AFC Ajax Thread[2007/2008]

[Zlatan]

Let there be one more goal this year...

History

Founded on March 18, 1900 AFC Ajax is one of the largest and most storied clubs in European football. After their founding and acceptance into Dutch Football Ajax spent ten seasons in the country's second division before earning promotion for the 1911 season. The move to the first division did not last long though as just three seasons later the club was relegated for the first and only time in its illustrious history.
The fate of the club quickly changed with the arrival of trainer Carlos Reynolds who would spend 35 years at the helm of the team. Under the leadership of this legendary coach Ajax won their first National Championship in 1918. From that point on Ajax could always be found at or near the top of the Dutch table. It was also Reynolds and his revolutionary training methods that built the foundation for what has now become the world famous Ajax Youth Training Program.

The historic win of 1918 was the first of what currently stands at an astonishing 29 league titles for the Amsterdam club. Five of those magical wins came in the decade of the 1930's when the dominance of the red and white was at one its highest points ever. The 1930's were also a special decade for the club as in 1934 they moved into what would become known as "De Meer." Their new stadium where which legends would be born. It was there that Ajax would call home fore over 60 years and be the place that the club would come to dominate Dutch football and grow into a power across Europe.

Ajax' first taste of European competition came in 1961 when the club became the first from the Netherlands to participate in the European Cup Winners Cup. Success on the European front loomed in the future as the club found a place in the 1969 Cup final before bringing home their first title in 1971. Starting with the magical victory in 1971 Ajax went on to win three consecutive European Champions Cups. In 1972, led by the world famous Johan Cruijff had one of the best seasons ever by a professional football team winning the National Championship, the Dutch Cup, the European Champions Cup and the World Cup.
"De Meer" was also the place where Ajax would develop it's world famous youth training program and develop some of the worlds best football players, a philosophy that is even more important to their success today.

The success of the late 1960's and early 1970's although impossible to duplicate was followed up by 25 more years of success for the club that included 11 National Championships in the final quarter of the century. The success was highlighted by another exciting venture in Europe as Ajax again became European and world champions in 1995.

The need for a new stadium brought with it the closing of "De Meer" in 1996 and the move to the Amsterdam ArenA. With it a new chapter in Ajax history opened. In 1998 Ajax would again find themselves at the top winning both the National Championship and their 14th Dutch Cup in 1998. Now it is time once again for the club to celebrate a new beginning. This time as they head into their second century as one of Europe's most innovative and successful football clubs.

Must visit sites for Ajax fans

http://www.ajax.nl
http://ajax.netwerk.to
http://www.ajaxfotoside.nl
http://www.f-side.nl

Players in

Kennedy Bakircioglu(FC Twente)
Laurent Delorge(ADO Den Haag)
Jan Vertonghen(RKC Waalwijk, back from loan period)
Robbert Schilder(Heracles Almelo, back from loan period)
Michael Krohn-Dehli(Sparta Rotterdam, back from loan period)
Donovan Slijngard(FC Groningen, back from loan period)
Erik Heijblok(HFC Haarlem)
Ismail Urzaiz(Athletic Bilbao)
Dennis Rommedahl(Charlton Athletic)
Luis Suarez(FC Groningen)
Alberto Luque Martos(Newcastle United)
Kenneth Perez(PSV Eindhoven)
Bruno Silva(FC Groningen)
Rasmus Lindgren(FC Groningen)
Samuel Osei Kuffour(AS Roma)

Players out

Rydell Poepon(Willem II, loan deal)
Zdenek Grygera(Juventus)
Roger(retired)
Cees Keizer(Vitesse)
Kenneth Vermeer(Willem II, loan deal)
Michael Timisela(VVV Venlo)
Dustin Huisman(MVV)
Emanuel Boakye(Heracles Almelo)
Tom de Mul(Sevilla C.F.)
Kenneth Perez(PSV Eindhoven)
Ryan Babel(Liverpool F.C.)
Wesley Sneijder(Real Madrid C.F.)
Olaf Lindenbergh(Sparta Rotterdam)
Robbert Schilder(Heracles Almelo, loan deal)

Interim Manager

Adrie Koster

Squad Numbers

1 - Maarten Stekelenburg
2 - John Heitinga
3 - Bruno Silva
4 - Thomas Vermaelen
5 - Urby Emanuelson
6 - Samuel Kuffour
7 - Kennedy Bakircioglu
8 - Ismael Urzaiz
9 - Klaas Jan Huntelaar
10 - Albert Luque
11 - Leonardo
12 - Erik Heijblok
13 - Edgar Davids
15 - Laurent Delorge
16 - Luis Suarez
17 - Jan Vertonghen
18 - Gabri
19 - Dennis Rommedahl
20 - George Ogararu
21 - Edgar Manucharyan
22 - Robbert Schilder
23 - Rasmus Lindgren
24 - Mitchell Donald
25 - Gregory van der Wiel
26 - Jeffrey Sarpong
27 - Vurnon Anita
28 - Michael Krohn-Dehli
29 - Kenneth Perez
30 - Dennis Gentenaar


Club kits

Home:

Away:

Venue

Amsterdam ArenA. Capacity: 51.324

Eredivisie Fixtures

19/08/2007 De Graafschap-Ajax
26/08/2007 Ajax-SC Heerenveen
02/09/2007 Ajax-FC Groningen
15/09/2007 Heracles-Ajax
23/09/2007 AZ-Ajax
30/09/2007 Ajax-VVV
07/10/2007 Sparta-Ajax
20/10/2007 Ajax-NEC
28/10/2007 FC Utrecht-Ajax
04/11/2007 Ajax-Roda JC
11/11/2007 Feyenoord-Ajax
25/11/2007 Ajax-Vitesse
02/12/2007 Ajax-NAC
08/12/2007 Willem II-Ajax
16/12/2007 Ajax-PSV
23/12/2007 Excelsior-Ajax
27/12/2007 Ajax-FC Twente
30/12/2007 VVV-Ajax
13/01/2008 Ajax-AZ
20/01/2008 NEC-Ajax
23/01/2008 Ajax-FC Utrecht
27/01/2008 Vitesse-Ajax
03/02/2008 Ajax-Feyenoord
10/02/2008 Roda JC-Ajax
17/02/2008 Ajax-Sparta
24/02/2008 NAC-Ajax
02/03/2008 Ajax-Excelsior
09/03/2008 PSV-Ajax
16/03/2008 Ajax-Willem II
23/03/2008 FC Twente-Ajax
29/03/2008 SC Heerenveen-Ajax
06/04/2008 Ajax-De Graafschap
13/04/2008 FC Groningen-Ajax
20/04/2008 Ajax-Heracles

Official Club Anthem

Een Juichtoon da-vre langs de velden
Voor ons dierbaar rood en wit
De Schaar de dapp're Meersche helden
Onze vreugd'en trotsch bezit
Gevreesd, geducht in heel den lande
Glorie onzer Amstel-stad ...
Ieder draagt ze op de handen
Wie gaat niet op Ajax prat

Hup Ajax hup, Rood-Witte schare
Dapp're strijders fier en koen
Bevestigt uw roemrijke mare
Driewerf hup onz' kampioen!
Hup, Ajax, hup onz' kampioen

Ziet onze spelers pijlsnel draven
Fiks zich werpend in de strijd
En nooit zich wepend in de strijd
En nooit bereid tot overgave
Vol van vastberadenheid
In vurig willen, ernstig streven
Naar de overwinningseer
Deed zij nemig club reeds sneven
't Roemrijk Ajax uit de Meer!

De goede clubgeest zal ons schragen
D'Eendracht maakt ons hecht en sterk
D'Ajaxvaan steeds hoger dragen
Zij ons allerschoonste werk
Ons mooie spel vol fris bekoren
Te spelen in Rood en Wit
Dat zij ons jaren nog beschoren
Vol geest, animo en pit.

Ultras

F-Side(Zuid)

Vak 410

Ajax Club Honours

Eredivisie(29) 1918, 1919, 1931, 1932, 1934, 1937, 1939, 1947, 1957, 1960, 1966, 1967, 1968, 1970, 1972, 1973, 1977, 1979, 1980, 1982, 1983, 1985, 1990, 1994, 1995, 1996, 1998, 2002, 2004

KNVB/Amstel Cup(17) 1917, 1943, 1961, 1967, 1970, 1971, 1972, 1979, 1983, 1986, 1987, 1993, 1998, 1999, 2002, 2006, 2007

Intertoto(1) 1962

Dutch Super Cup/Johan Cruijff Schaal(8x) 1993, 1994, 1995, 2002, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007

European Cup I/Champions League(4) 1971, 1972, 1973, 1995

UEFA cup(1) 1992

European Cup II(1) 1987

Intercontinental Cup(2) 1972, 1995

European Super Cup(3) 1972, 1973, 1995

Para Smit, requiescat in pace

 

[Hopeunited]

Very nice.

 

[PSVFOREVER]

Pretty Thread. It doesn't contain Sibon though...

Next season I'll live in Amsterdam. So I'll surely be your #1 critic on this board again!

 

[Zlatan]

Cool. In which part of the city?

I might get a season ticket this year, BTW. Me and my uncle are going to share it.

 

[PSVFOREVER]

Cool. In which part of the city?

I might get a season ticket this year, BTW. Me and my uncle are going to share it.

errr. that's the problem. I'm gonna study at the UvA, but haven't found a room yet. Amsterdam is really expensive for studentrooms (I can stay with a friend though for a while who already has a room in Uylenstede)

 

[Zlatan]

Hmm, yeah I heard about that problem, lol.
It's a matter of getting to know the right people I've expierienced.

 

[Zlatan]

The squad numbers have been decided. No real surprises. As decided a few months ago, no one will play as of this season with number 14 anymore, in honor of Johan Cruijff. New signings Delorge, Heijblok and Bakircioglu get respectively numbers 15, 12 and 7. Leonardo will wear number 11 next season, Perez moves to 19 because of this.

All the squad numbers:

1 - Maarten Stekelenburg
2 - John Heitinga
3 - Jaap Stam
4 - Thomas Vermaelen
5 - Urby Emanuelson
6 - Hedwiges Maduro
7 - Kennedy Bakircioglu
8 - Ryan Babel
9 - Klaas Jan Huntelaar
10 - Wesley Sneijder
11 - Leonardo
12 - Erik Heijblok
13 - Edgar Davids
15 - Laurent Delorge
16 - Tom de Mul
17 - Jan Vertonghen
18 - Gabri
19 - Kenneth Perez
20 - George Ogararu
21 - Edgar Manucharyan
22 - Robbert Schilder
23 - Nicolae Mitea
24 - Mitchell Donald
25 - Gregory van der Wiel
26 - Jeffrey Sarpong
27 - Vurnon Anita
28 - Michael Krohn-Dehli
29 - Olaf Lindenbergh
30 - Dennis Gentenaar

I've added these to the first post aswell.

 

[theo]

How is Mitea doing in training or friendlies? I don't like him nor care about him but I'm curious about his progress.

 

[Zlatan]

Well, there haven't been any trainings or friendlies for the new season yet. But rumours are that he's going to leave and frankly I wouldn't really mind, because he's mostly injured and if he's not he plays sh*t. Moreover, we've got the left winger position pretty well covered.

 

[Silencer]

EXCELLENT WORK ZLATAN ON THE FIRST POST

Did you notice that Perez has number 19 now and lost his number to Leo?
And Wesley is still nr 10 but the question is for how long?? :boohoo:
Right now we have an intern Colin (former PSV) on trial and if he does well he could earn a contract.

 

[Zlatan]

Added the fixture list for next season to the first post aswell, BTW.

 

[Silencer]

11-11-2007 gonna be a cracker against Feyenoord!

Makaay, Hofland, de Cler and other players, let's see if they can win against us now after 20 years we are soooooooo afraid............NOT!

 

[crswind17]

Truly, it was joyful reading that first post, especially the history

btw howcome Roger retired?He wasn't a very old guy

 

[Silencer]

He wanted to do something else other than Football and he's not that old at all, his contract was not to be renewed by Ajax and so he made this decision on his own. He wants to go back to Spain and live a long and happy life with his family there. In retrospect the games he played for us weren't many but he scored once in Ajaxkit

 

[Zlatan]

He got his season broke down last season by many injuries. Which is a shame, because in the beginning of last season he played quite well and started in most matches. I think if he hadn't had so many injuries he might've become a regular starter like Gabri.

He decided to retire because he was tired of the world of football and wanted to explore diffrent sides of life. But I think he mostly retired because he didn't look like getting an offer from another club, when Ajax refused to renew his contract.

 

[Silencer]

Daniel de Ridder goes to Birmingham City for three years, I was kind of hoping that Ajax would offer him a new chance
Come on guys rate this thread

 

[Zlatan]

Yeah, we should have never let him go to Celta in the first place.

 

[Silencer]

It looks like Perez is not going anywhere since psv is off the market and feyenoord as well, he has to show up tomorrow for the first training, let's see is he does..

 

[Zlatan]

I'm really glad to hear that. I mean, certainly if Wes leaves, we're going to need him next season. But he might still leave if a foreign club makes an offer for him. Van Geel already said he didn't want to sell him to any concurrents but he's open for a foreign club.

 

[PSVFOREVER]

Hmm, yeah I heard about that problem, lol.
It's a matter of getting to know the right people I've expierienced.

yay, found a room. It's in Nieuwendam, north of het IJ. It's ideal, except the fact it's pretty difficult to get to the city center with a bike. (Can you cross the Zuiderzeeweg with a bicycle?) Enough bus connections though.