AZ talents write history with Youth League win: Hajduk Split wiped out in final | Dutch football

If AZ’s talents are about to break through at renowned clubs later, they can at least say that they have already played football before the expert eyes of Ronald Koeman, Patrick Vieira, Luis Figo, Fabio Capello, Rudi Völler, among others. Gareth Southgate and UEFA boss Aleksander Ceferin. Still a guest list that is not inferior to an average Champions League match. They were all there in Switzerland to see AZ become the first Dutch club to win the prestigious Youth League in a way that will delight them. The Alkmaar youngsters gave away a gala performance in the final battle.

With all those well-known football celebrities in the stands, it was not surprising that AZ itself had sent a nice delegation to the final with board members Robert Eenhoorn and Max Huiberts. Flanked by head coach of the first team Pascal Jansen, who must have rubbed his hands and looked at the talents that he will soon have at his disposal.

Eenhoorn, Huiberts and Jansen can be proud of the talented group of AZ Under-19, who very convincingly dealt with the Croatian Hajduk Split in the final in a one-sided duel in which AZ rarely came under real pressure. After the victories over superpowers such as FC Barcelona, ​​Real Madrid and also Sporting Portugal, it was a new beautiful chapter in the successful story of a youth academy that is no longer inferior to that of Ajax, PSV and Feyenoord.

Monday evening in Geneva, AZ set the tone from the first minute. Within a minute and a half, seventeen-year-old Jayden Addai already fired at Hajduk goalkeeper Borna Buljan’s goal, just as Ernest Poku tried. Even closer was Addai a little later when he also tried to work in from a great distance. A shot later in the first half looked even more dangerous. A missed chance for Fedde de Jong, one of the three basic players who have already played in the club’s first team, made Hajduk shudder again. But he also found keeper Buljan on his way.

AZ and Addai then needed a penalty kick to open the scoring after Poku was completely unnecessarily knocked out by the great Hajduk talent Luka Vuskovic in a position where Poku could no longer pose any danger.

After his first goal, Addai was the first to be congratulated by Mexx Meerdink, who had started as a substitute in Geneva, just under 24 hours after he had played an Eredivisie match against RKC with the first team. He also suffered a minor injury during that match. It didn’t stop him from joining the squad after the break. In the final phase he also asserted himself with two hits.

Meerdink left the thousands of Hajduk fans, who created the most atmosphere in the stadium, silent. In the second half, the Croatian fans were only able to bounce back for the first time when their club asserted itself. But AZ thanked goalkeeper Rome-Jayden Owusu-Oduro, who saved on a flaming shot by striker Mate Antunovic, among other things.

Poku decided the game twenty minutes before the end with a beautifully placed shot. For the teenager, who already played matches in the first team at the beginning of last season, but was then thrown back a long way due to mental problems, among other things, the evening in Switzerland became even better when he scored his second goal. Meerdink eventually determined the final score at 5-0, making the tournament win one for eternity. With his two goals, Meerdink also became the top scorer of the Youth League. He finished level with Bilal Mahzar of Panathinaikos, who also scored nine goals.

,,This was my first big final”, Addai beamed afterwards in Servette’s stadium. “I am so proud,” said Addai, who already had a few good chances before his penalty kick was used. “But I thought, I will keep trying”, said the attacker who, after the break, beat Mexx Meerdink, who had recovered from an injury. saw the field come. With Addai, Meerdink and Ernest Poku at the forefront, Hadjuk Split was treated to a serious defeat. ,,We like to attack with the three of us”, said Addai, who also saw Meerdink and Poku score twice. , “This is new for us but we are enjoying it very much.”