Milan Derby

Verified Timeline

Lore & Background

Ajax was founded in Amsterdam on 18 March 1900. The club achieved promotion to the highest level of Dutch football in 1911 and had its first major success in 1917, winning the KNVB Beker. The following season, Ajax became national champion for the first time. The club defended its title in 1918–19, becoming the only team to achieve an unbeaten season in the Netherlands Football League Championship. Throughout the 1920s, Ajax was a strong regional power. In the 1930s, the club won five national championships (1931, 1932, 1934, 1937, 1939). Ajax won its second KNVB Cup in 1942–43, and an eighth Dutch title in 1946–47. In 1956, the first season of the Netherlands' new professional league, Ajax participated as a founding member. The Amsterdam club became the first national champions under the new format. Ajax won the Dutch championship in 1960 and a third KNVB Cup in 1961. In 1965, Rinus Michels was appointed manager, implementing Total Football. Between them, Michels and Johan Cruyff led Ajax through its most successful period, winning seven league titles, four KNVB Cups and three European Cups. Ajax won the Dutch championship in 1966, 1967 and 1968, and reached the 1969 European Cup final, losing to Milan. During the 1966–67 season, Ajax scored a record 122 goals in a league season and also won the KNVB Cup to achieve its first league and cup double. In 1969–70, Ajax won a fourth Dutch league championship and second league and cup double. The 1970–71 season saw Ajax reach the 1971 European Cup final, where they defeated Panathinaikos 2–0 to become continental champions for the first time. In Kovács' first season, Ajax completed a treble of the European Cup, the league, and a third consecutive KNVB Cup. The following season, the team beat Argentine club Independiente to win the 1972 Intercontinental Cup and retained their league and European Cup titles, becoming the first club to win three consecutive European Cups since Real Madrid. In 1976–77, Ajax won its first domestic championship in four seasons and recorded a double of the league and KNVB Cup two years later. The early 1980s saw the return of Cruyff, as well as the emergence of Marco van Basten and Frank Rijkaard. The team won back-to-back league titles in 1982 and 1983. In 1985, Cruyff returned as manager. The following season, Ajax won the European Cup Winners' Cup, its first continental trophy in 14 y

In Their Own Story

The narrative of Ajax versus Milan is a story of contrasting eras and ultimate redemption for the Amsterdam club. The first chapter closed in disappointment during the 1968–69 European Cup final, where AC Milan emerged victorious against an Ajax team led by Rinus Michels and Johan Cruyff. This loss set the stage for the club's rise to global dominance under coach Ștefan Kovács in the early 1970s, though that specific period did not feature a final clash with Milan. The story reached its climax twenty-six years later in the 1995 Champions League final. Facing AC Milan again, Ajax fielded a squad blending experienced captain Danny Blind with emerging stars like Edgar Davids and Michael Reiziger. The match was decided by a single moment: an 85th-minute goal from Patrick Kluivert, who had come on as a substitute. This triumph not only avenged the 1969 loss but also cemented Ajax's status as one of five clubs to have won all three major UEFA competitions.

Reader's Guide

Ajax plays at the Johan Cruyff Arena, which opened as the Amsterdam ArenA in 1996 and was renamed in 2018. They previously played at 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.

Did You Know?

• Ajax is named after the legendary Greek hero.
• Ajax is one of five teams that have earned the right to keep the European Cup and to wear a multiple-winner badge.
• In 1972, Ajax completed the continental treble by winning the league, KNVB Cup, and the European Cup.
• Ajax is one of four teams to win the continental treble and the Intercontinental Cup in the same season/calendar year; this was achieved in the 1971–72 season.
• Ajax is one of five clubs to have won all three major UEFA club competitions played until 2021.