From his office, Director of Football Marijn Beuker looks out onto the main pitch of sports complex de Toekomst – where Ajax U19 will kick off their European campaign this coming Wednesday.
"For the club, playing the Youth League is a serious matter," Beuker explains. "In short, our ambition is to win the Youth League. The Youth League is a wonderful stage, and it is part of Ajax that we must enter every tournament with the aim of winning it. But there is a certain strategy behind it, and that is part of something bigger."
'The need to win'
Beuker begins to explain the philosophy behind this. He says that in the final stage of the academy, 'the need to win' takes a very prominent place.
"If you look at our football pyramid and the attention we give, in the younger age groups, it is often about learning broad functional technique and creativity, and in the middle groups, about game intelligence and orientation. Up to U16, we put players in many situations, let them find solutions and give them a wide range of tools. With that broad foundation, the players are ready for the final step: from learning to win to needing to win. That also requires a specific training methodology."
An important component is 'scenario training'. "In the upper academy we are much more engaged with strategy and tactics, and influencing phases of matches. That starts at U17, develops further at U19 and Ajax U23, and is, of course, a must for Ajax 1. Especially for those last three teams, it applies that, in our view, they must all be fully-fledged strong squads. That does not necessarily mean that our focus there is on the development of teams. You will, of course, never have an entire team progress together to Ajax 1. But an individual can best show and develop himself within a well-functioning team. And you get the latter when a large number of quality players form one unit."
Ajax is working hard to raise the academy to an even higher level. "That includes the quality boosts we have made and will continue to make in the coming years. The Ajax Regional Training project is also part of that. The aim is to produce many exceptional players at the end of the academy and teach them to perform at the highest level. We very often talk about experience. You must experience all techniques and movements. You must experience every football pattern in and against every possible playing system. But you must also experience how to win matches, kill them and influence them."
'Important learning moments'
At the top, players are required to deliver not only at weekends, but also midweek. For the young Ajacieden, the Youth League provides an opportunity to gain experience in that area.
"That is why we want to simulate European weeks. For the players, it is very good to experience a midweek programme so they can get used to the workload. Since last year, we have increased the intensity of training, and in recent months, we have been expanding the volume of training weeks. In short, we train more often on the pitch, more often in the gym and have more movement schooling. With the Youth League, we are taking another step. As a player, you must learn to perform on Sunday, peak again on Wednesday and be there again at the weekend. A certain necessity is created; these are really important learning moments for those boys. Without the Youth League, you have to try very hard to simulate that. It is difficult to succeed with friendlies. Last year we participated in the Premier League International Cup, but the Youth League really is different."
Forty players registered
Ajax has submitted a list of forty players for the UEFA Youth League. This also includes first-team players such as Rayane Bounida, Sean Steur and Aaron Bouwman. The likelihood is high – and this is a difference from previous participations – that they will actually be used.
"That list is a composite group of four teams: Ajax 1, Ajax U23, Ajax U19 and Ajax U17. It is good if our biggest talents from these squads play together and learn to understand each other on the pitch. If players play in the first team for a few seasons, they are already more accustomed to each other, which provides extra stability. Ultimately, we must tailor the composition of the squad to each talent. How can we ensure that his workload is neither under- nor overloaded?"
Among the list of forty are also five exemption players, who must be from the birth year 2006 and moreover trained by Ajax itself. Therefore, goalkeepers Joeri Heerkens and Paul Reverson were, for example, omitted. For each Youth League match, only a maximum of three exemption players may be included on the match sheet.
No individual agreements
When asked, Beuker says that no individual agreements have been made with players about when and how often they will be used in the Youth League. "No, but if you hear that you are, for example, allowed to travel to Chelsea, then that is a wonderful stage to show yourself, isn’t it?"
Going far in the Youth League is Ajax's ambition, but there is, of course, something more important, Beuker states. "It is not that you can say: ‘we are successful if we win the Youth League’. Suppose you win it, but no one from that team breaks through into the first team, then it is of no use. Ultimately, it is about delivering difference-makers to Ajax 1 and winning a lot with that. But the path towards that, and gaining as many experiences as possible, is of course very valuable."
Those experiences need not be solely positive. In fact, disappointments can actually contribute to a player’s development. "I would rather the players learn a huge lesson in the Youth League. For instance, they might fail in the decisive penalty shoot-out of the final, but can later benefit from it in their career, such as scoring the winner in the Champions League final with Ajax, rather than the other way around. These are mainly learning and development moments for the players. Learning to win is a crucial part of that. This is simply an important tournament, and we make it important by giving it attention with the right players."
Beuker is very curious to see how Ajax U19 will show itself in the 'mini-Champions League', as the Youth League is often called. "I am really looking forward to it because it is a very interesting team. We as a club take it very seriously, and the players do as well. It is a wonderful showcase of talent that comes together here."
