Ajax Amsterdam - The journey to regain the throne

(Baonghean.vn) - A resounding 4-1 victory over Lyon in the first leg of the Europa League semi-final has helped Ajax Amsterdam set foot at Friends Arena in Solna (Sweden) to play in the final.

About 20 years ago, few people believed that the most successful football team in the Netherlands would fall into the situation it is in today.

Since the 1995-1996 Champions League final against Juventus at the Olimpico Stadium (Roma), Ajax Amsterdam has entered a terrible decline. No one expected that this team was once a force in "old continent" football with a record of 33 Dutch championships, 4 times winning the prestigious C1/Champions League (1971, 1972, 1973, 1995), and many other big and small titles.

Ajax Amsterdam used to be one of the most successful football teams in Europe. Photo: Internet.

In the past 21 long years, the team at Amsterdam Arena has not had another chance to play in the finals of the continental arena.

Therefore, the defeat against Juventus after the penalty shootout (1-1 draw after 120 minutes) is a sad milestone marking the decline of Ajax Amsterdam Club on the international stage. There are many reasons leading to that situation, but in general, it is still an economic problem. The financial potential of the team based in the capital Amsterdam cannot be compared with the giants MU, Real Madrid, Barcelona, ​​Juventus, AC Milan, Inter Milan, Bayern Munich...

With less money, Ajax Amsterdam fans have to watch their brightest stars move to richer teams every year.

In fact, the "talent drain" has been happening at the Amsterdam Arena for decades. Famous players like Johan Cruyff (moved to Barcelona in 1973) or Van Basten, Frank Rijkaard, Dennis Bergkamp... joined big clubs across Europe in the late 80s and early 90s of the last century. But Ajax Amsterdam has not yet collapsed because the number of talented players in the training center is still countless. When this star leaves, other stars immediately appear and shine brightly in the team.

It was only when the Bosman rule was introduced in 1995 that Ajax Amsterdam fell into dire straits. Young talents that had just appeared were snatched away by the "big guys" on the continent, typically Suarez, Eriksen. The Amsterdam Arena was only a place to discover and train stars for other teams to use.

Besides, the race for money between clubs is getting more and more fierce. Ajax Amsterdam is poorer, so they have to accept their fate. Therefore, from a "monster" of European football, the team that won the C1/Champions League has turned into a mid-level team. With each passing season, gradually no one cares about the presence of Ajax Amsterdam Club.

Witnessing the excited celebration of the coaching staff, players and fans of Ajax Amsterdam in the recent match against Lyon, it is enough to understand how great the desire to play in a final match is after 21 years of waiting.

For the "big guys" of European football at the present time, the Europa League arena always receives a cold look, although the championship in this second-tier tournament means a direct ticket to the group stage of the Champions League next season and a bonus of approximately 30 million euros. However, for a "once-famous" force like Ajax Amsterdam, being present in the final match of this year's Europa League is also an extremely happy thing.

Ajax Amsterdam players celebrate with home fans after the match against Lyon. Photo: Internet.

Ajax fans believe that if the 1996 Champions League final marked the end of an empire, the 2017 Europa League final will signal the end of that decline and the beginning of a new cycle of success. In football, anything can happen, just like Juventus regained its former glory after the Calciopoli scandal in 2006.

Coincidentally, on the same evening, both Ajax Amsterdam and their opponents in the 1996 Champions League final - Juventus - were close to reaching the semi-finals of both the Europa League and Champions League.

In recent years, the "Old Lady of Turin" has increasingly asserted its strength in the continental arena. Is Ajax Amsterdam on that journey - the journey to regain its position as king? Time will have the most accurate answer. For now, Ajax Amsterdam and its fans can rejoice in their victory over Lyon./.

Thanh Hung