"We have to win because, when you lose too much, it's the end of the world for me also." Louis van Gaal
Showing posts with label AFCAjax. Show all posts
Showing posts with label AFCAjax. Show all posts
Wednesday, 30 May 2018
Thursday, 24 March 2016
Johan Cruyff 1947 - 2016
Johan Cruyff has died of cancer aged 68, his official website has announced.
Cruyff, who made his name as a forward with Ajax and Barcelona, won the Ballon d'Or three times.
He won three consecutive European Cups with Ajax and went on to manage Barcelona to their first European Cup win in 1992.
Cruyff helped his country reach the World Cup final in 1974, where they lost to West Germany.
In February, Cruyff said he felt he was "2-0 up in a match" against lung cancer and he was "sure I will end up winning".
Widely regarded as one of the greatest players of all time, Cruyff had double heart bypass surgery in 1991.
Barcelona won four consecutive La Liga titles from 1990-91 to 1993-94 under his guidance.
He is survived by his wife Danny Coster and children Susila, Chantal and Jordi.
#RIP #14nomore
Cruyff Remembers First Wembley Win
Johan Cruyff with Ajax
AFC Ajax won the European Champion Clubs' Cup three years running in the early 1970s, the first of those victories coming at a Wembley for Johan Cruyff.
Two years after losing the European Champion Clubs' Cup final against AC Milan in Madrid, AFC Ajax reached the final again, banishing the woes of that 4-1 reverse against the Rossoneri with a triumph against Panathinaikos FC at Wembley.
Johan Cruyff was the inspiration behind that 2-0 success, pulling the strings to help Ajax complete their first triumph in the competition thanks to Dick van Dijk's early strike and Arie Haan's effort three minutes from time. It was reward the 'totaal voetbal' employed by coach Rinus Michels and embodied in Cruyff, whose side would go on to win the coveted trophy three years in succession. Here the Dutch legend recalls that memorable breakthrough victory beneath the twin towers.
Johan Cruyff
"In 1969 we were the newcomers, and AC Milan had already won so much, but when came up against Panathinaikos, we were the older heads, and they were the new ones, so going on the pitch, talking to the press, dealing with the build-up to the game – the way we behaved, we were already professional. It was their first experience of it, and I think often that's what makes the big difference.
Playing at Wembley was something totally special because Wembley has always been different. I've played there a few times with the national team too, and it's always been something different. Every country has one stadium they think is special, of course, but Wembley has always been very special and it has been always good to me.
Winning [the European Cup] is so big, it's very difficult to understand when you win it; you know it's big, but it's much bigger than you realise. And that's what you find out, not at the time, but later. When you travel the world, and play here and there, people still talk about it.
Winning that first one, people start to get to know you, not only in Holland, not only in Europe, but even further abroad, and that's when you realise what football is in the world; it's huge, it's so big that you can't imagine. There are so many children living it, so many children who have their idols, and that's one of the things that always hurts me, that ten years after [they finish] playing football, the idols just disappear. That was the reason I started the schools. I say: "Hey, they've got so much knowledge, you can't just let this knowledge go away."
Thursday, 22 October 2015
Cruyff Diagnosed with Lung Cancer
The Dutch legend Johan Cruyff has lung cancer, according to reports in Spain.
The 68-year-old, who won three successive European Cups with Ajax before going on to play for and manage Barcelona, was diagnosed last Tuesday, it was reported on Spanish radio station RAC1 and Catalan newspaper Mundo Deportivoon Thursday morning.
Cruyff is said to be currently undergoing tests to try to discover the extent of the disease and his spokesman has said he will release a statement later on Thursday.
Formerly a heavy smoker, he had double heart bypass surgery in 1991 while he still in charge of Barcelona – a role he eventually left in 1996.
Barça’s vice-president Susana Monje, who was giving a financial presentation on Thursday, sent a message of support from the club.
In his prime, Cruyff was considered one of the world’s greatest players in the world at a time when Pelé, George Best and Franz Beckenbauer could all lay claim to the title.
He was European Footballer of the Year in 1971, 1973 and 1974 and part of the mould-breaking team that won three European Cups in 1971, 1972 and 1973 – a side that provided the foundation for Holland’s Total Football revolution when their coach Rinus Michels took over the national side in 1974.
Cruyff moved to Barcelona in 1973 and won the league title the following year. That same year, 1974, Holland reached the World Cup final where they were defeated by West Germany.
Four years later Cruyff moved to the United States where he played for the Los Angeles Aztecs and the Washington Diplomats the following year. He finished his career in the Netherlands with two more seasons with Ajax and one with Feyenoord.
Cruyff took over as manager of Ajax in 1985 but it was his return to Barcelona in 1988 that brought him success as a coach, the “Dream Team” winning four league titles, the European Cup and a Copa Del Ray and devising the swift passing possession that later became known as tiki-taka.
Since leaving Barça in 1996 he has had various minor roles in the game and acts as an adviser to Ajax, a spell notable for his successful attempt to block his fellow directors from appointing Louis van Gaal to the board by taking them to court.
Tuesday, 6 November 2012
Manchester City v Ajax - Preview
Manchester City are troubled by injuries ahead of their vital Champions League Group D game against Ajax at the Etihad Stadium.
City go into their must-win UEFA Champions League clash at home to Ajax on Tuesday night knowing their chances of reaching the knockout rounds are hanging by a thread.
Roberto Mancini's men face the prospect of exiting the competition at the group stage for the second successive year after taking just a single point from their opening three Group D encounters.
The Premier League champions, who currently sit bottom of the pool and six points adrift of leaders Borussia Dortmund, host Ajax knowing defeat will put qualification to the round of 16 beyond their reach.
But City will be cheered by their heartening home record in Europe, having won 14 and drawn four games on home soil since September 2008, and will be hoping to maintain that run against Frank De Boer's Dutch giants.
Ajax head to Manchester boosted by their 3-1 triumph over City at the Amsterdam ArenA last month, while they also beat the club's fierce local rivals Manchester United just over eight months ago.
Mancini has admitted City are "not ready" to mount a genuine European challenge this season but says his side are committed to trying to win their next three games.
History shows City have a sizeable task on their hands, with only eight teams with one point or fewer after three group games having gone on to qualify for the next stage of the tournament, with Arsenal, Liverpool and Newcastle among those that have achieved the feat.
Wednesday, 24 October 2012
City Get Blues in Old Amsterdam
Manchester City's hopes of advancing in the UEFA Champions League suffered a major setback as they slipped to a 3-1 defeat away to Ajax.
Roberto Mancini's men were under pressure to win in Amsterdam after picking up just a point from their opening two Group D games, but they were on the back foot for the first 22 minutes before Samir Nasri curled home a delightful finish from James Milner's assist to open the scoring.
The Dutch side hit back on the stroke of half-time, though, with Ricardo van Rhijn sending over a cross and Siem de Jong getting in front of his marker to rifle a fine strike past Joe Hart.
Niklas Moisander then headed Ajax in front from corner just before the hour mark and Christian Eriksen's deflected shot wrong-footed Joe Hart to leave City with a mountain to climb in the final 20 minutes.
Both goalkeepers pulled off fine saves as City pushed forward in an attempt to get back into the game, but Ajax held on to pick up their first points of the campaign and move off the bottom of the group.
City now head into the reverse fixture two points adrift of Ajax, with Real Madrid a further three points clear and Borussia Dortmund top of the table.
City had their moments, the hosts dominated.
City boss Mancini had rewarded Edin Dzeko for his recent form with a starting role alongside Sergio Aguero up front.
Yet it was some time before either of them were able to get into the game as Ajax, with former Liverpool players Ryan Babel and Christian Poulsen prominent, started well.
The hosts dominated possession for large spells although they were surprisingly unable to test goalkeeper Hart enough.
They created their first opportunity after four minutes when De Jong played a one-two with Babel outside the box but then curled his shot over.
De Jong showed more fine control as he chested down a cross and then laid off for Eriksen, but the Danish playmaker was also off-target with his effort.
There were worrying signs for City as Yaya Toure was helped to the sidelines for treatment after a Daley Blind tackle but the key midfielder was back on, albeit looking in discomfort, two minutes later.
More neat interplay from Ajax led to Eriksen releasing Babel with a sharp pass but City captain Vincent Kompany made a timely challenge.
City finally responded by breaking on 22 minutes and snatching the lead. Micah Richards raced clear down the right and fed inside to James Milner, who in turn set up Nasri for a clinical first-time finish over the diving Kenneth Vermeer.
Aguero almost doubled the lead moments later but Toby Alderweireld got back to block for a corner.
A clever backheel by Dzeko then released Richards again. The right-back initially hesitated as he looked for a pass but with no decent options he powered on and forced a good save from Vermeer.
Ajax began to assert themselves again as Ricardo van Rhijn found space and cut inside only to shoot over. Lasse Schone also missed the target and Babel fired straight at Hart.
The equaliser came on the stroke of half-time as Van Rhijn delivered a low cross along the edge of the area.
Gareth Barry was unable to cut it out and De Jong met it with a fierce low strike which gave Hart no chance.
City looked to produce a quick response after the interval and Milner charged forward but Alderweireld cut out his cross for Aguero.
Dzeko raced forward as Barry crossed to the near post but the Bosnian could not get a header on goal.
Ajax also showed some urgency as they chased the win and Poulsen almost played Eriksen in on goal but Toure crucially cut out his pass.
The Dutch side claimed the lead from a corner in the 57th minute as Moisander leapt in front of Joleon Lescott and glanced a header across Hart's goal into the bottom corner.
Nasri twice brought Vermeer into action to push away corners as City tried to hit back but Roberto Mancini decided to bring on the extra attacking threat of Aleksandar Kolarov for Lescott.
Kolarov was soon into the action and whipped in a cross but Milner headed wide and Ajax forced forward again.
Babel had a route to goal blocked by Kompany but the hosts sustained the pressure and Eriksen ran across the area and shot past Hart with the aid of a big deflection off Clichy.
Tobias Sana had a chance to bury City as he raced on to a fine pass from from Eriksen but Hart bravely and brilliantly rushed out to block his shot.
Play went straight to the other end and Dzeko found himself in on goal but Vermeer denied him.
City poured forward in the latter stages but Dzeko, after beating Vermeer was denied again as Moisander got back.
Carlos Tevez and Mario Balotelli came on to form a four-pronged attack but City were unable to find a way through.
Aguero headed wide and Dzeko could only find Vermeer with late efforts.
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