AFC Ajax has a rich history that very few other football clubs can match. Ajax, based in Amsterdam, the Netherlands’ capital, has been an influential team due to its significant domestic success, young development, and continued use of offensive play. From the revolution of ‘Total Football’ in the 1970s to their incredible run in the 2018/19 Champions League season, Ajax have demonstrated that a club outside of Europe’s financial elite can compete at the greatest level.

However, in recent seasons, they have slipped off the pedestal due to club restructuring, bad recruitment, and structural mistakes, resulting in a decline in domestic success and continental prominence. Ajax’s current troubles are in contrast to their glorious and powerful history.

A legacy built on Innovation

Ajax first rose to European heights in the early 1970’s under coach Rinus Michels and iconic playmaker Johan Cruyff. Michels developed an attacking system called ‘Total Football’ which was built on outfield players effortlessly switching places, allowing any player to take over another’s to maintain the team’s structure. Between 1971 and 1973, Ajax won three consecutive European cups defeating Panathinaikos, Inter Milan and Juventus in the finals.

Their influence went beyond European success, as De Toekomost became a model for youth development around the world, producing world-class players such as Johan Cruyff, Marco Van Basten, Dennis Bergkamp, and Wesley Sneijder, as well as modern stars such as Matthijs De Ligt, Frenkie De Jong, and Ryan Gravenberch. Their unrivalled supremacy in the Eredivisie, which included a record 36 titles, as well as a fourth Champions League victory over AC Milan in 1995, strengthened the club’s reputation for cultivating new talent while simultaneously competing with Europe’s elite.

However, in the 2000’s, Europe’s top five leagues experienced financial growth, with Ajax becoming more of a stepping stone club than the powerhouse of earlier years. But their mentality remained intact, and by the late 2010’s, the club produced one of the most exciting young cores of the modern generation.

2019: The Champions League Fairy-tale

Ajax’s 2018-19 season was full of magic and belief, as they not only won the Eredivisie and the KNVB Cup, their first domestic double since 2002, but also advanced to their first Champions League semi-final since 1997. Under manager Erik Ten Haag, De Godenzonen (Sons of the Gods) combined youth and experience to play brave attacking football that shocked the continent.

At the heart of the side was 19 year old Matthijs de Ligt, a commanding centre back who was the youngest captain in Ajax history, at the time. Alongside him was Frenkie de Jong, a midfield maestro known for his intellect and ball control. The squad included players who matched the system perfectly: Dušan Tadić, Donny Van de Beek, David Neres, and Hakim Ziyech.

Ajax finished second in their Champions League group with zero defeats, just missing out on top spot to German giants Bayern Munich. They shocked reigning champions Real Madrid in the round of 16, with an iconic 4-1 victory at the Santiago Bernabéu, one of the clubs greatest ever performances. Ten Haag’s side knocked off Cristiano Ronaldo’s Juventus in the quarter-finals and suddenly they were no longer just underdogs, but genuine contenders.

In the semi-finals, they met Tottenham Hotspur. Ajax appeared set for the final after winning the first leg 1-0 in London and led 3-0 on aggregate in Amsterdam, but a Lucas Moura hattrick later, and their fairy-tale was cruelly ended as they were eliminated on away goals. The heartbreak was enormous, and it marked the end of an era, as De Ligt was sold to Juventus, De Jong to Barcelona, and others quickly followed. The European financial hierarchy once again brought Ajax’s greatness to an end.

From European Underdogs to Domestic Turmoil

In the aftermath of their fairy-tale run, Ajax continued their domestic dominance securing two more Eredivisie titles and one more KNVB cup. But cracks began to form, beginning with Erik Ten Haag’s departure to Manchester United in 2022. During the same period, long-time director Marc Overmars quit the club after being named in several inappropriate scandals. These losses turned the clubs recruitment and leadership situation into a nightmare.

Without a Director of Football for nearly a year, CEO Edwin Van Der Sar became overburdened and eventually departed Ajax after 11 years. Sven Mislintat was appointed Technical Director in April 2023, and his actions nearly broke the club. Mislintat bought 12 players that summer, including Georges Mikautadze, Carlos Forbs, Chuba Akpom, and Borna Sosa. Only three of these players remain in the squad, four are on loan, and five have been sold, with four of the five incurring financial losses.

Mislintat lasted less than five months at Ajax before being fired, as the club started the 2023-24 season with their worst start since 1964. De Godenzonen ended in fifth place and missed out on Champions League football for the second consecutive season. Managerial changes, supporter dissatisfaction, and a string of uneven performances revealed a club in need of direction.

The 2019 Stars! Where are they now?

Ajax’s 2019 Champions League semi-final team represented hope and demonstrated the excellence of their youth development. However, in recent years, numerous of those players have had their own struggles, proving that the grass is not always greener on the other side.

Frenkie De Jong has been a pivot part of a Barcelona team who have had their own finacial problems. But he has endured periods of inconsistency at the Spanish giants, and now with the likes of Pedri, Gavi and Fermin breaking through, de Jong’s place in the first team could be in jeopardy. Captain fantastic, Matthijs de Ligt, has shown flashes of his brilliance during spells at Juventus, Bayern Munich and Manchester United, but has never replicated his commanding dominance as Ajax captain.

Donny Van de Beek was once one of the most promising midfielders in world football, but he struggled at Manchester United, unable to receive any consistent playing time. Van de Beek made unsuccessful loan moves at Everton and Eintracht Frankfurt, before completing a permanent move to Girona in 2024. Hakim Ziyech was another player who struggled to find consistent playing time while at Chelsea. The Moroccan eventually left after failing to establish himself in the Premier League.

While many of these players are extremely talented, their mixed success has shown that Ajax’s free flowing offensive system is what propelled them all. In the Dutch capital, they all thrived around a structure based on intelligence, freedom and unity. Away from this, none have fully sustained their previous level after moving away.

Falling down the Domestic and European pecking order

Ajax’s recent downfall has reshaped the Eredivisie landscape, with rivals PSV Eindhoven and Feyenoord now surpassing them. De Godenzonen are no longer the automatic title favourites, having not won a league title since 2022. This season they sit fourth after 24 games, 19 points behind first-placed PSV.

In Europe, the drop off is even more noticeable. The days of semi-finals are over as Ajax haven’t qualified for the Champions League knockout rounds since 2022, losing in the round of 16 to Benfica. Without these deep European runs, revenue for transfers has decreased, creating a difficult cycle of poorer results reducing their financial power, resulting in far more of a difficult rebuild than previous seasons.

Their reputation as giant slayers has slowly faded. This season, Ajax finished 32nd in the Champions League table, suffering catastrophic 5-1 and 4-0 defeats to Chelsea and Marseille, as well as disappointing points dropped against Galatasaray, Benfica and Olympiacos. Ajax have fallen from dreamers to simply struggling to compete at the highest level.

A club at a Crossroads

Ajax’s story has always been interesting. Their climb to power has been fuelled by extraordinary youth development and attacking football, but the true difference lies behind the scenes. The academy continues to function as well as their philosophy and deep history, but legacy alone does not win football matches, as Manchester United and Juventus have demonstrated recently.

De Godenzonen once stood as proof that tactics and club structure can outperform financial power. Their 2019 Champions League run is a prime example, but their recent struggles have demonstrated how fragile that balance can be. It is unclear whether this is a short term dip, or a power shift in Dutch football remains to be seen. But when Ajax are at their best, football feels different, and unless they recover, this is one of the most noticeable declines in the modern world.