The secret behind Ajax’s UCL fairy tale

Ajax Amsterdam have been the surprise story of this year’s UEFA Champions League campaign. The Dutch underdogs had to go through three qualification rounds to even qualify for the group stages and have now knocked out defending champions Real Madrid as well as favourites Juventus around superstar

Cristiano Ronaldo. But their fairy tale is not yet finished! Tottenham Hotspur await in the semi-final, while FC Barcelona or Liverpool could be the final hurdle to their second Champions League crown and their fifth in European Cup history. But where is this Ajax revival coming from and how can the youngest team left in the competition upset Europe’s superpowers with a much smaller budget? Soccer Laduma’s David Kappel caught up with former Ajax star Steven Pienaar, who played for five years for the Dutch club and is currently working on his coaching badges in Amsterdam, to bring you some of the answers.

David Kappel: Your former team Ajax has been writing the headlines in Europe this season. Why do you think we’re seeing this new revived Ajax side?

Steven Pienaar:

I would say they have built this team over the last four to five years and if you look at what happened two years ago when they played against Manchester United in the Europa League final, the crop of those players is still at the club. The way they are running the club in general is helping them a lot. Former players are involved from top to bottom – they are running the administration side of things to the coaching side; it is all former players. They know and have the DNA of the club. That is what they have been doing for the last five years again, getting all the former players back in and making sure to buy the correct players as well, players to add to the core of the team. For example, Dusan Tadic… he came in from the English Premier League, but knowing the Dutch way of playing from his history with PSV Eindhoven. And all of this is paying off this season.

DK: They have now knocked out defending champions Real Madrid as well as Italian champions Juventus. Did you expect Ajax to go past these two superpowers?

SP:

To be fair, when I watched them playing in the group stages against Bayern Munich, particularly the game in Munich, then I could see that this team can go far. They faced a team with a lot of quality in Bayern, yet they dominated in Munich for most of the game. For me, that was a sign that something special could happen in the Champions League this season. It was about time. The last time the club went to the quarter-final was in 2002, so it has been a while. Like I said, most of the players tasted a final in the Europa League final two years ago, which they lost, but they have kept on pushing themselves.

DK: Just like you said, they dominated Bayern. They also dominated Juventus at their own home ground. Having played for the club yourself, can you tell us a bit more about what goes on behind the scenes and in training to make the team play this beautiful football?

SP:

I think it is simple – they believe in the philosophy and they have actually stuck to the way they want to play, you know, the Ajax way. They want to dominate opponents and play attacking football. There is a lot of energy in this team. They are a young team with a lot of quality players, who are only getting better. They remind me of the 1995 team when they won the Champions League based on a team which came together through the academy and had been playing together for years, from the U13 level onwards. These players have been together for years; it is not a team which was just put together over one season. They have all gone through the same development and learned the same style of thinking and playing. That is a big plus for the club. Like I said, it is about sticking to their way of playing, attacking football, dominating the games and scoring goals. It is not a surprise Ajax have scored over 100 goals in the Dutch league this season.

DK: Your European career started at Ajax when you were 19. How difficult was it to adapt to their football philosophy and style of play?

SP:

I was fortunate, I went to the School of Excellence, where you get a development at an early age. I was 12 years when I went to the School of Excellence and I was in that system for five years. The way you have to play, the way you have to train to make it at the top, if you get it as a kid at a young age, it helps you later on. You train five days a week, twice a day and become more professional. My next step was Ajax Cape Town and I learned the ‘Dutch way’ at that club because everything Ajax Cape Town are doing is exactly what they are doing in Holland. That helped me as well, being at Ajax Cape Town, having a Dutch coach at the time, when I was 17 years old. When I moved to Holland, it was basically just following the same line. That is why it was quite easy for me to settle in.

DK: You already mentioned Tadic earlier on. Other players who are writing the headlines are Matthijs de Ligt and Frenkie de Jong, but Moroccan winger Hakim Ziyech is also playing an incredible season. Why is there not more noise around the African?

SP:

For me, personally, I have always been a fan of Hakim, even when he was still at FC Twente. He has been one of the best players in the league for the last four to five years. When he was at FC Twente, he carried the team and was Player of the Season before he moved to Ajax. I think the issue with him is he wanted to represent the country his parents are from and that is Morocco. When you are African and you are not playing for the likes of Real Madrid or Manchester United, you are not getting the recognition you are supposed to. If he had decided to play for the Dutch team, I think a lot more people would take note of him. But then again, he is one of the best players in the team.

DK: How much of an upset was it for you that Ajax eliminated Juventus, a side that has just claimed their eighth successive Serie A title and added Cristiano Ronaldo for € 100 million (R1.6 billion) to win the Champions League?

SP:

It just proves that money cannot buy you success. If you look at the budget of Ajax for the season and compare it to Juventus… Tadic cost them less than € 15 million (R239 million) and he is one of the key players; he has scored six goals for them in the Champions League. But, like I said,

the way Ajax went about their business, buying one or two players who fit exactly into their system, who understand the system… it is about sticking to your philosophy and that is what the club has been all about. It is just sticking to your guns and knowing what you are doing.

DK: What’s your prediction for Ajax’s semi-final against Tottenham Hotspur, who will be without Harry Kane in both games and without Heung-min Son in the first leg? SP:

It is going to be a cracking game and I am looking forward to it. It is obviously two of my former clubs playing against each other. I think both teams will fancy their chance of going to the final. I know Ajax will go in as the underdogs again, but I think, for them, it is only good because they know how to play with that underdog hat on their heads. They always come out top. It will be an interesting game. Spurs have also got a good team. They have five former players of Ajax in the team and it will be a nice reunion for them to play against Ajax. But I really hope Ajax go all the way.

DK: The other semi- final is between Liverpool and FC Barcelona. Who do you think will advance from this clash? SP:

It is a tough one to call. Liverpool have had an unbelievable season so far. They have still improved from their great campaign last season and are getting better as the campaign goes on. It is going to be a tough game, but I do think they have got a good chance against FC Barcelona because of their attacking trio, who are deadly in form. But again, Barcelona are always up for these types of games and they are also playing a great season. I personally hope Barcelona go through. You know, it would be a nice final between Ajax and Barcelona, because there is a lot of history between both clubs. They have a lot of Dutch influence, they are playing the same type of football, the Johan Cruyff way of playing and I think that would be a final I am looking forward to. I hope Barcelona go all the way and beat Liverpool.

DK: Do you think Ajax can go all the way and lift the trophy this season? SP:

In football, everything is possible. Like I said, they have got a lot of belief in their team. They have already moved past three big clubs on their way to the semifinal. Why not? I think the players believe they can go all the way, so it is definitely possible. It is football, you know – if you believe and have faith, anything can happen. Remember, Ajax’s season started already in August and they went through three play-off rounds to even make it to the group stage of the competition, so it would be the ultimate underdog story and I believe they can win it. DK: Thanks for your time and insights, Steven. ❐

When FC Barcelona took to the pitch to take on Manchester United in the Champions League, there was more than just a spot in the semifinals up for grabs. The Catalan giants had not made the final four of the tournament since 2015 when they last lifted the trophy in Berlin. It meant a chance for Ernesto Valverde’s men to show that they are back and are still among the elite in Europe. For their star man Lionel Messi, it is his first season captaining the club. It also means since that night four years ago, Cristian Ronaldo had overtaken the Argentine in number of Champions League titles won in their own personal duel, with Ronaldo having lifted five titles – more than any other star in the competition’s history – in comparison to Messi’s four.

Prior to the start of the season, Messi made it clear that the team wanted to win the Champions League this campaign. And they have brushed aside all opponents so far, from fellow semi-finalists Tottenham Hotspur to Lyon to the aforementioned Manchester United. Lionel Messi has led the way for them. As a matter of fact, he is even leading this year’s tournament with 10 goals scored and is arguably playing the best football of his career. Despite never playing in the Premier League, he has scored 24 goals against top-six Premier League teams. That’s more goals than Harry Kane with 22, Wayne Rooney with 20 or even Robin van Persie, who managed 18 goals. He’s scored against Manchester City, Manchester United, Chelsea, Arsenal and Tottenham. The only topsix team he has yet to score against are Barcelona’s opponents in the semi-finals.

Up next are last season’s finalists Liverpool, who will seek redemption and will want to lift the trophy themselves. While it’s difficult to pick a favourite between the two, one cannot discard a team which has Lionel Messi – especially this year’s Lionel Messi. On top of the 10 goals in Europe, he has managed 33 goals in 30 matches in La Liga. He’s one of the main reasons why they are very close to clinching yet another league title. In the Copa del Rey? He’s scored twice in four matches and Barcelona are in the final of the tournament. In short, the treble is on and Messi is doing it in style.

However, Barcelona is not just Lionel Messi. Veteran defender Gerard Piqué is quietly having his best season in years and one of the best of his career. He has led Barcelona’s backline and kept it together when needed. And should that backline break, they can rely on arguably the best goalkeeper in the world, MarcAndré ter Stegen. The German has been an absolute wall for his team and when the chips are down, his teammates have been able to count on him to bail them out. In midfield, despite Andrés Iniesta leaving, they still have Sergio Busquets, Arthur, Philippe Coutinho, Arturo Vidal and Ivan Rakitic, just to name a few. Not a bad supporting cast. Messi’s entourage in attack include former Liverpool striker Luis Suárez and 2018 FIFA World Cup winner Ousmane Dembélé.

The embarrassment of last year’s elimination against AS Roma is behind them. Valverde is rotating his squad in a pivotal time of the season and his team is reacting positively to it. This is a hungry team full of world- class talent who haven’t reached the summit of European football for a few years. While the likes of Messi, Piqué, Suárez, Ter Stegen and a few others already have Champions League medals, Coutinho, Dembélé, Arthur and coach Valverde do not. This is a hungry team who have all of the tools to lift the trophy in Madrid.

Their most difficult test will be against Liverpool, but they should not be seen as underdogs going into the two matches. They have continuously stepped it up on the big occasions and will be aiming for a unique third treble in 10 years should they make the final.