De Klassieker

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Lore & Background

The rivalry between these two clubs goes beyond football, transcending into the city rivalry between Amsterdam and Rotterdam. This rivalry began when these two cities first received their city rights in the 13th century. The football clubs are the pride of these cities; Ajax to Amsterdam and Feyenoord to Rotterdam. The inhabitants of these cities differ significantly in both attitudes and cultures, reflected on the pitch as a clash between the artists of Amsterdam and the workers of Rotterdam. Amsterdam is renowned for its culture, having produced many artists and actors. Ajax’s style of play has long been a source of pride for its supporters and irritation for Feyenoord fans. Rotterdammers feel that those from Amsterdam possess delusions of grandeur, reflected in the saying: 'While Amsterdam dreams, Rotterdam works'. Rotterdam was forced to work after being bombed heavily in the Second World War by the Nazis. A harbor town, its people are proud of their work ethic and resentful of Amsterdam's showiness. The first encounter was on 9 October 1921 in Rotterdam, ending 3–2 in Ajax' favour, later officially declared 2–2 due to Feyenoord's protest over a dubious goal. A competition over stadium size occurred mainly in the 1930s and 1940s. The Olympic Stadium (1928, capacity 31,600) was initially the biggest in the Netherlands. In 1934 De Meer Stadion was built (capacity 22,000). Ajax used the Olympic Stadium for European matches and De Meer for domestic matches. In 1937 Feyenoord opened De Kuip (capacity 64,000), and Ajax responded by adding a second ring to the Olympic Stadium that same year. After WWII, Feyenoord expanded De Kuip to 69,000 in 1949. From 1947–48 to 1955–56 no competitive matches were played because Feyenoord never won their regional league, so friendlies were arranged. The Eredivisie was introduced in 1956–57, allowing competitive matches twice a year. The highest scoring match was in 1960–61, a 9–5 win for Feyenoord (14 total goals). That season Feyenoord won the league, Ajax second, two points behind. In 1964–65 a 9–4 scoreline in Feyenoord's favour nearly replicated it. The rivalry heated up in the early 1970s when both clubs were arguably the best in the world; Ajax won three European Cups and an Intercontinental Cup, Feyenoord one European Cup, one Intercontinental Cup, and one UEFA Cup (all firsts for a Dutch club). This success led to the

In Their Own Story

On 24 May 2017, a 17-year-old De Ligt walked out at the Friends Arena in Stockholm to face Manchester United in the Europa League final. At 17 years and 285 days, he became the youngest ever player to appear in a major European final. Though Ajax lost 2–0, the moment marked the beginning of a remarkable trajectory. Two years later, on 16 April 2019, De Ligt rose above the Juventus defense to head home the winning goal in the Champions League quarter-final, sending Ajax to the semi-finals and announcing himself to the world. That summer, he signed for Juventus for €75 million plus €10.5 million in additional costs. After three years in Italy, he joined Bayern Munich in 2022 for an initial €67 million, winning the Bundesliga in his first season. In 2024, he moved to Manchester United for an initial €45 million plus €5 million in bonuses, signing a five-year contract. On 14 September 2024, he scored his first goal for United in a 3–0 win against Southampton at St Mary's Stadium.

Reader's Guide

De Klassieker is played between Ajax (Amsterdam) and Feyenoord (Rotterdam). The first encounter was on 9 October 1921 in Rotterdam. Since the introduction of the Eredivisie in 1956–57, the clubs have faced off twice a year. The record attendance was 65,562 on 9 January 1966 in Rotterdam. The highest scoring match was a 9–5 Feyenoord win in 1960–61. The biggest win for Feyenoord over Ajax was 6–0 on 7 April 2024. Visiting fans have been banned from away games for periods due to violence, including an agreement in February 2009 between the mayors of Amsterdam and Rotterdam and the KNVB to ban visiting fans for five seasons. After Ajax fans threw fireworks on the field during the 2014 KNVB Cup Final, Ajax banned its supporters from traveling to Rotterdam through at least the 2016–17 season.

Did You Know?

• The first encounter between Ajax and Feyenoord was on 9 October 1921 in Rotterdam, initially ending 3–2 in Ajax' favour but later declared 2–2 due to a protest.
• The highest scoring De Klassieker was a 9–5 win for Feyenoord in the 1960–61 season, with 14 total goals.
• In 1983–84, Ajax legend Johan Cruyff transferred to Feyenoord, angering both fanbases; Feyenoord won the league and cup that season.
• The most serious incident of fan violence was the Beverwijk clash in 1997, where Ajax fan Carlo Picornie was killed.
• On 7 April 2024, Feyenoord beat Ajax 6–0, the biggest win ever for Feyenoord over Ajax and the biggest loss ever for Ajax in the Eredivisie.