Sad news: The head coach of Ajax received a terrible death involving his mother and…
Ajax has established itself as one of Europe’s leading talent development programs. In a makeover intended to bring the team back to its former glory, the Dutch team’s newest “golden generation” has assisted in helping them rediscover who they are, in addition to the assistance of renowned club legends off the field.
But Ajax’s problem in today’s modern football environment isn’t creating talent; rather, it’s retaining it. It has even been acknowledged by Sporting Director Marc Overmars that “it will be impossible to keep this team together in the summer.”
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In 1995, Overmars played for Louis van Gaal’s team that won the European Cup for Ajax for the fourth time, thanks to a goal from 19-year-old Patrick Kluivert, who came off the bench to beat AC Milan in the 85th minute. The de Boer brothers, Frank Rijkaard, Edwin van der Saar, the current general manager of Ajax, and Clarence Seedorf were among the other notable names in the Dutch team’s starting lineup in Vienna.
“Our ambition is to regularly reach the quarterfinals of the Champions League,” van der Saar stated. “We have a strong financial position, sell out our stadium, have a well-known global following, and a fiercely competitive mindset. I am sure we will eventually be able to catch up to the elite of Europe.”
Many consider the “Class of 2019” to be the most promising group of athletes since the 1995 golden age. However, the club may have to embrace their role as a talent incubator in order to take advantage of a chance to establish a financially stable foundation, rather than spearheading the charge to compete with Europe’s elite for years to come.
“We are not reaching the €600 million-€700 million ($677 million-$790 million) budget that the top clubs in Europe are making mainly through sponsoring, TV revenue in their country, and revenues from the Champions League,” van der Saar stated in 2017. To bridge the gap, will they need to sell their best players?
Keeping the interest at bay
A quarterfinal matchup between the Dutch powerhouses and Juventus serves as a timely reminder of a pivotal period in the club’s history as they attempt to recapture the magic of the mid-1990s. In 1996, Ajax failed to become the first team to defend the title in the Champions League era, and it was against Juve.
1996 Champions League Final: Juventus Turin vs. Ajax Amsterdam1996 Champions League Final: Juventus Turin vs. Ajax Amsterdam
In the 1996 Champions League final, Juventus needed penalties to win after a 1-1 draw in regular time.Picture: Kluters/Vreekers/dpa/picture-alliance
In the years that followed, Ajax’s highly valued assets were increasingly taken advantage of by Europe’s big spenders. Although players like Wesley Sneijder, Johnny Heitinga, and Rafael van der Vaart rose through the ranks, Ajax was never able to assemble a winning team around these talented graduates. It has appeared up until now.
The process began when Peter Bosz, the current head coach of Leverkusen, started naming lineups with some of the youngest average ages in Europe and Eastern Europe, placing his faith firmly in youth. Although titles were scarce, curiosity about their progeny persisted.
Frenkie de Jong will sign with Barcelona at the end of the current season, while Justin Kluivert lost to Roma in the summer of last year. Additionally, first-team regulars like Matthijs de Ligt, Donny van de Beek, and Kasper Dolberg will be names that are prominently featured on shopping lists across Europe because Ajax is tied for first place in the Eredivisie and their players are proving their worth at the highest level of competition in Europe.
Read more: Manchester United defeats Ajax in the Europa League final
Is it either now or never?
The rebuilding process they’ve inspired has brought new life to one of Europe’s most storied clubs and helped them rediscover their identity in the modern era, even if their biggest draws prove impossible to maintain.
“Ajax stand for good football, well played out from the defense towards the goal, creativity, and audacity,” de Jong stated to UEFA.com. “I think you should be able to show your creativity because that is one of the greatest qualities of Dutch football.”
These same attributes saw Ajax nearly upset 13-time European champions Real Madrid twice in the group stages and spark Ajax’s incredible comeback against them in the round of 16.
The Dutch powerhouses named no fewer than seven academy graduates in their matchday squad for the first leg of their quarterfinal matchup against Juventus; five of them started the game, and one, Jurgen Ekkelenberg, came off the bench. Another example of their brilliant combination of bravery and inventiveness, as well as their skill at swarming opponents and pinning them down, was the 1-1 draw.
This season appears to be the team’s best chance at making it back to the Champions League final for the first time since 1996, given the possibility of losing important players in the summer. They will need to score in Turin, though, as Juventus has only given up 11 goals in 20 games across all competitions this season.
After the first leg at the Johan Cruyff Arena, de Jong said, “We have a big chance of winning if we play the way we did in Madrid, with a lot of courage.” “We’ve done well so far in the Champions League, and we’re not done yet.”
Ajax’s young guns would look better in the shop window if they continued their European adventure, but there is a bright side: their increased value might help ensure their long-term success.
