AMSTERDAM • There are few clubs with a history to match that of Ajax, and they are aiming to add a new chapter with their first treble since the days of Johan Cruyff.
The first leg, the Dutch Cup, was secured with a 4-0 Sunday stroll over Willem II.
Then there will be a battle for the Dutch league title that resumes this weekend. They are deadlocked with PSV Eindhoven on 80 points with two games left.
Before that, Ajax could be through to their first Champions League final since 1996.
They take a 1-0 lead into today's semi-final second leg against Tottenham, with young stars like Matthijs de Ligt, Frenkie de Jong and Donny van de Beek mesmerising Europe having defeated Real Madrid and Juventus.
Those players have dominated the headlines, but the work done by coach Erik ten Hag, 49, has been remarkable.
His career as a player was unremarkable by comparison, with the 2001 Dutch Cup the only major trophy he won on the field.
"He loved the game and he loved talking about the game," Scott Booth, who played in that Twente side, said of his captain.
Ten Hag the midfielder was close to Fred Rutten, his coach at Twente and, after ending his playing career at the age of 32, later became Rutten's assistant at PSV.
Before that, he had a spell as an assistant to Steve McClaren at Twente, helping the Englishman to win a first Dutch title in 2010.
These days, ten Hag's playing style draws comparisons to Manchester City boss Pep Guardiola.
"When we lose the ball, we must win it back immediately," goalkeeper Andre Onana said.
"He is focused on that, he is always telling us that if we have control of the ball, we have the ability to push back any opponent."
In his first season as a coach in his own right, ten Hag won promotion with Go Ahead Eagles in 2013, but he left them for a job with Bayern Munich's reserve side.
His time in Bavaria coincided with Guardiola's first two years as Bayern coach.
"I still remember very well that when I quit the Eredivisie to go and coach in the German Regionalliga (fourth tier), lots of people in the Netherlands were sceptical," ten Hag told German daily Bild.
"I never regretted that decision. To work at a club as big as Bayern was like winning the lottery."
He lapped up the opportunity to watch Guardiola's training sessions up close before returning to the Eredivisie with Utrecht in 2015.
After two top-five finishes and a Dutch Cup final appearance, Ajax saw ten Hag as the ideal man to take over midway last season.
Ajax, the Europa League runners-up in 2017, were knocked out of both European competitions in the preliminary rounds last term, but ten Hag steered them to a second-place finish in the league.
The foundations were laid for this season's run.
"What he is managing to do with such young players is remarkable," former striker Pierre van Hooijdonk told TV station NOS.
"The likes of de Ligt, de Jong and van de Beek have only just come out of the academy and are already playing like veterans. Ten Hag deserves huge credit."
AGENCE FRANCE-PRESSE
Football: Fandi Ahmad rues missed chances in U-22s' 1-1 draw with Hong Kong in opening AFC Under-23 qualifier Singapore's Young Lions training at the Geylang field on Feb 25, 2019. ST PHOTO
Fandi rues missed chances in 1-1 draw - theworldnews.net
Madrid set to be Hazard's new home BAKU • Eden Hazard helped make it a night to celebrate for Chelsea in Baku, but the Belgian's confirmation that it was almost certainly his last game for the club opened the way to a summer of uncertainty at Stamford Bridge.
Madrid set to be Hazard's new home - Virginia Bus
virginiabus.info/sports/madrid-set-to-be-hazards-new-home/
BAKU • Eden Hazard helped make it a night to celebrate for Chelsea in Baku, but the Belgian's confirmation that it was almost certainly his last game for the club opened the way to a summer of uncertainty at Stamford Bridge. Hazard scored twice, including a penalty, and set up another goal for Pedro Rodriguez […]
Real Madrid set to unveil Hazard at the Bernabeu on Monday
Football: Tottenham's Vertonghen to see neurologist over head
MADRID: The wife of Spain's World Cup-winning captain Iker Casillas, Sara Carbonero, has announced that she has undergone surgery for cancer just three weeks after the goalkeeper suffered a heart attack. Casillas, who made 167 appearances for Spain and 725 for boyhood club Real Madrid before departing in 2015, fell ill during a training
After Casillas heart attack, wife says she has had cancer op
FILE PHOTO: Soccer Football - Premier League - Manchester City v Arsenal - Etihad Stadium, Manchester, Britain - February 3, 2019 Manchester City manager Pep Guardiola reacts Action Images via Reut
Football: Guardiola predicts roller-coaster title run-in
Football: Man City suffer shock Premier League defeat by Crystal Palace Manchester City's Spanish manager Pep Guardiola reacts on the touchline during the match. PHOTO: AFP
Man City suffer shock Premier League defeat by Crystal Palace
Mbappe reaches half century as PSG brush Nimes aside February 23, 2019 Huffington News Huffington News Soccer Football - Ligue 1 - Paris St Germain v Nimes Olympique - Parc des Princes, Paris, France - February 23, 2019 Paris St Germain's Kylian Mbappe scores their third goal REUTERS/Gonzalo Fuentes
Paris Saint-Germain vs. Nimes - Football Match Report
A jury has found Harrah's Laughlin liable for injuries sustained by bystanders when a fight broke out among rival biker gangs at the hotel-casino in 2002, killing three people. Las Vegas attorney
Harrah's | Hotels & Casinos in Las Vegas, Atlantic City and more
Relatives raise funds to continue search for missing footballer Emiliano Sala Tributes left outside Cardiff City Stadium for Emiliano Sala, whose plane disappeared from the radar over the English
Emiliano Sala: missing pilot's family raise funds for search
Football: Tampines Rovers thrash Home United 5-1 to top Singapore Premier League table. Home United goalkeeper Nazri Sabri saving from Tampines full-back Irwan Shah in the Singapore Premier League
Football: Tampines Rovers thrash Home United 5-1 to top
Josh Brownhill is hoping his elder brother Lewis will be a big cheese in Cheshire on Saturday - and help spur him to Wembley. For their mum and dad there is the enticing prospect of two of their
Why Tottenham Hotspur fans have always hated Wembley
Football: Solskjaer insists Man United don't fear Camp Nou test after drawing Barca LONDON (AFP) - Ole Gunnar Solskjaer says Manchester United are not scared of playing the second leg of their Champions League quarter-final against at the Camp Nou after drawing Barcelona on Friday (March 15).
Manchester United : Solskjaer insists United don't fear Camp
Rosell, his wife and four others, were accused of "large-scale money laundering" of close to 20 million euros ($23 million) since 2006, relating Spain court acquits former FC Barcelona president
Spain court acquits former Barcelona president of money
watch champions league live streaming ptv sports
watch soccer online free streaming live world cup
watch coppa america live streaming indonesia
watch champions league live streaming pc
watch soccer online free streaming live canada
watch soccer live streaming kenya vs ethiopia
super soccer tv live streaming napoli vs juventus
soccer tv live football streaming garuda select
watch soccer world cup live streaming
watch coppa america live streaming reddit
watch premier league live streaming qatar
watch champions league live streaming pakistan
watch coppa america live streaming world
soccer tv live football streaming gratuit
watch premier league live streaming xbox
watch coppa america live streaming free online
watch soccer games live stream free
watch soccer online free streaming live hd
watch soccer online free live streaming hd
watch champions league live streaming putlockers
watch coppa america live streaming english
watch soccer saturday live stream
watch champions league live stream uk
watch coppa america live streaming bola
tv soccer live stream sky
watch champions league live streaming now tv
watch champions league online free live streaming hd
watch coppa america live streaming pc
watch soccer live - live football streaming
watch english premier league live streaming hd
watch soccer am live stream
watch everton vs tottenham live soccer streaming
watch english premier league live streaming online
watch soccer online free streaming live english
watch champions league live streaming manchester united
watch coppa america live streaming uk
watch coppa america live streaming mobile
watch champions league live streaming malaysia
soccer tv live football streaming portugal
watch premier league live stream reddit
watch champions league live streaming xbox one
watch champions league live streaming canada
watch coppa america live streaming india
watch champions league live streaming mobile
watch coppa america live streaming hd free
live tv soccer live stream - live3s.com
watch soccer online free streaming live uk
watch coppa america live streaming vivo
watch soccer live streaming xbox
watch live streaming soccer games
watch hd soccer live streaming free
watch champions league live streaming now free
watch karnataka premier league live streaming
watch uefa champions league draw live streaming youtube
watch champions league final live streaming
watch champions league live streaming espn
watch real madrid vs juventus live streaming of champions league
watch soccer online free streaming live manchester united
watch champions league live streaming live
watch live streaming of premier league football
watch coppa america live streaming hotstar
watch sky sports premier league live streaming
watch soccer live streaming qatar
watch coppa america live streaming app
watch coppa america live streaming ronaldo 7
watch coppa america live streaming in india
khan tv pw watch indian premier league 2018 live streaming
soccer tv live football streaming reddit
watch soccer online free streaming live in english
watch soccer online free streaming live dracula
watch coppa america live streaming philippines
watch premier league live stream hd
watch soccer live streaming xbox one
watch bangladesh premier league live streaming online free
watch coppa america live streaming zip
how to watch premier league live streaming
where to watch premier league live streaming
watch soccer online free streaming live cricfree
watch live streaming soccer manchester united
watch indian premier league live stream online
watch uefa champions league live streaming youtube
how to watch uefa champions league live streaming
watch soccer game live espn
watch coppa america live streaming sub eng
watch champions league live streaming xbox
watch champions league live streaming bola
watch uefa champions league live streaming free online india
watch coppa america live streaming usa
watch premier league live streaming vf
watch barclays premier league online live streaming
watch premier league live streaming free
watch live soccer stream android
watch english premier league live streaming free
watch coppa america live streaming bt sport
watch soccer online free streaming live first row
watch champions league live streaming cricfree
#ronaldo #jadwalbolahariini #sixtimes #cristianoronaldo #chocolate #uefanationsleague #hoffenhiem #bundesliga #liverpoolfans #panini #rugby #cristiano #comico #soccer #oasis #realmadrid #winner #linkstreaming #Liamgallagher #cappucino #cr7 #mancityvsliverpool #lionelmessi #manchesterunited #acmilan #messi #oasisengland #henderson #americanfootball #championship #mensnightout #Barca #coys #comics #MyDubai #klopp #commento #elcasico #manunited #golf #neymar #coyg #midnight #24x7 #footballstreaming #sumbertv #leicestercity #valcea #nikesoccer #footballmeme #livesports #footballfans #boxing #transfernews #Fcb #gunners #myfootballuniverse #premierleague #zidane #Celtic #realmadrid #oasisandbeatles #soccerbible #livestreaming #risate #mane #roadtrip #knuckleball #barcelona #Suarez #commentimemorabili #kopisusu #PartyTime #JUVENTUS #frasirap #londoncity #villarealcf #GarageCafeDxb #beatifulgame
0 comments:
Post a Comment