Matthijs de Ligt came through Ajax’s youth academy and developed into a key player and captain of Ajax’s first team. Between 2016 and 2019, the modern defender wore the Ajax shirt in 117 official matches. De Ligt gave the Amsterdam fans plenty to celebrate, finding the net thirteen times. This Wednesday, the former Ajax player celebrates his 27th birthday. A perfect occasion for a clip packed with football highlights, which also showcases a very young Matthijs displaying his talent (and confidence) as a youth player.
In celebration of his 75th birthday, we step inside the remarkable football mind of Louis van Gaal. Guided by original match briefings preserved in the Ajax archives, he looks back on the defining moments that shaped both his career and the club's history. From motivating his players to crafting the perfect tactical approach, Van Gaal offers an exclusive behind-the-scenes insight into the way he worked.
Louis van Gaal recently seemed thirty years younger again. The Ajax icon, who turned 75 on Saturday, took us through his preparations for the great European matches of the past. In the Johan Cruijff ArenA, Van Gaal spoke with such passion and conviction about his master plans from 1995 that it felt as if nothing had changed.
They speak on the phone every day: Daley Blind and Davy Klaassen. So we let Klaassen put the questions to his close friend, who returned to Ajax on Wednesday. “This club is in my heart. I’ve said that many times before. It has always been my dream to finish my playing career at Ajax.”