During the international break, the players not involved with their national teams took part in a training session at De Toekomst. Under glorious autumn sunshine, Míchel Sánchez put the squad through an intensive workout.
Ajax Women crushed WFC Aktobe on Wednesday evening in the first leg. Anouk Bruil's side secured an emphatic 8–0 victory in the first match of the second qualifying round of the UEFA Women's Europa Cup. Ella Touon was Ajax's hattrick hero. Katja Snoeijs scored twice. Sherida Spitse, Daniëlle Noordermeer and Jade van Hensbergen added the remaining goals. Ajax Women are now in a commanding position ahead of the return leg next week in Kazakhstan.
Ella Touon was one of the many standout performers against WFC Aktobe on Wednesday evening. The left-sided forward was a genuine hattrick hero in Anouk Bruil’s side. Thanks in part to Touon’s goals, the Ajax Women secured an emphatic 8–0 victory. It earned her the match ball, although it initially had to be searched for. Not much later, the Ajax player posed with a broad grin alongside the newly acquired adidas ball. 'I haven’t scored a hat-trick since I was seven.'
On Wednesday, September 23, the Ajax Women face an important European fixture. In the second qualifying round of the UEFA Women’s Europa Cup, the Amsterdam side will take on WFC Aktobe. Together with Anna Knol and Sari Kees, we look back at the matches against Real Madrid in the Champions League and look ahead to the next European challenge. “If you can compete with Real Madrid, you can compete with any team. That’s something we’ll take with us into the Europa Cup.”
Ajax Women completed their active preparations on Tuesday for their first meeting with WFC Aktobe. Matchday -1 was primarily focused on the final training session. At the De Toekomst sports complex, the Ajax players put the finishing touches to their preparations in order to be fully ready for the first leg of the second qualifying round of the UEFA Women’s Europa Cup, which will be played at home on Wednesday.
Maarten Stekelenburg defended the Ajax goal in 311 official matches and, among other achievements, won four league titles with the Amsterdam club. In honour of his 44th birthday, we have compiled ten fine saves by the former Ajax player.
Ajax Tapes takes you behind the scenes at Ajax. From the first team and Jong Ajax to the youth academy, this new series offers an exclusive look at the different areas of the club. We follow players and staff on matchdays and during training, while also exploring the personal stories behind the Ajacieden.
In the week in which Ajax found the net no fewer than ten times, with that tally neatly divided between matches against Fortuna Sittard and Willem II, the team coached by Míchel Sánchez is already focusing on its next test. Four days after the home meeting with the Tilburg side (5–1), Excelsior will visit the Johan Cruijff ArenA. On Thursday, the Ajax players trained in preparation for the upcoming home fixture against the Rotterdam club. Ajax v Excelsior will be played on Saturday from 20:00. Here you can watch the highlights of Thursday’s training session.
Dies Janse has signed a new deal with Ajax, extending his contract until June 2030. The defender sees the extension as a clear sign of the club's faith in him and, now fully fit again, is eager to push on. "Now it's up to me to kick on and start playing."
On Tuesday evening, Youri Baas had his photo added to the wall in the players' tunnel joining the ranks of players who have played at least 100 matches for Ajax. His journey began away to FC Utrecht. Against Willem II, Baas made his 100th appearance in an Ajax shirt at the Johan Cruijff ArenA.
For Yves Bissouma, signing a contract in Amsterdam comes as no surprise. Following his discussions with Ajax, the midfielder became very interested in the club, making the decision an easy one. "They love playing football, and I think we share the same view of the game."
Marko Pantelić still holds dear memories of the club where he only played for one season. A few years ago, we received a warm welcome from the former Ajax striker in his hometown of Belgrade. During our visit, he took us to his former club, showed us his favourite cathedral and spoke about his strong bond with Ajax. The Serbian celebrates his 48th birthday on September 15.