced to change its colours because Sparta Rotterdam already had exactly the same outfit. Special kits for away fixtures did not exist at the time and according to football association regulations
3468-417: The 11 players of a football team. On 17 November 2024, Ajax announced on its official website that the classic logo of 1928 will return for the 2025-26 season, making a comeback after 34 years. Ajax originally played in an all-black strip with a red sash tied around the players' waists, but that strip was soon replaced by a red/white striped shirt and black shorts. Red, black and white are the three colours of
3570-445: The 13th century. The football clubs are the pride of these cities; Ajax to Amsterdam and Feyenoord to Rotterdam. The inhabitants of these cities differ significantly in both attitudes and cultures which is clearly reflected on the football pitch. The clash is seen between the artists of Amsterdam and the workers of Rotterdam. Amsterdam is renowned for its culture, having produced many artists and actors. Ajax’s style of play has long been
3672-460: The 1940s, English manager Jack Reynolds implemented a style that was bearing similarities to Total Football at Ajax , leading the Dutch club to rise in importance and win trophies for the first time. In the late 1950s and early 1960s, Burnley were playing a renewed system in English football "where every player could play in every position" under manager Harry Potts . This Total Football system led
3774-451: The 1983/84 season, Feyenoord and Cruyff lost 8–2 to Ajax which was Feyenoord's worst loss to them ever. However Feyenoord ended up winning the league and cup. Both clubs have fallen from grace over the years, while fan violence has increased, and there is always a heavy police presence at the derby. The most serious incident occurred in the Beverwijk clash in 1997 when Ajax fan Carlo Picornie
3876-480: The 35th time, but still qualified for the 2020–21 UEFA Champions League . The club is also particularly famous for its renowned youth programme that has produced many Dutch talents over the years – Johan Cruyff , Edwin van der Sar , Gerald Vanenburg , Frank Rijkaard , Dennis Bergkamp , Rafael van der Vaart , Patrick Kluivert , Marco van Basten , Wesley Sneijder , Maarten Stekelenburg , Nigel de Jong , Frenkie de Jong , and Matthijs de Ligt have come through
3978-518: The ACA (Ajax Coaching Academy) with the intention of sharing knowledge, and setting up a variety of camps and clinics for both players and coaches. Ajax's first stadium was built in 1911 out of wood and was called Het Houten Stadion (English: The Wooden Stadium). Ajax later also played in the Olympic Stadium built for the 1928 Summer Olympics hosted in Amsterdam . This stadium, designed by Jan Wils ,
4080-447: The Ajax youth system John van Loen – 1993 direct transfer Ronald Koeman – 1995 not a direct transfer between the clubs Peter van Vossen – 1998 not a direct transfer between the clubs Diego Biseswar – 2001 played in the Ajax youth system Evander Sno – 2005 played in the Ajax youth system Henk Timmer – 2006 not a direct transfer between the clubs Angelos Charisteas – 2006 direct transfer Tim de Cler – 2007 not
4182-612: The Amsterdam club in its maiden season in women's professional football. The team won its first piece of silverware when they defeated PSV/FC Eindhoven 2–1 in the final of the KNVB Women's Cup . AFC Ajax Amateurs , better known as Ajax Zaterdag , is a Dutch amateur football club founded 18 March 1900. It is the amateur team of the professional club AFC Ajax, playing its home matches at the Sportpark De Toekomst training grounds to
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4284-578: The Austrian Wunderteam of the 1930s or the Golden Team of Hungary of the 1950s for having played in a similar style to Total Football. Both sides were influenced by Jimmy Hogan , who was in turn influenced by the combination game . The first foundations for what became known as Total Football were laid by Jimmy Hogan , a Burnley native, who was influenced by the combination game . Working with Austrian coach and his friend Hugo Meisl in
4386-581: The Beloften Eredivisie title a record eight times, as well as the KNVB Reserve Cup three times, making them the most successful reserve squad in the Netherlands. By winning the Beloften Eredivisie title, Jong Ajax was able to qualify for the actual KNVB Cup, even advancing to the semi-finals on three occasions. Its best result in the Dutch Cup was under manager Jan Olde Riekerink in 2001–02, when
4488-530: The Championship Playoff where they could face Ajax. In order for these clubs to continue playing each other during this period a number of friendlies were arranged. Once the Eredivisie was introduced in 1956–57 , regional leagues were abolished in favour of a single national league and hence no championship playoffs were needed. Therefore, Feyenoord and Ajax were able to play competitive matches against each other once more. The two clubs have faced off twice
4590-399: 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 height of van Gaal's success came in 1994–95, where Ajax became the first, and to date only, team to complete an entire Eredivisie season unbeaten. The team also won its first European Cup since its 1970s era, defeating Milan in
4692-531: The Eerste Divisie by Jong Twente and Jong PSV , reserve teams who have also moved from the Beloften Eredivisie to the Eerste Divisie, in place of VV Katwijk , SC Veendam and AGOVV Apeldoorn , increasing the total number of teams in the Jupiler League from 18 to 20. Ajax reserve squad Jong Ajax left the Beloften Eredivisie in 2013, having held a 21-year tenure in the reserves league, having also won
4794-443: The Feyenoord youth system Kostas Lamprou – 2017 not a direct transfer between the clubs Oussama Idrissi - 2021 played in the Feyenoord youth system Steven Berghuis – 2021 direct transfer Eddy Pieters Graafland – 1958 direct transfer Henk Groot – 1963 direct transfer Theo van Duivenbode – 1969 direct transfer René Notten – 1978 direct transfer Johan Cruijff – 1983 direct transfer Johnny Rep – 1984 not
4896-507: The Global stage of professional gaming . 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 . The following clubs are currently affiliated with AFC Ajax: Total Football Total Football ( Dutch : totaalvoetbal ) is a tactical system in association football in which any outfield player can take over
4998-436: The Netherlands national team to a runner-up finish in the 1978 FIFA World Cup . The major component was the use of space, with the need to consistently create space central to the concept of Total Football. Former Ajax defender Barry Hulshoff described it as "[the thing] we discussed the whole time. Cruyff always talked about where to run and where to stand, and when not to move". He further elaborated that position switching
5100-448: The Netherlands respectively, with Ajax winning more silverware than Feyenoord in nearly every competition: 75 to 39. This total includes both domestic and international trophies. Both clubs had their greatest international success in the early 1970s, when they were considered to be two of the best clubs in the world. During this time, Ajax won three European Cups, whereas Feyenoord won one European Cup and one UEFA Cup. There have been quite
5202-582: The Olympic Stadium, which could accommodate about twice the number of spectators. In 1996, Ajax moved to a new home ground in the southeast of the city known as the Amsterdam Arena, since 2018 known 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 55,865 spectators. The Arena has a retractable roof and set
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#17331109317795304-597: The UEFA Champions League, the Netherlands national team was almost entirely composed of Ajax players, with van der Sar in goal; players such as Michael Reiziger, Frank de Boer and Danny Blind in defence; Ronald de Boer, Edgar Davids and Clarence Seedorf in midfield; and Patrick Kluivert and Marc Overmars in attack. In 2011, Ajax opened its first youth academies outside the Netherlands when the club partnered up with George Kazianis and All Star Consultancy in Greece to open
5406-554: The Year . After this success, Michels departed to become manager of Barcelona and was replaced by the Romanian Ștefan Kovács . In Kovács' first season, Ajax completed a treble of the European Cup , the Eredivisie and a third consecutive KNVB Cup . The following season, the team beat Argentine Club Atlético Independiente to win the 1972 Intercontinental Cup and retained their Eredivisie and European Cup titles, becoming
5508-483: The adaptability of each footballer within the team, in particular the ability to quickly switch positions depending on the on-field situation. The theory requires players to be comfortable in multiple positions; hence, it requires intelligent and technically diverse players. Manager Rinus Michels is generally credited with introducing this system during the 1970s, at Dutch club Ajax and the Netherlands national football team . However, some authors credit teams such as
5610-429: The biggest stadium in the Netherlands. The Olympic Stadium was constructed in 1928 and had a capacity of 31,600 which was the biggest in the Netherlands. In 1934 De Meer Stadion was constructed with a capacity of 22,000. Ajax used the Olympic Stadium for European matches and De Meer for domestic matches. The status of the Olympic Stadium being the largest in Netherlands would change in 1937 when Feyenoord opened De Kuip
5712-446: The cause is officially unknown. However the police and Ajax fans suspected Feyenoord fans to have been behind this event. Ajax hooligans planned a revenge attack on Feyenoord fans but were stopped by police. In February 2016, an incident took place in Amsterdam Arena where an effigy of Kenneth Vermeer , who made the crossing from Ajax to Feyenoord, was hanged from a stand occupied by the Ajax ultra group VAK410 . In response, Ajax closed
5814-410: The club and led them to the 2017 UEFA Europa League final , their first European final in 21 years. They lost to Manchester United with a lineup that was the youngest ever in a European final, averaging an age of 22 years and 282 days. For the third consecutive season, they finished runner-up in the Eredivisie , this time to Feyenoord . The 2018–19 season for Ajax involved a remarkable run in
5916-442: The club to become manager of Barcelona and Rijkaard and van Basten were sold to Sporting CP and Milan respectively. Despite these losses, Ajax reached a second consecutive Cup Winners' Cup final in 1988 , where they lost to Belgian club KV Mechelen . The 1988–89 season saw Dennis Bergkamp , a young forward who had first appeared under Cruyff in 1986, establish himself as a regular goalscorer for Ajax. Bergkamp helped Ajax to
6018-426: The club to the 1959–60 First Division title and won many plaudits, including admiration from all-time English First Division top scorer Jimmy Greaves . Another pioneer was Vic Buckingham , manager of West Bromwich Albion , Ajax and Barcelona in the 1950s and 1960s, as the footballing education that he established helped the progressive nature of the type of football of Rinus Michels and later Johan Cruyff ,
6120-410: The distinction of playing and coaching at the 'Big Three' of Dutch professional football, having been both a player and a coach at Feyenoord, Ajax, and their Eindhoven rivals PSV. Henk Groot – 1965 direct transfer Ruud Geels – 1974 not a direct transfer between the clubs Jan Everse – 1977 direct transfer Wim Jansen – 1980 not a direct transfer between the clubs Jan Sørensen – 1987 not
6222-698: The early 1930s, Meisl's Austria national football team (known as the " Wunderteam ") became possibly the first side to play Total Football. Hogan's influence reached beyond the Austrian borders, as two decades later the Hungary national team (also known as the " Golden Team ") played a similar style of football under coach Gusztáv Sebes . The then president of the Hungarian Football Association , Sandor Barcs , said: "Jimmy Hogan taught us everything we know about football". Torino (" Grande Torino " as
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#17331109317796324-438: The early 1970s when these two clubs were arguably the best in the world and riots started to break between the sets of fans. During the early 1970s Ajax won 3 European Cups and 1 Intercontinental Cup , Feyenoord had won one European Cup, one Intercontinental Cup and one UEFA Cup . All these trophies won by Feyenoord at the time were the first to be won by a Dutch club. This success led to the Netherlands squad being filled with
6426-416: The fact that an Ajax legend would be joining their club. Some Feyenoord fans protested his arrival by hanging banners saying "Feyenoord Forever, Cruijff Never" being one of the more civilised ones. Many fans would also whistle and jeer at the newcomer during the friendly pre season games and whenever his name was announced in the stadium. Some fans even refused to enter the stadium whilst Cruyff played there. In
6528-448: The first club to win three consecutive European Cups since Real Madrid in the 1950s. In 1973, Michels' Barcelona broke the world transfer record to bring Cruyff to Catalonia . Kovács also departed to become manager of the France national team , signalling the end of this period of international success. In 1976–77 , Ajax won its first domestic championship in four seasons and recorded
6630-455: The first leg of the semi-final, Ajax beat Tottenham 1–0 away from home. In the second leg, Ajax scored twice in the first half to generate a 3–0 lead on aggregate. However, in the second half, Lucas Moura scored three times, including in the 6th minute of added time, resulting in Ajax losing via the away goals rule . Ajax was in first place on goal difference when the Eredivisie was declared void, preventing them being Dutch champions for
6732-465: The knockout stages, where it was drawn against three-time defending champions Real Madrid . After losing 1–2 in the first leg, they defeated Real Madrid 4–1 in the away match, stunning the defending champions in their own stadium, the Santiago Bernabéu , with an aggregate score of 5–3. Dušan Tadić was awarded a perfect score of 10 by L'Équipe following the match. Thus, Ajax progressed to
6834-467: The league title a record eight times (1994, 1996, 1998, 2001, 2002, 2004, 2005, 2009). AFC Ajax Vrouwen ( English: AFC Ajax Women ) is the women's team of AFC Ajax, competing in the women's eredivisie , the highest level 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
6936-407: The match had to be suspended due to Ajax fans trying to attack the Feyenoord players' families in the stands. The match had to be rescheduled to a later date where no fans were allowed to attend the fixture. On 5 April 2023, during a KNVB Cup semifinal, Ajax player Davy Klaassen was hit with a lighter from the stands during the 62nd minute of the game. The match was suspended for 30 minutes and he
7038-462: The mayors of Amsterdam and Rotterdam made an agreement with the KNVB to ban visiting fans from the away games for the next five seasons in an effort to curb the violence. However, after Ajax fans threw fireworks on the field during the 2014 KNVB Cup Final , Ajax banned its supporters from traveling to Rotterdam through at least the 2016-17 season. In March 2015, the Ajax clubhouse was burned down for which
7140-426: 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 season and also won the KNVB Cup to achieve its first league and cup double . In 1969–70 , Ajax won
7242-469: The 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 championship successes as well as its 1917 KNVB Cup win. In 1956,
7344-580: The new commercial interests of the now listed Ajax. Shares of the company in the year 2008 were valued at approximately €5.90 per share. In 2008, a Commission under guidance of honorary member Uri Coronel concluded that the IPO was of no value to the club, and that measures should be taken to exit the stock exchange by purchasing back all public shares. Ajax remain on the stock exchange. 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
7446-449: The new head sponsor for a period of seven years. On 1 April 2007, Ajax wore a different sponsor for the match against Heracles Almelo , Florius . Florius is a banking programme launched by ABN AMRO who wanted it to be the shirt sponsor for one match. The shirts have been manufactured by Le Coq Sportif (1973–1977), Puma (1977–1979), Cor du Buy (1979–1980), Le Coq Sportif (1980–1984), Kappa (1985–1989) and Umbro (1989–2000) in
7548-435: 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. AFC Ajax is the only Dutch club with an initial public offering (IPO). The club is registered as a Naamloze vennootschap (N.V.) listed on the stock exchange Euronext Amsterdam , since 17 May 1998. With
7650-400: The only period in which players are able to move between squads are during the transfer windows, unless the player has made less than 15 appearances for the first team, then he is still eligible to appear in both first team and second team matches during the season. Furthermore, the team is not eligible for promotion to the Eredivisie or to participate in the KNVB Cup. Jong Ajax was joined in
7752-525: The past, and by Adidas since 2000 (until at least 2025). At the conclusion of the 2013–14 season , Ajax won the Football shirt of the Year award for its 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 national team . It was Ajax's first time winning the award. On 7 November 2014, it
7854-459: The pitch, using technical ability and intelligence to exploit the weaknesses in the opposition and create chances. Cruyff's teammates also worked to adapt themselves accordingly, regularly switching positions to ensure tactical roles in the team were consistently filled. Austrian coach Ernst Happel reworked the theory to introduce strength, encouraging his players to play tougher during his spells at ADO Den Haag and Feyenoord . Happel also managed
7956-541: The quarter-finals and was drawn with Italian champions Juventus . In the first 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 winning goal for Ajax to help the team advance to its first Champions League semi-final since 1997 . There, they would face English side Tottenham Hotspur . In
8058-653: The ranks and are just some of the talents who have played for Ajax. Ajax also regularly supplies the Dutch national youth teams with local talent. Due to mutual agreements with foreign clubs, the youth academy has also signed foreign players as teenagers before making first team debuts, such as Belgian defensive trio Jan Vertonghen , Toby Alderweireld and Thomas Vermaelen along with winger Tom De Mul , all of whom are full internationals, as well as Dutch international Vurnon Anita and Javier Martina , representing Curaçao . Ajax has also expanded its talent searching programme to South Africa with Ajax Cape Town . Ajax Cape Town
8160-422: The reserve team and the first team during the season. This is no longer the case as Jong Ajax now registers and fields a separate squad from that of Ajax first team for the Eerste Divisie, the second tier of professional football in the Netherlands. Its home matches are played at Sportpark De Toekomst, except for the occasional match in the Johan Cruyff Arena. Now regarded a semi-professional team in its own respect,
8262-462: The role of any other player in a team. A player who moves out of his position is replaced by another from his team, thus retaining the team's intended organisational structure. In this fluid system, no outfield player is fixed in a predetermined role; anyone can successively play as an attacker , a midfielder and a defender . The only player who must stay in a specified position is the goalkeeper . Total Football's tactical success depends largely on
8364-639: The same season/calendar year; this was achieved in the 1971–72 season. Ajax is one of five clubs to have won all three major UEFA club competitions. They have also won the Intercontinental Cup twice, the 1991–92 UEFA Cup , as well as the Karl Rappan Cup , a predecessor of the UEFA Intertoto Cup in 1962. Ajax plays at the Johan Cruyff Arena , which opened as the Amsterdam ArenA in 1996 and
8466-527: The second round before bowing out to Vitesse on 24 September 2008. 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 flight of professional baseball in the Netherlands. Ajax won the national baseball title a total of four times (1924, 1928, 1942, 1948) before the club opted to no longer field a baseball team, and to focus solely on football in 1972. Ajax spent
8568-558: The sections normally used by VAK410 for the next edition of De Klassieker at the Arena, and banned season ticketholders from those sections from attending the match. Hooligans often chant anti-Jewish slogans when their team faces Ajax. That is because Ajax has had a long association with the city's Jewish community. And Ajax supporters sometimes refer to themselves as Jews and use the Star of David symbol. In May 2019, an amateur match between AVV Swift , of Amsterdam, and SC Feyenoord in Amsterdam
8670-414: The supporters of both clubs, including destructions inside stadiums. The Beverwijk in 1997 was most infamous. One Ajax fan, Carlo Picornie, was beaten to death by rival supporters, triggering more strict policies from the Dutch football association KNVB to tackle hooliganism . As a result of the incident, the two Klassiekers in 1997/98 were played without away fans. In 2004 Feyenoord player Jorge Acuña
8772-511: The team was called) in the 1940s played a similar style as the Austrians. Between 1941 and 1947, Argentinian club River Plate formed a remarkable team, known as "La Máquina" (The Machine), whose attack formed by Carlos Muñoz, José Manuel Moreno , Adolfo Pedernera , Ángel Labruna and Félix Loustau perfected the "false nine" style and the constant change of attack positions. "La Máquina" won several Argentine and international titles. Also in
8874-507: The train transporting them to Rotterdam after the train was sent back to Amsterdam before arriving in Rotterdam. The second train arrived in Rotterdam but the fans were forced to wait outside the stadium until the match was over. Meanwhile, Feyenoord supporters who had just seen their team lose 2:3, were determined to clash with rivals from Amsterdam, who had not seen the match. Hooligans filmed by police were shown on national TV. Virtually every hooligan on TV handed himself in. In February 2009,
8976-410: Was also linked with the "death of Catenaccio ", an Italian system reliant heavily on defence promoted by Helenio Herrera 's Internazionale during the 1960s. The Total Football system was prone to defeat, experienced notably in the final of the 1974 FIFA World Cup contested by the Dutch and West Germany . Michels and Cruyff saw their ability to introduce playmaking stifled in the second half of
9078-483: Was announced that Ajax had agreed to a four-and-a-half-year contract worth €8 million annually with Dutch cable operating company Ziggo as the new shirt sponsor for the club. Having extended its contract with AEGON for half a season until December, the club featured Fonds Gehandicaptensport , a charitable fund for handicapped sports on its away shirts for a six-month period before transitioning to Ziggo in 2015. Jong Ajax ( formerly more commonly known as Ajax 2 )
9180-594: Was appointed manager of Ajax and led the club to its first league title in seven years, and record 30th title 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 was again Eredivisie champions, winning four consecutive league titles for the first time in club history. After finishing as runner-up to PSV in both 2014–15 and 2015–16 , de Boer resigned as Ajax head coach in May 2016. Peter Bosz took over
9282-466: Was constructed with a capacity of 64,000. Ajax responded by adding a second ring to Olympic Stadium, also in 1937. After the Second World War, Feyenoord expanded De Kuip to 69,000 in 1949. From the season 1947–48 up to and including 1955–56 no competitive matches were played between these two clubs. This was due to Feyenoord never winning their regional league in this period and hence not reaching
9384-468: Was killed and several others injured. The riots of 2005 were also a depressing chapter in the history of the two clubs. On 7 April 2024, Feyenoord beat Ajax 6–0, the biggest win ever for Feyenoord over Ajax and the biggest loss ever for Ajax in the Eredivisie. De Klassieker scheduled for 1 September 2024 was suspended after a police strike was announced. Since the 70's there have been many clashes between
9486-400: Was manager at Ajax during 2002 and 2005, was Feyenoord manager during 2011 and 2014. Peter Bosz played for Feyenoord between 1991 en 1996, was technical director for Feyenoord during 2006 and 2009. Became Ajax manager in 2016. AFC Ajax Amsterdamsche Football Club Ajax ( Dutch pronunciation: [ˈaːjɑks] ), also known as AFC Ajax , Ajax Amsterdam , or commonly Ajax ,
9588-484: Was marred by fan trouble after the game when Feyenoord fans travelled to Amsterdam to show support for SC Feyenoord and came into contact with Ajax fans who were there to show support for AVV Swift. Later in the same month, there was an incident during the U19 league title deciding game between Ajax and Feyenoord at De Toekomst in Amsterdam. Before the game, Ajax fans threw stones the players bus of Feyenoord U19. After 30 minutes,
9690-455: Was on 9 October 1921 in Rotterdam which was surrounded by controversy. The match initially ended 3–2 in Ajax' favour. This was later officially declared 2–2 due to Feyenoords protest to what they believed was a dubious goal by Ajax. There has also been a competition as who has the biggest stadium between these two clubs which mainly occurred in the 1930s and 1940s. This was done as bragging rights as which city, between Amsterdam and Rotterdam, had
9792-455: Was only made possible due to apt spatial awareness. He also described Total Football being proactive , as well as highlighting the use of pressing, which would be used to win back the ball or put the opposition under considerable pressure. Michels and Cruyff saw unprecedented success with the system, winning eight Eredivisie titles, three European Cups , and one Intercontinental Cup . The stark rise of Total Football and its attacking prowess
9894-545: Was renamed in 2018. They previously played at De Meer Stadion and the Amsterdam Olympic Stadium (for international matches). Throughout their history, Ajax have cultivated a reputation for scouting, spotting and developing young talent, and have remained focused on developing a youth system . 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 first major success in 1917, winning
9996-462: Was set up with the help of Rob Moore. Ajax has also 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 squad, such as South African internationals Steven Pienaar and Thulani Serero and Cameroonian international Eyong Enoh . In 1995, the year Ajax won
10098-420: Was substituted as a result of a head injury. The match between the clubs on 24 September 2023 was suspended until further notice after Ajax fans, with Feyenoord winning 3–0, threw flares onto the pitch. After the match fans clashed with police. The game was resumed on 27 September 2023, which ended with Feyenoord winning 4-0 behind closed doors. Ajax and Feyenoord are the first and third most successful clubs in
10200-448: Was taken to hospital with head, neck and rib injuries after Feyenoord players were attacked by Ajax hooligans during a match between the reserve teams of both clubs. Another Feyenoord player, Robin van Persie , had to be rescued by Ajax coach John van 't Schip and player Daniël de Ridder . In April 2005, riots took place around Feyenoord's ground involving hooligans from both sides and the riot police. Travelling Ajax fans had demolished
10302-501: Was the second-most successful European club of the 20th century. The club is one of five teams that have earned the right to keep the European Cup and to wear a multiple-winner badge. In 1972, they completed the continental treble by winning the Eredivisie , KNVB Cup , and the European Cup . They also won the first (albeit unofficial) European Super Cup against Rangers in January 1973. Ajax's most recent international trophies are
10404-400: 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", which nowadays is in place on the façade of the entrance at the Johan Cruyff Arena and a replica of the letters are at De Toekomst , near the Johan Cruyff Arena. In 1900, when the club was founded, the emblem of Ajax was just
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