Ajax

Currently ranked first and second in the 19/20 Eredivisie, at the weekend we see Ajax and AZ Alkmaar go head to head for their second time in the tournament. With anticipation of this upcoming fixture, we have put this article together covering each team’s current performance in the league and how they compare to one another. So, if you want to find out more about Ajax and Alkmaar ahead of their weekend fixture, then keep on reading.

Ajax’s Current Performance in the 19/20 Eredivisie

Currently in first place in the 19/20 Eredivisie table, first we are going to look into the current and historic performance of Ajax in their domestic league. In the bullet points below we have explored the results of their past five matches this season in order to see if there are any apparent trends which could give an indication to us of their form at the moment:

• 23/02/2020 – Ajax (0) V Heracles (1)
• 16/02/2020 – Ajax (3) V RKC Waalwijk (0)
• 02/02/2020 – Ajax (1) V PSV Eindhoven (0)
• 26/01/2020 – Ajax (1) V

The UEFA Champions League is one of the most watched soccer tournaments across Europe as we see the top teams from each league compete to become the ultimate squad. Taking place during the summer of 2019 we saw the qualifying rounds of the 2019/20 season begin and after a short break the competition commenced with the group stages starting on the 17^th September and due to end in December ready for the knockout phases to start in early 2020. As the group stages are well underway, we thought we would take a brief look at match day and the qualifiers of this season’s Champions League tournament. So, if you are interested in finding out more about the fixtures then keep on reading.

Champions League Qualifiers

The Champions League Qualifiers for 2019/20 started on the 25^th June and ended on the 28^th August 2019. Within these stages of the football tournament the final qualifying teams were determined for the competition.

In the first Preliminary round, the champions of the Gibraltar, Andorra,

With such a successful football career on the pitch, having to take a step back due to an injury can be traumatising both career wise and emotionally in the world of sports. Therefore, when Marco Van Basten transitioned from player to manager there were a few years where he had to come to terms with this change in order to stay in the soccer world.

Throughout this article we are going to explore the inspiring history of this highly influential football player and manager throughout his career on and off the pitch. We also take a look at a list of the achievements he has accumulated over the years thanks to his expertise. So if you want to find out more about Van Basten and his journey through various roles in soccer, then continue reading!

Establishing His Soccer Career

Born in 1964, Marco started his football journey at only 6 years old where he played for local team – EDO. And after only a year with this Utrecht club, he transferred to UVV Utrecht where he spent nine years before briefly

Along with the ongoing tournaments such as the Premier League, Serie A, La Liga, Bundesliga, Primeria, the Champions League is also in progress. This league incorporates a range of clubs from all of the leagues across Europe and is a widely celebrated by fans worldwide as they cheer on their favourite soccer team once more. Currently in the group stages, the Champions League is where clubs across the globe compete on the soccer field to eventually lift the trophy at the end of the games – thus gaining Champions status.

Within this blog post we will take a look at how the tournament is panning out at the moment and what we can expect from the clubs in the coming weeks. From looking at how the matches have been scheduled and the groups picked, to the highest scoring player and team, you will find out all about this here.

How are the Teams Grouped?

After the initial play-offs had taken place prior to the scheduled group matches, the teams were whittled down to the 32 names below. These were

With the setup of the summer transfer window reportedly meant to be changing, where the business completed by the teams will have to be done before the new season starts, most clubs and managers will have to prepare themselves by creating a small list of targets before the current campaign is over.  

Sometimes, the best way to be effective within the market and be one step ahead of the other teams is by looking out for which individuals are close to being available on a free transfer. One of the huge factors to this, is that a potential club can negotiate and come to an agreement with a player that is in the final six months of his contract to go on to completing a move to his next destination on a summer Bosman move.

Here are the six European players that will become a free agent at the end of the season...

• Bundesliga – FC Schalke’s Max Meyer

Although the big sides in Europe tend to focus on bringing in central midfielders that bag assists and goals, Max Meyer is a unique talent that

Europa League finalists last season and narrowing the gap on PSV at the top of the Eredivisie this term, Ajax are unlikely to recapture the glory days of the early-1970s or mid-1990s, but there is a sense they are on the cusp of a new era of success.

Not least because they are able to boast some of Europe’s most gifted young players, all thriving and developing alongside one another. Here are six Ajax youngsters destined for stardom.

Frenkie de Jong

Although he has only become a regular starter at the Johan Cruyff Arena this season, 20-year-old De Jong has been regarded as a prospect with elite potential within the Ajax academy system for some time.

A gifted dribbler with sharp vision and textbook technique, the youngster has already become the focal point of the Ajax senior side this term, the player through whom all the team’s attacks begin.

Most comfortable in central midfield, De Jong, whose ability to ghost past opponents and effortlessly play defence-splitting passes is reminiscent

23rd August 2017. By Ryan Baldi.
With the 2017/18 season now under way in the major European leagues, all eyes are focussed on the stars of the previous campaign, many of whom have switched clubs for huge fees, to see whether they can maintain the form shown last term.

Kylian Mbappe was undoubtedly the youngster who made the biggest impact in 2016/17, breaking into the Monaco first team to star domestically and in the Champions League, helping the Monegasque side earn a first Ligue 1 title since 2000, when the prodigious forward was only 18 months old.

But the new season also presents a chance for new stars to emerge, young hopefuls primed to take the next step in their development and establish themselves as genuine stars of the game.

Here are seven young players from across Europe set for breakout campaigns this season.

Adam Ounas Napoli

Before his move to Napoli this summer in a deal which could reach up to €12million depending on conditional add-ons, Ounas was already a semi-regular

Despite taking a first half lead in their third round UEFA Champions League qualifier vs. Ajax, OGC Nice had to settle for a 1-1 draw following a tired second half.

Lucien Favre, Nice's tactically sharp manager, noted as much in his post match comments, stating: "I think that the equaliser hurt us. Then, we didn't remain as disciplined as we were in the first-half. We left it too open, too many spaces and then we saw the way that they win back the ball and create dangerous opportunities."

He then went onto add that he was still pleased with his team's efforts, which was encouraging to hear, for Nice still produced some excellent football throughout the match. Against a talented Ajax side who love to possess the ball, the way Favre set up his team in a well organised shape that was accompanied by some nice pressing was essential in making life challenging for their opponents to stamp their usual mark on proceedings.

Forming a mix between a 4-4-2 in their initial pressing phase and a 4-1-4-1

24th May 2017. By Ryan Baldi.
Manchester United's season was powered by the goals of Zlatan Ibrahimovic up until the point the Swedish striker suffered a torn cruciate knee ligament against Anderlecht in April. Now, the Red Devils face the prospect of having their 2016-17 campaign shattered by a 19-year-old prodigy labelled "the new Ibrahimovic".

Kasper Dolberg, widely regarded as one of the best young players on the Continent, will line up for Ajax when the Dutch side take on Jose Mourinho's men in the Europa League final in Stockholm tonight. The Danish striker has bagged 23 goals in all competitions this season, earning him rave reviews and attracting interest from Barcelona, Manchester City and Liverpool among others.

What makes the young forward's rise to prominence this season all the more remarkable is the fact that he is way ahead of schedule. Dolberg's immense talent was no secret within the Ajax academy, but few foresaw him becoming such a key player for the Amsterdam club this

There may be a few other kit manufacturers on the battlefield-like Puma or the newly involved New Balance-but for the most part, Adidas and Nike are the rulers of the football kit market. Ahead of the 2015/16 season, these two sporting gear companies held nine of the 11 most valuable kit manufacturing contracts in all of soccer. Judging just on contract price, Adidas was winning the battle at the start of the season, holding all four of the most valuable kit deals (Manchester United, Bayern Munich, Chelsea, and Real Madrid). Nike's top soccer properties, meanwhile-Barcelona, Manchester City, and Paris Saint Germain-aren't quite as high-grossing, since those deals were all signed two or more years ago.

But what about aesthetic and performance? Whose jerseys look better this season and whose kits have been worn by the better-performing football clubs? Read on for Soccer Box's rundown of who made the better football kits for the 2015/16 campaign.

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