Ajax celebrates the championship party in the stadium, ‘annoying for fans without a ticket’

Around the Johan Cruijff Arena it is Wednesday evening about two hours before the kick-off against SC Heerenveen, the duel in which Ajax has to win the 36th national title. Hundreds of crushed beer cans, empty beer bottles – or what’s left of them – and groups of fans point a new load of supporters from the metro stations around the Arena to the meeting place. Most of them continue their way to the Ajax stadium, singing and shouting. On to the closing party after the sixteen previous home games in the Eredivisie.

No supporter seems to doubt that either. Despite the difficult matches of the last few weeks, in which the game stalled, now an easy victory should follow. “I was much more nervous about that on Sunday,” says Alex Greweldinger (26), a marketer at Tio University of Applied Sciences, just before entering the stadium. Then Ajax played a draw at AZ in injury time and Feyenoord ensured with a late goal in the match against PSV that the title battle would not become even more exciting.

Folk singer Peter Beense gives the audience the song Blood Sweat and tears the last stimulus. Fans stand arm in arm, or wave to the tune. Only the minute of silence just before kick-off brings a moment of calm. It is held in memory of Henk Groot (84) and Jody Lukoki (29), two former Ajax players who passed away this week.

No fans last season

The difference with a year ago could hardly be greater. At the time, due to the corona measures in force at the time, Ajax became champion in an empty stadium by beating relegated FC Emmen 4-0. “We had to miss that,” says 31-year-old Jos van Schaik, work planner in the construction industry. “That makes it even better to be able to be there again.”

There is something special about a championship game, according to fans. “It feels a bit like a Champions League match,” says 17-year-old MBO student Tijn. More intense than the normal competition matches – those are known.

Every good pass forward or conquest of the ball is welcomed just a little louder in the first ten minutes. Ajax wants to move forward, as if it wants to make amends with the public. Heerenveen sporadically has the ball.

When left back and crowd favorite Nico Tagliafico makes the 1-0 after almost twenty minutes, the last bit of tension ebbs from the stadium. Goals from attackers Steven Berghuis and Sébastien Haller (from a penalty) ensure a comfortable 3-0 lead before half-time.

As happens in more duels when the loot seems to be in, the intensity drops a bit in the second half. Not with trainer Erik ten Hag, who remains a few meters in front of the dugout. The distributed cardboard dishes go up in the stands. When the most fanatical fans set off fireworks, they are urged to stop by the speaker. In the mist that arises, Ajax plays out the duel. A final chord follows, Brian Brobbey and Edson Alvarez determine the result: 5-0.

During the entire lap of honor through the stadium, a stage is put together like a flexible Ikea package. There, Serbian captain Dusan Tadic is presented with the championship scale by ex-player Jari Litmanen.

No celebration in the city

It also stays with the party afterwards. Once it was clear that Ajax could become champions this Wednesday, the municipality of Amsterdam quickly made it clear that a big celebration in the city was not an option. The reason: a shortage of security guards. To the disbelief of many fans, some of whom showed their worst side by gathering in front of Mayor Femke Halsema a day later.

The fans around the Arena do not want to know anything about those actions this Wednesday. “It’s annoying for the people who can’t be there at the stadium, that there isn’t a big party in the city,” said Alex Greweldinger, who owns a season ticket. “But Halsema is also the one who has ensured that tributes are possible at all.”

Because the municipality did assume that Ajax fans would gather through the city, the area around the Arena and Leidseplein, among other things, was designated a safety risk area. The rain that comes down from the sky shortly after the start of the game will probably have been welcomed with open arms at the town hall.

The championship game is also the last home game of trainer Erik ten Hag. After more than four seasons and five awards, he will leave Amsterdam this summer. Next season he will be manager of the English top club Manchester United. The audience sings to him at the end of the duel.

Also read: Ajax’s championship year: sporting success, wrestling in the boardroom

Many fans will be secretly relieved that this season ends with a prize. Before the winter break, the game was smooth, Ajax won big together. “But after that it became work,” says sales manager Chris Wiegers. The football stopped. In the Champions League, Ajax came out quite unexpectedly against the Portuguese Benfica. Victories against lesser teams were sometimes narrowly won, the cup final against PSV last month was lost. “It was not always the game that the Ajax spectator hopes for,” says Wiegers. “At Ajax you always assume winning the title,” says Jos van Schaik.

Denouement Eredivisie E9-11

A version of this article also appeared in the newspaper of May 12, 2022