"Exciting!", says the captain when we ask him for his first reaction. "It's always good to be active in the Champions League again, because that's when you face the top teams." For Klaassen, one team came out of the draw that pleased him greatly. "Personally, I think it’s really cool that we drew Inter. That's the only club from pot 1 where I've played, so I was really hoping for them."
Reunion with Hato
Alongside Inter, Chelsea came out of pot 1. "I've never played there before and I think it's pretty cool to go there. On top of that, we’ll be facing Jorrel Hato. It's always fun to play against former teammates."
Beyond his old club from Milan, Klaassen had no real preference. "Actually, I didn't have a preference at all and you always want the most favourable draw possible. But as I said, there are so many top teams that I don't know if you can really call it favourable. I think the draw is fine, because there are plenty of great teams in there again. FK Qarabağ is a long trip and that’s a bit of a shame. Other than that, everything is relatively nearby and that’s fine."
Klaassen is attending an event with manager John Heitinga and Steven Berghuis, but the trio were able to see the eight teams just before they had to go on stage. "We saw it perfectly on a TV; the timing was spot on."
Highest achievable
Ajax's first match in the League Phase will take place on 16, 17 or 18 September. Klaassen cannot wait. "The Champions League is the highest achievable and that’s what you want as a club. We need to make sure that everyone in Europe and in the world is talking about Ajax again. And that's only possible if we’re active in this tournament."
"Everything surrounding the Champions League is just top class. The anthem, the ball, the atmosphere; everything is the best. It cannot be compared to the UEFA Europa League. I’m delighted that Champions League football is back in Amsterdam," he concludes.
Information about ticket sales will follow next week.
