AFC Ajax

For the women's team, see AFC Ajax (women).

Ajax
Full nameAmsterdamsche Football Club Ajax
Nickname(s)de Godenzonen (Sons of the Gods)[1][2]
de Joden (the Jews)
Lucky Ajax
Founded18 March 1900; 124 years ago (1900-03-18)
GroundJohan Cruyff Arena
Capacity55,865[3]
OwnerAFC Ajax N.V. (Euronext Amsterdam: AJAX)
CEOMenno Geelen (interim)
Head coachFrancesco Farioli
LeagueEredivisie
2023–24Eredivisie, 5th of 18
Websiteajax.nl
Current season
Active departments of AFC Ajax
Eredivisie
(Men's)		 Eerste Divisie
(Reserves)		 Vierde Divisie
(Amateurs)
Eredivisie
(Women's)		 eSports

Amsterdamsche Football Club Ajax (Dutch pronunciation: [ˈaːjɑks]), also known as AFC Ajax, Ajax Amsterdam, or commonly Ajax, 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 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.[4] According to German magazine Kicker, Ajax 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 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 the same season/calendar year;[5] this was achieved in the 1971–72 season.[6] Ajax is one of five clubs to have won all three major UEFA club competitions.[7] 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.[8] Ajax plays at the Johan Cruyff Arena, which opened as the Amsterdam ArenA in 1996 and 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.

  1. ^ Perryman, Mark (2013). Hooligan Wars: Causes and Effects of Football Violence. Mainstream. p. 167. ISBN 978-1-78057-813-2. Archived from the original on 29 April 2016. Retrieved 15 December 2015.
  2. ^ Stokvis, Ruud (2014). Lege kerken, volle stadions. Amsterdam UP. pp. 45–. ISBN 978-90-485-2180-7. Archived from the original on 10 June 2016. Retrieved 15 December 2015.
  3. ^ "Het Stadion". johancruijffarena.nl. Archived from the original on 22 August 2018. Retrieved 22 May 2019.
  4. ^ "Europe's Club of the Century". International Federation of Football History & Statistics. 11 September 2009. Archived from the original on 24 May 2012. Retrieved 12 September 2009.
  5. ^ with Manchester United in 1999, Bayern Munich in 2013 and Barcelona twice, in 2009 and in 2015.
  6. ^ UEFA sanctioned the UEFA Supercup for the first time in 1973. In 1972 was an unofficial edition and the I Centenary of Rangers (see History of the UEFA Supercup Archived 14 October 2008 at the Wayback Machine in uefa.com).
  7. ^ (European Cup, Cup Winners' Cup and UEFA Cup)
  8. ^ UEFA sanctioned the UEFA Intertoto Cup for the first time in 1995. In the 1960s, it was unofficial. See History of UEFA Intertoto Cup in uefa.com. Archived 17 September 2009 at the Wayback Machine