The Ajax Youth Academy (Dutch: ''Ajax Jeugdopleiding'') is a
football
Football is a family of team sports that involve, to varying degrees, kick (football), kicking a football (ball), ball to score a goal (sports), goal. Unqualified, football (word), the word ''football'' generally means the form of football t ...
youth academy based in
Amsterdam
Amsterdam ( , ; ; ) is the capital of the Netherlands, capital and Municipalities of the Netherlands, largest city of the Kingdom of the Netherlands. It has a population of 933,680 in June 2024 within the city proper, 1,457,018 in the City Re ...
,
Netherlands
, Terminology of the Low Countries, informally Holland, is a country in Northwestern Europe, with Caribbean Netherlands, overseas territories in the Caribbean. It is the largest of the four constituent countries of the Kingdom of the Nether ...
, from where the organization manages a total of 13 youth teams (ages 7–18). The academy is the primary youth clinic of Dutch football team
Ajax Amsterdam
Amsterdamsche Football Club Ajax (), also known as AFC Ajax, Ajax Amsterdam, or commonly Ajax, is a Dutch professional Association football, football Football team, club based in Amsterdam, that plays in the , the top tier in Dutch football. ...
. The club depends heavily on the youth academy as they move promising youngsters from the youth teams to the senior team where they can showcase their talent and develop into stars.
On 11 September 2020, the
CIES released their annual rankings of the clubs having trained the most players active in 31 top divisions of
UEFA
The Union of European Football Associations (UEFA ; ; ) is one of six continental bodies of governance in association football. It governs football, futsal and beach soccer, beach football in Europe and the List of transcontinental countries#A ...
member associations. The Ajax Youth Academy came in 2nd place to the
FK Partizan Academy from Serbia with 77 players footballers trained, while the Serbian side topped the list with 85 footballers trained. In accordance with the UEFA definition, players who were considered have been playing for the club for at least three seasons between 15 and 21 years of age.
History
The Ajax youth system is famous fo
having producedand still producing many great Dutch internationals like
Sjaak Swart,
Johan Cruijff,
Frank Rijkaard,
Dennis Bergkamp
Dennis Nicolaas Maria Bergkamp (; born 10 May 1969) is a Dutch professional Association football, football coach and former Football player, player who was most recently the Assistant manager of Ajax. Originally a wide midfielder, Bergkamp was ...
,
Frank and
Ronald de Boer,
Edgar Davids,
Clarence Seedorf
Clarence Clyde Seedorf (; born 1 April 1976) is a Dutch former professional Association football, football manager and player. He is regarded by many as one of the greatest midfielders of all time. He is currently working primarily remotely as ...
,
Patrick Kluivert
Patrick Stephan Kluivert (; born 1 July 1976) is a Dutch football coach and former player who is currently the head coach of the Indonesia national team. As a player, he played as a striker for Ajax, Barcelona and the Netherlands national te ...
,
Rafael van der Vaart,
Wesley Sneijder,
John Heitinga,
Nigel de Jong
Nigel de Jong (born 30 November 1984) is a Dutch former professional footballer who played as a defensive midfielder. He is currently the technical director of the KNVB, the national Dutch football federation. He has also worked as an English ...
,
Maarten Stekelenburg, and
Gregory van der Wiel.
Notable former players
1900-1970s
*
Johan Cruijff
*
Gerrit Fischer
Gerrit Fischer (28 August 1916 – 22 November 1984) was a Dutch footballer who played for Ajax as a right winger.
Club career
Ajax
Fischer was discovered at a school football match at the age of sixteen, by Ajax coach Jack Reynolds, after ...
*
Cor Geelhuijzen
*
Eddy Pieters Graafland
*
Bobby Haarms
*
Barry Hulshoff
*
Piet Keizer
*
Wim Kieft
*
Ruud Krol
*
Rinus Michels
Marinus Jacobus Hendricus "Rinus" Michels (; 9 February 1928 – 3 March 2005) was a Dutch Association football, football player and coach. He list of one-club men in association football, played his entire career for AFC Ajax, Ajax, which he ...
*
Ger van Mourik
*
Bennie Muller
*
Anton Pronk
*
Johnny Rep
*
Joop Stoffelen
*
Wim Suurbier
*
Sjaak Swart
*
Simon Tahamata
1980s
*
Marco van Basten
Marcel "Marco" Van Basten (; born 31 October 1964) is a Dutch former football manager and player who played as a striker for Ajax and AC Milan, as well as the Netherlands national team. Widely regarded as one of the greatest players of all t ...
*
John Bosman
*
Frank de Boer
*
Ronald de Boer
*
Fred Grim
*
Frank Rijkaard
*
John van 't Schip
*
Aron Winter
*
Richard Witschge
*
Rob Witschge
1990s
*
Dennis Bergkamp
Dennis Nicolaas Maria Bergkamp (; born 10 May 1969) is a Dutch professional Association football, football coach and former Football player, player who was most recently the Assistant manager of Ajax. Originally a wide midfielder, Bergkamp was ...
*
Edgar Davids
*
Patrick Kluivert
Patrick Stephan Kluivert (; born 1 July 1976) is a Dutch football coach and former player who is currently the head coach of the Indonesia national team. As a player, he played as a striker for Ajax, Barcelona and the Netherlands national te ...
*
Edwin van der Sar
Edwin van der Sar (; born 29 October 1970) is a Dutch association football, football executive and former professional player who played as a Goalkeeper (association football), goalkeeper. He was most recently the chief executive of AFC Ajax, A ...
*
Clarence Seedorf
Clarence Clyde Seedorf (; born 1 April 1976) is a Dutch former professional Association football, football manager and player. He is regarded by many as one of the greatest midfielders of all time. He is currently working primarily remotely as ...
*
Mario Melchiot
*
Andy van der Meyde
Andy van der Meijde (; born 30 September 1979), anglicised to van der Meyde, is a Dutch former professional footballer who played as a winger.
After making a name for himself at Ajax, he went on to represent Inter Milan and Everton, his sp ...
*
Kiki Musampa
*
John O'Brien
*
Michael Reiziger
Michael John Reiziger (; born 3 May 1973) is a Dutch former professional footballer who played mainly as a right back. Reiziger currently manages the Netherlands U21 team.
After making a name for himself at Ajax, with whom he won one Champio ...
*
Abubakari Yakubu
2000s
*
Toby Alderweireld
*
Thomas Vermaelen
*
Jan Vertonghen
*
Vurnon Anita
*
Ryan Babel
*
Daley Blind
*
Urby Emanuelson
*
John Heitinga
*
Nigel de Jong
Nigel de Jong (born 30 November 1984) is a Dutch former professional footballer who played as a defensive midfielder. He is currently the technical director of the KNVB, the national Dutch football federation. He has also worked as an English ...
*
Siem de Jong
*
Hedwiges Maduro
*
Aras Özbiliz
*
Wesley Sneijder
*
Maarten Stekelenburg
*
Rafael van der Vaart
*
Kenneth Vermeer
*
Gregory van der Wiel
2010s
*
Donny van de Beek
*
Frenkie De Jong
*
Matthijs de Ligt
Matthijs de Ligt (born 12 August 1999) is a Dutch professional association football, footballer who plays as a centre-back for Premier League club Manchester United F.C., Manchester United and the Netherlands national football team, Netherlands ...
*
Jurriën Timber
*
Christian Eriksen
*
Steven Bergwijn
*
Nicolai Boilesen
Nicolai Møller Boilesen (born 16 February 1992) is a Danish professional Association football, footballer who plays as a left back for FC Copenhagen in the Danish Superliga and the Denmark national football team, Denmark national team.
Club car ...
*
Sergiño Dest
*
Viktor Fischer
*
Anwar El Ghazi
Anwar El Ghazi (; born 3 May 1995) is a Dutch professional association football, footballer who plays as a Winger (association football), winger or a Inside forward (association football), forward for club Cardiff City F.C., Cardiff City.
Club ...
*
Ryan Gravenberch
*
Davy Klaassen
*
Justin Kluivert
*
Noussair Mazraoui
*
Abdelhak Nouri
*
Ricardo van Rhijn
*
Quinten Timber
*
Joël Veltman
Ajax Online Academy
Central is the style of play (4-3-3, with goalkeeper), training, behavior and house rules.
Ajax has developed the so-called TIPS model, which stands for Technique, Insight, Personality and Speed. For each part there are ten criteria. P and S are generally innate properties, but I and T can always be developed further.
Ajax coaching sessions always consists of 8 important football ingredients. Together with TIPS, they form the core to the Ajax success philosophy.
1. Coordination training
2. Kicking, Passing and Throw-in
3. Moves to beat an opponent
4. Heading
5. Finishing
6. Position play
7. Position Game play
8. Small sided games
Teams
Board and staff
Current staff
Chairman
* Frank Eijken
Head coach
*
Frank Peereboom
Assistant managers
*
Yuri Rose
*
Urby Emanuelson
Technical director (''upper-level A-C'')
* Saïd Ouaali
Technical director (''mid-level A-C'')
* Patrick Ladru
Technical director (''lower-level D-F'')
* Michel Hordijk
List of technical directors
Facilities
Sportcomplex De Toekomst
Sportcomplex De Toekomst is the training grounds of
AFC Ajax
Amsterdamsche Football Club Ajax (), also known as AFC Ajax, Ajax Amsterdam, or commonly Ajax, is a Dutch professional Association football, football Football team, club based in Amsterdam, that plays in the , the top tier in Dutch football. ...
, with a capacity of 5,000 it serves as home grounds for the reserves team
Jong Ajax
Jong Ajax (; ), also referred to as Ajax II or Ajax 2, is a Dutch association football team. It is based in Amsterdam and competes in the Dutch Eerste Divisie.
Jong Ajax is the only reserve team to have won a title in Dutch professional foot ...
, its women's team
Ajax Vrouwen, its amateur team
Ajax Zaterdag as well as for the full youth system. The entire complex consists of seven fields and a trainings center.
adidas miCoach Performance Centre
Established in 2011, the adidas MiCoach Performance Centre is situated on Sportpark De Toekomst. Built by Poly-Ned, it teaches football innovation and training methods and is used by both the first team, as well as the youth teams. Here the players are trained in a scientific manner based on motion analytics to enhance speed, distance, dribbling, heading and shooting. On 28 October 2013 the ceiling of the main hall of the facility had collapsed, which the club in turn had to have rebuilt.
adidas-hal op de Toekomst ingezakt
ajax.nl, 28 October 2013
Honours
National titles
*A-junioren Eredivisie : 13
:: 1992–93, 1993–94, 1994–95, 1995–96, 1996–97, 1997–98, 2001–02, 2003–04, 2004–05, 2005–06, 2010–11, 2011–12, 2013–14
*A-junioren Eerste Divisie : 4
:: 2004–05, 2007–08, 2008–09, 2010–11
*B-junioren Eredivisie : 4
:: 2002–03, 2007–08, 2009–10, 2011–12
*B-junioren Eerste Divisie : 1
:: 2006–07
*C-junioren Algeheel landskampioen : 1
:: 2011–12
*C-junioren Eerste Divisie : 2
:: 2008–09, 2011–12
*C 2 kampioen : 2
:: 2009–10, 2011–12
*D-junioren Algeheel landskampioen : 1
:: 2011–12
*D-junioren Eerste Divisie : 7
:: 2001–02, 2002–03, 2003–04, 2006–07, 2007–08, 2010–11, 2011–12
*D 2 District West 1 kampioen : 4
:: 2004–05, 2005–06, 2009–10, 2010–11
*D 3 kampioen : 1
:: 2009–10
*E 1 kampioen : 1
:: 2004–05
*E 2 kampioen : 2
:: 2009–10, 2010–11
*E 3 kampioen : 1
:: 2009–10
*F 1 kampioen : 2
:: 2009–10, 2010–11
National cups
*A-junioren Cup : 1
:: 2009–10
*B-junioren Cup : 2
:: 2008–09, 2012–13
*D-junioren Cup : 1
:: 2012–13
*F-pupillen District Cup : 1
:: 2009–10
Dutch Super Cup
*A-junioren Supercup : 4
:: 2005, 2006, 2011, 2014
*B-junioren Supercup : 2
:: 2009, 2012
*C-junioren Supercup : 2
:: 2012, 2014
*D-junioren Supercup : 1
:: 2010
See also
* Ajax Hellas Youth Academy (2011–2016)
References
External links
*
The academy spotlight: Ajax and Barcelona
– ''These Football Times'' (2015)
Ajax FC Youth Academy in Amsterdam
– ''Soccer Tricks'' (2022)
{{AFC Ajax
Youth
Youth is the time of life when one is young. The word, youth, can also mean the time between childhood and adulthood (Maturity (psychological), maturity), but it can also refer to one's peak, in terms of health or the period of life known as bei ...
Football academies in the Netherlands
UEFA Youth League teams
NextGen series