Whatever happened to Ajax?

Whatever happened to Ajax? A generation ago, inChampionship and the Dutch Cup - was an
the early 1970s, Ajax of Amsterdam were theachievement unequalled to this day.
undoubted kings of European football. Many took aThe club’s style was described as ‘total
city break in Amsterdam to see their unique brand offootball’. It was emulated by the Dutch national
total football.team who reached the World Cup final on several
Ajax won the European Cup three times in a row, inoccasions, albeit without that final victory that would
1971, 1972 and 1973, making them one of only threehave confirmed the Netherlands as the champions of
clubs in the competition’s history to earn thethe world at both national and club level.
right to keep the trophy permanently after aThe success started to fade in 1973 when Cruijff left
hat-trick of wins – Real Madrid and later BayernAjax to join Barcelona. Surprise defeats in Europe
Munchen are the others. Yet, with the exception of alater that year to the likes of CSKA Sofia saw their
further win in 1995, their dominance both at homeinternational dominance come to an end. The club still
and abroad has faded away. The years of ‘Gloriawon many national titles but it was to be a long wait,
Ajax’, of a ‘total football’ style thatuntil 1995, when the top European title was back in
swept all before them, are now a fading memory.Amsterdam.
Professional football only came to the Netherlands inUnfortunately for the club and its fans, most of its
1954, much later than in most of Europe’sstar players would soon leave for Italy or England.
football nations. There was little in the following yearsEven the club’s stadium changed from De Meer
to suggest a revolution was on the way, a seismicto their new home at Amsterdam ArenA. It was to
shift from the traditional dominance of Italy, Spain,be the end of an era. Recently, Ajax has struggled
Germany, England and, occasionally, Portugal.to hold on to its top players, all too often lured away
In 1967, Ajax won their second consecutive nationalby big money offers from English and Italian clubs.
title and progressed to the European Cup final in 1969The club still runs its respected youth programme and
- where they were comprehensively outplayed bythe talent produced by that scheme is now playing
AC Milan. A regular name on the Ajax teamsheet,for top clubs all over Europe. Other Dutch clubs like
however, was a young footballer named JohanPSV Eindhoven now rival Ajax and Feyenoord in
Cruijff. He was soon to be the greatest footballer indomestic competitions, and often outshine at
Europe.European level. Undoubtedly, Ajax will come again as
Dutch football’s first European title came in 1970one of Europe’s top clubs. Who knows when
when Ajax’ great rivals, Feyenoord ofthat will be. Whenever it happens, it will undoubtedly
Rotterdam, won the European Cup. As if stirred byrevive memories of ‘Gloria Ajax’ – the
that local challenge, the following year saw the startyears that Amsterdam’s football team ruled the
of Ajax’s near total dominance of Europeanworld. On a city break in Amsterdam, football fans
football. Winning three consecutive finals of thewith a sense of history will always remember that
European Cup and, in 1972, winning every competitioncontribution of Ajax, truly one of the game's most
they entered – European Cup; Intercontinentalinfluential clubs.
Cup’ UEFA Super Cup; Dutch National