Ajax and ABN AMRO have reached an agreement for the extension of the sponsorship contract between them. With this new agreement, the bank will remain connected to the club until at least mid-2023. As of now, ABN AMRO will focus on strengthening the women’s teams at Ajax.
ABN AMRO has been sponsoring Ajax for 25 years, five of which as main sponsor of women’s football. In 2020, ABN AMRO and Ajax will work to increase visibility and further the development of this. This area is an important strategic focus for ABN AMRO.
Making women’s teams stronger
Ajax and ABN AMRO will focus on making all of Ajax’s women’s teams stronger in the upcoming season. This includes the women’s first team, as well as developing talent in the youth academy for girls. In the past year, a team of talents has been formed and talent days have recently been held for girls in several age categories: under 9, under 11, and under 13. Ajax will continue and expand these activities in upcoming seasons with ABN AMRO. Moreover, Ajax and ABN AMRO will collaborate to help increase the development of girls’ football at amateur clubs.
‘This is a great fit in our diverse club'
Menno Geelen, Ajax’s commercial director : “It’s great that ABN AMRO has committed to Ajax and to women’s football for the next few years. They had already committed to us in the early 90’s as the jersey sponsor. After that, they stepped into Youth and Women’s football. ABN AMRO and Ajax have a long history together. From 2020, ABN AMRO will focus completely on the Ajax Women. This is a great fit in our diverse club and the sport. The development of women’s football is a good match with our For The Future positioning.”
Eve of break through
Daphne Koster, manager of the Ajax Women, is very proud that ABN AMRO is committing itself to women’s football. “We’re on the eve of a new day in the tumultuous development of women’s football: more and more girls are playing, and many prominent global players come from the Netherlands, and media attention is growing. At Ajax, our ambition is to make women’s football even bigger, and with ABN AMRO at our side, we’re going to turn our ambitions into reality.”
Take on the challenge together
Women’s football is the fastest growing sport in the Netherlands. Mak van Rijt, director of Brand, Marketing & Communications at ABN AMRO: “Sustainability, as well as diversity, are spearheads at ABN AMRO. Our philosophy is that diverse backgrounds and points of view make us stronger. With diverse teams, we get more creative and innovative solutions in everything we do. We also translate this to our sponsorship portfolio, because breaking old patterns won’t happen by itself.”
In addition to being the main sponsor of the Ajax Women, ABN AMRO will be Ajax’s sustainability partner as of 2020. ABN AMRO will also continue to be Ajax’s Social Partner of the Ajax Foundation.