The Amsterdam football team, Ajax, will pause this weekend to consider Bennie Muller’s passing in a few different ways. The squad revealed this week that its former player, who also played for the Dutch men’s national team, passed away at the age of 85.
To honor the Amsterdammer, the men’s, women’s, and Jong Ajax teams will all play football while donning unique armbands. Prior to Sunday’s Eredivisie match between Ajax and RKC Waalwijk, there will also be a moment of silence.
On Saturday, the women’s team plays Excelsior. On Friday, Jong Ajax will play Willem II in the Eerste Divisie.
Muller passed away at the age of 85 earlier this week. In the 1960s, the midfield player at Ajax caused a stir. Between 1958 and 1970, he participated in 426 official games for Ajax 1, helping the team win three Dutch cups and five national championships. Additionally, he played 43 international matches with Oranje.
In 1958, Muller played his first game for Ajax against MVV Maastricht. Despite his little frame, the midfielder possessed technical skill and could hit a strong shot. He established himself as a mainstay and contributed to building the squad that swept through Europe and enthralled football supporters everywhere in the early 1970s.
The Ajax vs. Feyenoord Eredivisie match on May 26, 1960, was his first real moment of glory. Since both teams finished the regular season deadlocked with 50 points at the top of the table, a play-off was scheduled. Ajax defeated the other team 5-1 to win the national championship. “I was still a ball boy two years ago, and now I’m a champion,” he said in a piece that appeared on the Ajax website.
Under the renowned Rinus Michels of Total Football, Muller lost his starting spot when Ajax defeated AC Milan 4-1 in the 1969 European Cup final. He left for the former Scheveningen team Holland Sport in 1970, having been deeply unhappy.
Muller opened a cigar business on Amsterdam’s Haarlemmerstraat when his football career ended. He watched his son, Danny Muller, play for the Ajax youth squad and continued to be a devoted Ajax fan.
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