The same applies to Peter Ducke, the star player of FC Carl Zeiss Jena at the time. Both former top players look back on the notorious first quarter-final match in March 1970. And on the return leg in which the Ajax players performed superbly and convincingly took revenge on the East Germans.
Furore
Ajax had caused a sensation in Europe the season before. The team of coach Rinus Michels did so, among other things, by defeating the great S.L. Benfica. After the two quarter-final matches, a historic play-off match in Paris brought the decision. Ajax played its first European Cup final in 1969.
The Amsterdam side unfortunately lost the 1969 final in Madrid without much chance against AC Milan. For the first time in four years, Ajax also missed out on the league title. As a result, Ajax played in the 1969/1970 season in the Inter-Cities Fairs Cup, the predecessor of the UEFA Cup and the UEFA Europa League.
Ajax also played memorable matches on that stage. After a spectacular 4–0 victory over SSC Napoli, with three goals in extra time from super-sub Ruud Suurendonk, FC Carl Zeiss Jena were the opponents in the quarter-finals.
The team from communist East Germany was built around the brothers Roland Ducke and Peter Ducke. Roland was the veteran of the side. Peter was the absolute star. He was technically gifted and lightning fast. How famous Peter Ducke was became clear when Brazilian superstar Pelé placed him among the ten best players in the world. Up to the match against Ajax, the East German club had not conceded a single goal in six European matches.
Slippery as ice
The first meeting quickly turned into a remarkable one on 4 March 1970 in the freezing Jena. The pitch was frozen, partly covered with snow and ice and therefore extremely slippery. Ajax were overwhelmed in the first half hour and fell 3–0 behind. Roland and Peter Ducke both contributed a goal.
But there was something that stood out. While the Ajax players were constantly slipping, the opponents remained firmly on their feet. Shortly after half-time, the truth came out. The East Germans were playing with sharpened studs made of aluminium or leather containing spikes.
Ajax right-back Wim Suurbier was struck during a challenge and suffered a deep flesh wound. What the Ajax players had already suspected became clear after an inspection by the referee. Many of Jena's players had sharpened the studs under their boots.
Furious
Coach Rinus Michels and his Ajax players were furious. Especially when some FC Carl Zeiss Jena players wanted to sprint to the dressing room to change their footwear. The match continued and Velibor Vasović made it 3–1 shortly before the end. It was an important goal for the return leg. Even long after the final whistle the Amsterdam side were still seething. They swore revenge for the decisive second match.
The revenge was sweet, because a week later the Ajax players convincingly swept the East Germans aside. The 5–1 victory was enough to secure - albeit hard fought - further progress in Europe. The return leg at the Olympic Stadium Amsterdam is regarded as one of the best matches the Ajax side of Rinus Michels ever played.
Ducke: 'Ajax were a world-class team'
Even 56 years later, Peter Ducke is still impressed by the opponent of that time: ''Ajax were not just any team, they were a world-class side. Johan Cruyff and Piet Keizer were fantastic players. Not only in the Netherlands, but worldwide.''
Both Ajax and FC Carl Zeiss Jena won the league title that season. The Amsterdam side were well on their way to becoming a footballing powerhouse. The German club fared less well. FC Carl Zeiss Jena play in the Regionalliga Nordost, the fourth tier of football, in the 2025/2026 season.
