AFC Ajax facts for kids

Quick facts for kids
Ajax

Full name	Amsterdamsche Football Club Ajax
Nickname(s)	de Godenzonen (Sons of the Gods) de Joden (the Jews) Lucky Ajax
Founded	18 March 1900; 125 years ago (1900-03-18)
Ground	Johan Cruyff Arena
Ground Capacity	55,865
Owner	AFC Ajax N.V. (Euronext Amsterdam: AJAX )
CEO	Menno Geelen (interim)
Head coach	Francesco Farioli
League	Eredivisie
2022–23	Eredivisie, 3rd of 18
Home colours Away colours Third colours

AFC Ajax (often just called Ajax) is a professional football club from Amsterdam, Netherlands. They play in the Eredivisie, which is the top football league in the Netherlands. Ajax is named after Ajax the Great, a famous Greek hero.

Ajax is the most successful club in the Netherlands. They have won the Eredivisie titles 36 times and the KNVB Cup 20 times. Since the league started in 1956, Ajax has always been in the Eredivisie. Along with Feyenoord and PSV Eindhoven, they are one of the "big three" clubs that have won most of the championships.

In the 20th century, Ajax was one of the best clubs in the world. They were named The World's Club Team of the Year in 1992. Ajax is one of only five teams allowed to keep the European Cup trophy forever. In 1972, they won the continental treble. This means they won the Eredivisie, KNVB Cup, and European Cup all in one season. They also won the 1995 Intercontinental Cup and the 1995 Champions League. Ajax is known for finding and developing young football stars.

History of AFC Ajax

Ajax was started in Amsterdam on March 18, 1900. They moved up to the highest Dutch football league in 1911. Their first big win was the KNVB Beker (national cup) in 1917. The next year, Ajax became national champions for the first time. In 1918–19, they won the title again without losing a single game.

In the 1930s, Ajax became the most successful Dutch team. They won five national championships during this time. In 1947, they won their eighth Dutch title. This was the last season with their famous manager, Jack Reynolds.

In 1956, the new professional league, the Eredivisie, began. Ajax was one of the first teams in it. They became the first champions under this new system.

Johan Cruyff played for Ajax from 1959 to 1973, and again from 1981 to 1983. He won 3 European Cups. His number 14 jersey is the only one Ajax has ever retired. Cruyff also managed the club from 1985 to 1988.

Ajax playing against Panathinaikos in the 1971 European Cup Final.

In 1965, Rinus Michels became Ajax's manager. He brought in his "Total Football" style of play. This style became famous for both Ajax and the Dutch national team. A year before, Johan Cruyff, who became one of the greatest Dutch footballers, joined the team. Michels and Cruyff led Ajax to their most successful period. They won seven Eredivisie titles, four KNVB Cups, and three European Cups.

Ajax won the Dutch championship three years in a row (1966, 1967, 1968). In 1969, they reached the European Cup final but lost to Milan. In the 1966–67 season, Ajax scored a record 122 goals in the Eredivisie. They also won the KNVB Cup, achieving their first league and cup double. In 1969–70, Ajax won another Dutch league title and their second double.

In the 1970–71 season, Ajax won the KNVB Cup again. They also reached the 1971 European Cup final, beating Panathinaikos 2–0. This was their first time becoming champions of Europe. After this, Michels left, and Ștefan Kovács became manager. In Kovács' first season, Ajax won a treble. They won the European Cup, the Eredivisie, and their third straight KNVB Cup. The next season, they won the 1972 Intercontinental Cup. They also kept their Eredivisie and European Cup titles. This made them the first club to win three European Cups in a row since Real Madrid in the 1950s.

In 1973, Cruyff moved to Barcelona. Kovács also left, marking the end of this very successful time.

In the early 1980s, Cruyff returned to the club. Young players like Marco van Basten and Frank Rijkaard also started to shine. The team won back-to-back Eredivisie titles in 1982 and 1983. After Cruyff left again in 1983, van Basten became Ajax's main player. He was the top scorer in the Eredivisie for four seasons.

Cruyff, seen here with van Basten and Rijkaard, returned as manager in 1985.

In 1985, Cruyff came back as manager. In his first season, Ajax scored 120 goals in 34 matches. The next season, Ajax won the European Cup Winners' Cup. This was their first European trophy in 14 years. After this, Cruyff left again, and Rijkaard and van Basten were sold. Even with these losses, Ajax reached another Cup Winners' Cup final in 1988 but lost.

The 1988–89 season saw Dennis Bergkamp, a young forward, become a regular goalscorer. Bergkamp helped Ajax win the Eredivisie title. Under manager Louis van Gaal, Ajax won the UEFA Cup in 1992. This made them the second club to win all three major European club competitions.

After Bergkamp was sold in 1993, van Gaal brought back Rijkaard. He combined experienced players with young talents from the Ajax academy. These included Frank and Ronald de Boer, Edwin van der Sar, Clarence Seedorf, Edgar Davids, and Patrick Kluivert. This team won the Dutch championship in 1994, 1995, and 1996. In 1994–95, Ajax became the first team to finish an entire Eredivisie season without losing a game. They also won their first European Cup since the 1970s. They beat Milan 1–0 in the 1995 UEFA Champions League final, with an 18-year-old Kluivert scoring the winning goal. Ajax reached the final again in 1996 but lost on penalties.

Ajax's time as a top European team didn't last long. Van Gaal and many players left for bigger clubs. The 2000s were not as successful, with only two Eredivisie championships. However, Ajax's academy kept producing star players like Wesley Sneijder and Rafael van der Vaart.

In 2010, Frank de Boer became manager. He led the club to its first league title in seven years in 2010–11. This was their 30th title overall. They won again in 2011–12 and 2012–13. In 2013–14, Ajax won their fourth straight league title, a first for the club. De Boer left in 2016.

Peter Bosz took over and led them to the 2017 UEFA Europa League final. This was their first European final in 21 years. They lost to Manchester United. Their team was the youngest ever in a European final.

The 2018–19 season saw Ajax have an amazing run in the UEFA Champions League. They beat strong teams like Real Madrid (4–1 away!) and Juventus. They reached the semi-finals for the first time since 1997. In the semi-final, they faced Tottenham Hotspur. Ajax won the first game 1–0 away. In the second game, they scored twice early on. But Tottenham scored three goals in the second half, including one in the last minute, and Ajax lost because of the away goals rule.

In the 2019–20 season, Ajax was in first place when the Eredivisie was stopped. No champion was named that year.

UEFA Ranking

Ajax is ranked among the top football clubs in Europe by UEFA.

16		Roma	84.000
17		Ajax	81.500
18		Shakhtar Donetsk	79.000

Ajax Youth Academy

Ajax is very famous for its youth program. Many Dutch football stars have come from their academy. Some famous players include Johan Cruyff, Edwin van der Sar, Frank Rijkaard, Dennis Bergkamp, Patrick Kluivert, Marco van Basten, and Frenkie de Jong. These players started their careers at Ajax. The academy also helps supply young talent to the Dutch national youth teams.

Ajax has also worked with clubs in other countries to find young talent. For example, they partnered with Ajax Cape Town in South Africa. Some players from Ajax Cape Town, like Steven Pienaar, have played for the main Ajax team.

In 1995, when Ajax won the UEFA Champions League, most of the Dutch national team was made up of Ajax players. This shows how good their youth system is.

In 2011, Ajax opened its first youth academies outside the Netherlands in Greece. They also launched the Ajax Coaching Academy (ACA) in 2016. This program shares their football knowledge with players and coaches around the world.

Ajax Stadiums

Het Houten Stadion, Ajax's first venue, around 1917–18

De Meer Stadion in 1937

Olympic Stadium in 1995

Johan Cruyff Arena, Ajax home ground since 1996

Ajax's first stadium was built in 1911. It was made of wood and called Het Houten Stadion (The Wooden Stadium). Ajax also played in the Olympic Stadium. This stadium was built for the 1928 Summer Olympics in Amsterdam.

In 1934, Ajax moved to De Meer Stadion in east Amsterdam. It could hold 29,500 fans. For big European and national games, they would often play at the Olympic Stadium, which was much larger.

In 1996, Ajax moved to a new home called the Amsterdam Arena. Since 2018, it's known as the Johan Cruyff Arena. This stadium cost $134 million to build. It can hold 55,865 spectators. The Arena has a roof that can open and close. The old De Meer Stadion was torn down and is now a neighborhood. Only the letters "AJAX" from the old stadium remain. They are now at the Johan Cruyff Arena entrance.

Ajax Crest and Colours

Club Crest

When Ajax was founded in 1900, their emblem was just a picture of an Ajax player. In 1928, the club logo changed to show the head of the Greek hero Ajax. The logo changed again in 1990. The new logo is a simpler version of Ajax's portrait, drawn with 11 lines. These lines represent the 11 players on a football team. Ajax announced that the classic 1928 logo will return for the 2025-26 season.

• 

  Crest of Ajax (1928–1991, 2021-22)

• 

  Crest of Ajax (1991-)

Team Colours

Ajax first played in all black with a red sash. But soon, they changed to a red and white striped shirt with black shorts. Red, black, and white are the colours of the flag of Amsterdam.

In 1911, Ajax moved up to the top Dutch league. They had to change their colours because Sparta Rotterdam already had the same uniform. Football rules said the new team had to change. So, Ajax chose white shorts and a white shirt with a wide, vertical red stripe down the middle. This is still Ajax's famous uniform today.

Ajax Financial Information

AFC Ajax N.V.

AFC Ajax is the only Dutch club listed on the stock exchange. This means people can buy shares in the club. It has been listed on Euronext Amsterdam since 1998.

Sponsorships

The 2011 AFC Ajax team wearing their home kit by Adidas, with the AEGON sponsor on their chests.

Ajax's shirts have had different sponsors over the years. TDK sponsored them from 1982 to 1991. Then ABN AMRO was the sponsor from 1991 to 2008. AEGON took over from 2008 to 2014.

Their kits have been made by different companies too. Adidas has been making their kits since 2000 and will continue until at least 2025. In 2014, Ajax won the "Football shirt of the Year" award for their black and rose-coloured away shirt.

In 2014, Ajax signed a big deal with Ziggo, a Dutch cable company. Ziggo became their new main shirt sponsor in 2015.

Kit Suppliers and Shirt Sponsors

Other Ajax Teams

Reserve Team: Jong Ajax

Jong Ajax (meaning Young Ajax) is the reserve team for AFC Ajax. It's mostly made up of young professional players. These are often players who have just finished the highest youth level. They might also be players who are not currently playing for the first team.

Jong Ajax has won the Beloften Eredivisie (a league for reserve teams) a record eight times. They have also won the KNVB Reserve Cup three times. Since 2013, Jong Ajax plays in the Eerste Divisie, which is the second tier of professional football in the Netherlands. They play their home games at Sportpark De Toekomst. Jong Ajax cannot be promoted to the Eredivisie or play in the KNVB Cup.

Women's Team: AFC Ajax Vrouwen

AFC Ajax Vrouwen (meaning AFC Ajax Women) is the women's football team. They play in the women's eredivisie, the top women's league in the Netherlands. The women's team started on May 18, 2012. They quickly attracted top Dutch players. They won their first trophy, the KNVB Women's Cup, by beating PSV/FC Eindhoven 2–1.

Amateur Team: Ajax Zaterdag

AFC Ajax Amateurs, also known as Ajax Zaterdag, is the amateur football team. They play their home matches at the Sportpark De Toekomst training grounds. The team has won the Eerste Klasse title twice. They have also qualified for the KNVB Cup several times.

Other Sports at Ajax

Baseball Team (Past)

Ajax HVA was the baseball team of AFC Ajax from 1922 to 1972. They played in the Honkbal Hoofdklasse, the top baseball league in the Netherlands. Ajax won the national baseball title four times. In 1972, the club decided to focus only on football.

Esports Team

In 2016, Ajax started an esports team. Koen Weijland was their first player. They compete in professional video gaming. They have signed other players like Dani Hagebeuk.

Ajax Affiliated Clubs

Ajax works with other football clubs around the world. These clubs are called "affiliated clubs." They share knowledge and sometimes players.

Here are some clubs currently working with Ajax:

• Almere City (since 2005)
• Barcelona (since 2007)
• Cruzeiro (since 2007)
• Beijing Guoan (since 2007)
• Palmeiras (since 2010)
• AS Trenčín (since 2012)
• Guangzhou R&F (since 2017)
• Sagan Tosu (since 2018)
• Sharjah FC (since 2020)
• Sydney FC (since 2018)
• Sparta Rotterdam (since 2019)

Some clubs that were affiliated with Ajax in the past include:

• Germinal Beerschot (1999–2003)
• Ajax Cape Town (1999–2020)

Ajax Rivalries

Ajax has strong rivalries with other top clubs in the Netherlands.

Rivalry with Feyenoord

Feyenoord from Rotterdam is Ajax's biggest rival. Their yearly match is called De Klassieker ("The Classic"). This game is always sold out. It's a big event in Dutch football. The matches are known for being very intense. Because of past problems, away fans are not allowed in either stadium during these games.

Rivalry with PSV

PSV is another rival of Ajax. Their matches are called "De Topper" ("The Topper"). Both clubs have won many trophies. This rivalry is about different football styles. Ajax is known for "Total Football" and attacking play. PSV often plays with a more hardworking and strong style. This creates an interesting battle of ideas on the field.

Other Rivalries

Ajax also has rivalries with other clubs. These include Utrecht, ADO Den Haag, Twente, Vitesse Arnhem, Groningen, and AZ. The matches with AZ are called the "North Holland Derby" because both clubs are from the same region.

In the past, Ajax had local rivalries in Amsterdam. These were with clubs like Blauw-Wit and DWS. But these rivalries faded as the clubs played in different leagues.

Ajax Supporters

Ajax supporters

Ajax has very passionate fan groups. The most famous are F-Side and VAK410. The F-Side started in 1976. They sit behind the goal in the Johan Cruyff Arena. They are known for creating a great atmosphere in the stadium. VAK410 started in 2001. They also stand during matches and create large banners to support the team.

Ajax has many supporters across Europe. In 2010, a study showed that Ajax had about 7.1 million fans in Europe. This was much more than their rivals Feyenoord and PSV. About 39% of people in the Netherlands support Ajax. Many fans also attend their European matches.

Supporters Clubs

Ajax has several official supporters clubs.

• The Supporters Club Ajax is the largest in the Netherlands, with 94,000 members. They organize events and publish a fanzine.
• The AFCA Supportersclub is another official group, with 42,000 members.
• The Ajax Business Associates (ABA) is the business club for Ajax. Its members have luxury seats at the stadium.

Average Attendance

This chart shows how many people on average attended Ajax home matches from 1988 to 2018. You can see the difference when they moved from the smaller De Meer Stadion to the larger Johan Cruyff Arena in 1996.

Mascot

• Lucky Lynx is the official team mascot for Ajax.

Current Players

No. Position Player 2 DF Devyne Rensch 3 DF Anton Gaaei 4 DF Jorrel Hato 5 DF Owen Wijndal 6 MF Jordan Henderson (captain) 8 MF Kenneth Taylor 9 FW Brian Brobbey 10 FW Chuba Akpom 11 FW Mika Godts 12 GK Jay Gorter 13 DF Ahmetcan Kaplan 15 DF Youri Baas 16 MF Sivert Mannsverk 18 MF Davy Klaassen 19 FW Julian Rijkhoff

No. Position Player 20 FW Bertrand Traoré 21 MF Branco van den Boomen 22 GK Remko Pasveer 23 MF Steven Berghuis (vice-captain) 24 DF Daniele Rugani (on loan from Juventus) 25 FW Wout Weghorst 27 FW Amourricho van Axel Dongen 28 MF Kian Fitz-Jim 29 FW Christian Rasmussen 30 DF Gastón Ávila 33 MF Benjamin Tahirović 36 DF Dies Janse 37 DF Josip Šutalo 38 MF Kristian Hlynsson 40 GK Diant Ramaj

Players on Loan

No. Position Player DF Tristan Gooijer (at PEC Zwolle until 30 June 2025) DF Jakov Medić (at VfL Bochum until 30 June 2025) DF Borna Sosa (at Torino until 30 June 2025)

No. Position Player FW Carlos Forbs (at Wolves until 30 June 2025) FW Naci Ünüvar (at Espanyol until 30 June 2025)

Retired Jersey Numbers

The iconic number 14, retired in 2007 to honor Johan Cruyff

• 14 – Johan Cruyff (Forward, 1964–73, 1981–83). This number was retired on April 25, 2007, to honor Johan Cruyff, a legendary player.

Notable Former Players

For a full list of Ajax players with a Wikipedia article, see.

Board and Staff

Current Board Members

Executive Board

• Chairman: Ernst Boekhorst
  • Board members: 8 – ( John Busink, Marjon Eijlers, Giovanni Fränkel, Sirik Goeman, Pim van Dord, René Zegerius, Edo Ophof, Christian Visser.

Board of Directors

• Chief Executive Officer (CEO): Menno Geelen (interim)
• Chief Financial Officer (CFO): Susan Lenderink
• Chief Commercial Officer (CCO): Cas Biesta (interim)
• Technical Director: Alex Kroes
• Director of Football: Marijn Beuker

Supervisory Board

• Chairman: Michael van Praag
  • Board members: 5 – ( Danny Blind, Annette Mosman, Cees van Oevelen, Georgette Schlick, Leo van Wijk)

Current Coaching Staff

• Head coach: Francesco Farioli
• Assistant coaches: Daniele Cavalletto, Dave Vos, Felipe Sanchez Mateos
• Goalkeeping coaches: Jarkko Tuomisto, Erik Heijblok
• Performance coach: Sam Feringa
• Video analysts: Osman Kul, Kevin Keij

Current Medical Staff

• Team doctor: Bas Peijs
• Head physio: Maarten Gozeling
• Club doctor: Niels Wijne
• Fitness coaches: Callum Walsh, Maikel van Wijk
• Physiotherapist: Frank van Deursen

Current Accompanying Staff

• Team manager: Jan Siemerink
• Players supervisor: Herman Pinkster
• Loan coach: Michel Kreek
• Press officer: Miel Brinkhuis

Ajax Honours

Several of Ajax' international trophies

•      record
• ^s shared record

Ajax also won an unofficial UEFA Super Cup in 1972 against Rangers. This meant Ajax won every tournament they entered that year (5 in total).

Club Awards

• World Soccer World Team of the Year: 1 (1995)
• France Football European Team of the Year: 4 (1969, 1971, 1972, 1973)
• Dutch Sports Team of the Year: 5 (1968, 1969, 1972, 1987, 1995)
• Sports Team of the Year: 1 (1990)
• Dick van Rijn Trophy: 1 (1995)
• Amsterdam Sportsteam of the year: 3 (2011, 2013, 2014)
• ING Fair Play Award: 2 (2013, 2014)
• Fair Play Cup: 1 (1995)
• FIFA Club of the Century: shared 5th place (20th Century)
• kicker Sportmagazin Club of the Century: 2nd place (20th Century)
• Best Dutch club after 50 years of professional football: 1 (2004)
• Football shirt of the Year: Ajax away shirt by Adidas (2013–14)
• The Four-Four-Two Greatest Club Side Ever: Ajax (1965–1973) (2013)
• VVCS Best Pitch of the Year: 1 (2012)

Honorary Club Members

Ajax has 50 honorary club members. These are people who have done a lot for the club, either in management or as great players. Nine members are still alive, including Louis van Gaal.

Team Records

• Most match appearances: 463 – Sjaak Swart
• Most goals scored: 273 – Piet van Reenen
• Most goals scored in a season: 41 – Henk Groot
• First Ajax player to receive an International cap (play for their national team): Gerard Fortgens for the Netherlands in 1911
• First Ajax player to score a goal for the national team: Theo Brokmann for the Netherlands in 1919

Club van 100

The Club van 100 is a special list of football players. To be on this list, a player must have played 100 or more official matches for Ajax. There are over 150 members. The player with the most league appearances is Sjaak Swart, who played 463 league matches.

Lucky Ajax

Lucky Ajax is a special team started by Sjaak Swart. They play at least one match a year, often for charity or to say goodbye to retiring former Ajax players. Only members of the Club van 100 (players with 100+ matches for Ajax) can be invited to play for Lucky Ajax. The name "Lucky Ajax" comes from how people used to describe Ajax winning games by chance or good luck.

Number 14 Shirt

Since the 2007–08 season, no player at Ajax can wear the number 14 shirt. The club decided to retire it to honor Johan Cruyff, who was a legendary player and wore number 14. Cruyff himself joked about it, saying the best player should still wear number 14. Roger was the last player to wear the number before it was retired.

Here is a list of players who wore the number 14 shirt after Johan Cruyff left:

Former Captains

Years	Player
1964–1967	Frits Soetekouw
1967–1970	Gert Bals
1970–1971	Velibor Vasović
1971–1972	Piet Keizer
1972–1973	Johan Cruyff
1973–1974	Piet Keizer
1974–1980	Ruud Krol
1980–1981	Frank Arnesen
1981–1983	Søren Lerby
1983–1985	Dick Schoenaker
1985	Frank Rijkaard
1985–1987	Marco van Basten
1987–1990	John van 't Schip
1990–1999	Danny Blind
1999–2001	Aron Winter
2001–2003	Cristian Chivu
2003–2004	Jari Litmanen
2004–2005	Rafael Van der Vaart
2005–2006	Tomáš Galásek
2006–2007	Jaap Stam
2007–2009	Klaas-Jan Huntelaar
2009	Thomas Vermaelen
2009–2011	Luis Suárez
2011	Maarten Stekelenburg
2011–2012	Jan Vertonghen
2012–2014	Siem de Jong
2014–2015	Niklas Moisander
2015–2017	Davy Klaassen
2017–2018	Joël Veltman
2018–2019	Matthijs de Ligt
2019–2023	Dušan Tadić
2023–2024	Steven Bergwijn
2024–	Jordan Henderson

Team Tournaments

Amsterdam Tournament

The Amsterdam Tournament started in 1975. Ajax hosted this summer tournament every year until 1992. It came back in 1999. Four teams played, and points were given for wins, draws, and goals scored. This was to encourage attacking play. Ajax has won this tournament a record ten times.

Copa Amsterdam

The Copa Amsterdam started in 2005. It's a friendly football tournament for Under-19 youth teams. Ajax and the city of Amsterdam organize it every summer at the Olympic Stadium. Youth teams from famous clubs like Barcelona, Juventus, and Chelsea have played in it.

Future Cup

The AEGON Future Cup started in 2010. It's an international friendly tournament for Under-17 youth teams. Ajax and its sponsor AEGON organize it every year. It's held at the Johan Cruyff Arena and the Sportpark De Toekomst training ground. De Toekomst means "The Future" in Dutch, which inspired the tournament's name. Youth teams from clubs like Manchester United and Bayern Munich have taken part. Ajax has won this trophy five times.

See Also

In Spanish: Ajax de Ámsterdam para niños

• List of football clubs in the Netherlands