AMSTERDAM • There are few clubs with a history to match that of Ajax, and they are aiming to add a new chapter with their first treble since the days of Johan Cruyff.
The first leg, the Dutch Cup, was secured with a 4-0 Sunday stroll over Willem II.
Then there will be a battle for the Dutch league title that resumes this weekend. They are deadlocked with PSV Eindhoven on 80 points with two games left.
Before that, Ajax could be through to their first Champions League final since 1996.
They take a 1-0 lead into today's semi-final second leg against Tottenham, with young stars like Matthijs de Ligt, Frenkie de Jong and Donny van de Beek mesmerising Europe having defeated Real Madrid and Juventus.
Those players have dominated the headlines, but the work done by coach Erik ten Hag, 49, has been remarkable.
His career as a player was unremarkable by comparison, with the 2001 Dutch Cup the only major trophy he won on the field.
"He loved the game and he loved talking about the game," Scott Booth, who played in that Twente side, said of his captain.
Ten Hag the midfielder was close to Fred Rutten, his coach at Twente and, after ending his playing career at the age of 32, later became Rutten's assistant at PSV.
Before that, he had a spell as an assistant to Steve McClaren at Twente, helping the Englishman to win a first Dutch title in 2010.
These days, ten Hag's playing style draws comparisons to Manchester City boss Pep Guardiola.
"When we lose the ball, we must win it back immediately," goalkeeper Andre Onana said.
"He is focused on that, he is always telling us that if we have control of the ball, we have the ability to push back any opponent."
In his first season as a coach in his own right, ten Hag won promotion with Go Ahead Eagles in 2013, but he left them for a job with Bayern Munich's reserve side.
His time in Bavaria coincided with Guardiola's first two years as Bayern coach.
"I still remember very well that when I quit the Eredivisie to go and coach in the German Regionalliga (fourth tier), lots of people in the Netherlands were sceptical," ten Hag told German daily Bild.
"I never regretted that decision. To work at a club as big as Bayern was like winning the lottery."
He lapped up the opportunity to watch Guardiola's training sessions up close before returning to the Eredivisie with Utrecht in 2015.
After two top-five finishes and a Dutch Cup final appearance, Ajax saw ten Hag as the ideal man to take over midway last season.
Ajax, the Europa League runners-up in 2017, were knocked out of both European competitions in the preliminary rounds last term, but ten Hag steered them to a second-place finish in the league.
The foundations were laid for this season's run.
"What he is managing to do with such young players is remarkable," former striker Pierre van Hooijdonk told TV station NOS.
"The likes of de Ligt, de Jong and van de Beek have only just come out of the academy and are already playing like veterans. Ten Hag deserves huge credit."
AGENCE FRANCE-PRESSE
The victory saw Madrid climb to third place on 36 points, three ahead of Sevilla who have failed to win in their last four league outings, while Barcelona, who host Leganes on Sunday, are top with 43.
Football: Madrid climb to third with vital win over Sevilla
Qatar coach Felix Sanchez has vowed to "isolate" his players from politics at the Asian Cup, which is taking place in the United Arab Emirates during a diplomatic crisis between the countries.
Qatar Coach to 'Isolate' Team from Gulf Politics at AFC Asian
Chelsea passed another tough test in Europe after claiming a valuable away draw in the first leg of their Europa League semi-final tie against Eintracht Frankfurt. Luka Jovic gave the Bundesliga
Eintracht Frankfurt vs Chelsea - Europa League semi-final
In what is a major coup, Kerala Blasters have announced the signing of former Manchester United defender Wes Brown for the upcoming season of the Indian Super League (ISL). The defender has made a
Wes Brown - Wikipedia
Never give up, and be confident in what you do. There may be tough times, but the difficulties which you face will make you more determined to achieve your objectives and to win against all the odds.
What are some words for not giving up? - Quora
"This is the ideal storm for Mars science," said Jim Watzin, director of NASA's Mars Exploration Program at the agency's headquarters in Washington. "We have a historic number of spacecraft operating at the Red Planet.
NewsNow: Video Assistant Referees news | Breaking News 24/7
Chelsea are fourth in the standings, three points behind Tottenham Hotspur, a point above Arsenal and three above United. (Reuters) Chelsea cannot afford to lose at Manchester United on Sunday in what will be a 'difficult match' for both teams looking to finish in the Premier League's top four, the London club's manager Maurizio Sarri said on Friday.
Maurizio Sarri Says Chelsea 'Are Going the Right Way' After
Game of many returns for Gunners LONDON • Arsenal manager Unai Emery will face a familiar foe when the Gunners look to move a step closer to Europa League glory at Rennes today. French midfielder Hatem Ben Arfa endured an unhappy two years under Emery at Paris Saint-Germain where he was frozen out for an entire season and made to train with
Gunners boosted by return of four players | Arseblog News
An alarming run has brought just one point from the last four league games with Mauricio Pochettino, the manager, reacting to Saturday Hugo Lloris warns Tottenham teammates they have no margin for
Spurs' Hugo Lloris warns Arsenal are still title contenders
He is part of a breed of striker who are seriously underrated in the modern game, Giroud, Mandzukic, Dzeko are all underrated. Only Lewandowski is that type of striker who gets the recognition he deserves, but Giroud is a class act with a great goal/game ratio, he takes a lot stick that is undeserved.
A(z) Giroud nevű tábla 495 legjobb képe 2019-ben | Arsenal
Soccer: Ali on target as Qatar stun Japan to win first Asian
Lucas Moura, from PSG cast-off to Tottenham idol Rejected by Paris Saint-Germain after the world-record signing of Neymar, Lucas Moura propelled Tottenham to heights the French giants could
Lucas Moura: From PSG cast off to Tottenham idol
Jurgen Klopp has called on his players to focus on Premier League game with Wolves. Jurgen Klopp says Liverpool players needed hammer to 'punch the smile' off their faces after Barcelona win.
Jurgen Klopp says Liverpool players needed hammer to 'punch
Newcastle United beat Blackburn Rovers 4-2 after extra time while Championship side Stoke City threw away a two-goal lead as they suffered a shock 3-2 home defeat by third-tier Shrewsbury Town in
Blackburn Rovers vs. Newcastle United - Football Match Report
0 comments:
Post a Comment