Amsterdamsche Football Club Ajax (Dutch pronunciation: [ˈaːjɑks] ), also referred to as AFC Ajax, Ajax Amsterdam or simply Ajax (after the legendary Greek hero), is a professional football club from Amsterdam, Netherlands.
Ajax is historically one of the most successful clubs in the world; according to the IFFHS, Ajax were the seventh most successful European club of the 20th century. [1] The club is one of the five teams that has earned the right to keep the European Cup and to wear a multiple-winner badge; they won consecutively in 1971–1973. In 1972, they completed the European treble by winning the Dutch Eredivisie, KNVB Cup, and the European Cup; to date, they are the only team to keep the European Cup and accomplish the European treble. Ajax's last international trophies were the 1995 Intercontinental Cup and the 1995 Champions League, where they defeated Milan in the final; they lost the 1996 Champions League final on penalties to Juventus.
They are also one of three teams to win the treble and the Intercontinental Cup in the same season/calendar year; [2] This was achieved in the 1971–72 season. [3] Ajax, Juventus, Bayern Munich, Chelsea and Manchester United are the five clubs to have won all three major UEFA club competitions. [4] 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. [5]
This list includes past and present footballers who have played for Ajax.
Players listed below with dual citizenship, are listed with their country of birth first, followed by their second citizenship, unless a player has represented one of their nations on an International level, in which case the team which they have played for is listed first, and their other nationality is listed second.
In some instances, three flags may be listed to represent a player's nationality. This is the case when a player is born in a country to parents of both different nationalities, which also differ from the country of their child's birthplace, however, the player represents his country of birth Internationally. An example of this would be Patrick Kluivert, who is Dutch and plays for the Netherlands national team, while his father is from Suriname, and his mother is from Curaçao. In these cases the paternal citizenship is listed second to the players' primary nationality, followed by the nation of the player's mother thirdly.
Players who were born in a foreign country, but do not hold citizenship of that nation, do not have the country of their birthplace listed below as their nationality, while some players have become naturalised citizens of a country, in which case it is listed as well.
Players with no league caps or goals may have made appearances in other competitions, as only league appearances and goals are being tallied in the list below.
Spent their entire professional career with AFC Ajax.
Currently playing for AFC Ajax, league caps and goals are subject to change.
Part of the AFC Ajax Club van 100, having amassed more than 100 caps across all competitions.
Caps and goals accurate as of 19 May 2024 after the last match played against Vitesse. [6]
Dates | Name |
---|---|
1968–1970 | ![]() |
1970–1971 | ![]() |
1971–1972 | ![]() |
1972–1973 | ![]() |
1973–1974 | ![]() |
1974–1980 | ![]() |
1980–1981 | ![]() |
1981–1983 | ![]() |
1983–1985 | ![]() |
1985–1987 | ![]() |
1987–1990 | ![]() |
1990–1999 | ![]() |
1999–2001 | ![]() |
2001–2003 | ![]() |
2003–2004 | ![]() |
2004–2005 | ![]() |
2005–2006 | ![]() |
2006–2007 | ![]() |
2007–2009 | ![]() |
2009 | ![]() |
2009–2011 | ![]() |
2011 | ![]() |
2011–2012 | ![]() |
2012–2014 | ![]() |
2014–2015 | ![]() |
2015–2017 | ![]() |
2017–2018 | ![]() |
2018–2019 | ![]() |
2019–2023 | ![]() |
2023–2024 | ![]() |
2024– | ![]() |
The following players were called-up to represent their national teams in international football and received caps during their tenure with AFC Ajax: [6]
|
|
|
Member associations are listed in order of most to least amount of current and former Ajax players represented Internationally
Confederation | Total | (Nation) Association |
---|---|---|
AFC | 2 | ![]() ![]() |
CAF | 27 | ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() |
CONCACAF | 6 | ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() |
CONMEBOL | 10 | ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() |
OFC | 0 | |
UEFA | 185 | ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() |
The following is a list of Ajax players who have competed in international tournaments, including the FIFA World Cup, FIFA Confederations Cup, UEFA European Championship, UEFA Nations League Finals, CONCACAF Nations League Finals, CONCACAF Gold Cup, the Copa América and the Africa Cup of Nations. To this date no Ajax players have participated in the AFC Asian Cup, or the OFC Nations Cup while playing for Ajax.
M. a b c d e Player who later managed the club.
The Eredivisie is the highest level of professional football in the Netherlands. The league was founded in 1956, two years after the start of professional football in the Netherlands. As of the 2024–25 season, it is ranked the sixth-best league in Europe by UEFA.
HFC Haarlem was a Dutch football club from the city of Haarlem, established in 1889 and dissolved in 2010. The club won the Eredivisie in 1946 and reached five Cup finals, winning in 1902 and 1912. Haarlem reached the second round of the 1982–83 UEFA Cup, losing to Spartak Moscow of the Soviet Union.
The 2006–07 Eredivisie season began on August 18, 2006. The season saw PSV Eindhoven quickly building a gap with the other teams. After 20 matches, the club was 11 points ahead of AZ and 12 points ahead of Ajax. The lead quickly dissipated in the 13 matches that followed. A draw of PSV at FC Utrecht in the penultimate round saw AZ and Ajax catching up. The three clubs were all on 72 points from 33 matches, with the AZ on top due to goal difference. Ajax were second, PSV were third. AZ suffered a shock defeat at league minnows Excelsior Rotterdam in the final round, playing with 10 men after 15 minutes in the game. Ajax won 0–2 against Willem II, and PSV beat Vitesse 5–1. PSV and Ajax both finished on 75 points, but PSV finished first due to a better goal difference to end one of the most exciting and closest title races in many years.
Heini Otto is a Dutch former professional footballer who played as an attacking midfielder. He is currently working as a technical coach at Ajax.
The 2007–08 Eredivisie was the 52nd season of the Eredivisie, the top division of association football in the Netherlands. The season began in August 2007 and ended on 18 May 2008, with defending champions PSV retaining their title with 72 points.
Menno Willems is a Dutch former professional footballer who played as a defender and midfielder.
The 2008–09 Eredivisie was the 53rd season of Eredivisie since its establishment in 1955. PSV were the reigning champions. The season began on 29 August 2008 with a game between Vitesse Arnhem and FC Groningen and ended on 10 May 2009. A total of 18 teams take part in the league, consisting of 16 who competed in the previous season and two promoted from the Eerste Divisie. The teams promoted from the Eerste Divisie at the end of the previous season were champions FC Volendam, and play-off winners ADO Den Haag. AZ clinched their second title, their first coming in 1981.
Sergio Vincenzo Roberto Padt is a Dutch professional footballer who plays as a goalkeeper for Ludogorets Razgrad. Padt previously played on loan from AFC Ajax for HFC Haarlem in the Eerste Divisie, and later for Go Ahead Eagles and in the Belgian Pro League for Gent. He represented the Netherlands U-17 team at the 2007 UEFA European Under-17 Football Championship.
During the 2006–07 season AFC Ajax participated in the Eredivisie, the KNVB Cup, UEFA Champions League and the UEFA Cup. The first training took place on Saturday, 8 July 2006. The traditional AFC Ajax Open Day was on Wednesday, 8 August 2006, followed by a testimonial match for the retired former Ajax striker Dennis Bergkamp.
During the 2005–06 Dutch football season AFC Ajax participated in the Eredivisie, the KNVB Cup and the UEFA Champions League. The first training took place on 3 July 2005. The traditional AFC Ajax Open Day was on 3 August 2005.
During the 2001–02 season, Feyenoord participated in the Eredivisie, the highest-ranking league in Dutch football. They also played in the KNVB Cup, UEFA Champions League, and the UEFA Cup. They were crowned champions of the 2002 UEFA Cup after beating Borussia Dortmund (Germany) in the final.
During the 1994–95 Dutch football season, PSV Eindhoven competed in the Eredivisie.
During the 2006–07 Dutch football season, PSV competed in the Eredivisie.
During the 1995–96 Dutch football season, PSV Eindhoven competed in its 40th Eredivisie tournament.
The 2007–08 season was the first and last season under coach Bert van Marwijk before becoming the head coach of the Netherlands national football team This was his second spell at Feyenoord after he had managed the team from 2000 to 2004. This season was not the best of seasons in the Eredivisie finishing only 6th. However, the club won a big price: the KNVB Cup, which was the 11th time they had won the cup.
The 2021–22 season was the 122nd season in the existence of AFC Ajax and the club's 66th consecutive season in the top flight of Dutch football. In addition to the domestic league, Ajax participated in this season's edition of the KNVB Cup, the UEFA Champions League and the Johan Cruyff Shield.
The 2021–22 season is the 52nd season in the existence of FC Utrecht and the club's 52nd consecutive season in the top flight of Dutch football. In addition to the domestic league, FC Utrecht participated in this season's editions of the KNVB Cup. In the regular season, they have qualified for the play-offs, for this they played for a place in the second round of the UEFA Europa Conference League.
The 2000–01 season was the 51st season in the history of FC Utrecht and the club's 31st consecutive season in the top flight of Dutch football. In addition to the domestic league, FC Utrecht participated in this season's editions of the KNVB Cup.
During the 1983–84 season, Feyenoord participated in the Eredivisie, the KNVB Cup, and the UEFA Cup, winning the double. This was Johan Cruyff's last season as a footballer, having signed with Feyenoord due to his former club Ajax's refusal to offer him a new contract.