Ajax: 106 Mio euros in the bank, but still no title…

September 12th, 2008 | by: Jan |

How ’bout this for a team:
Defense consisting of Chivu, Van Damme, Heitinga, Nigel de Jong
MIdfield: Maduro, Sneijder, Van der Vaart (Pienaar on the bench)
Offense: Van der Meyde, Zlatan, Ryan Babel (with Mido and Tom de Mul benched).

I guess you could win a Dutch title with these lads, if you had a half decent goalie. These names all came through Ajax’ youth development or scouting-department. And these lads were all sold off in the last 5 years.

Heitinga (10 million euro, Atlético Madrid), Babel (17,3 million , Liverpool), Sneijder (27 milliion, Real Madrid), De Mul (4 million, Sevilla), Maduro (2 million, Valencia), Van der Vaart (5,1 million, Hamburger SV), De Jong (1,5 million, Hamburger SV), Van Damme (3 million, Southampton), Van der Meyde (12 million, Internazionale), Ibrahimovic (16 million Juventus), Mido (6 million Olympique Marseille) and Chivu (18 million AS Roma). Total revenue for Ajax: 106 milliion euro.

This means that Ajax hasn’t done too badly in their youth development and scouting. No other club can show these results. The criticism may be justified, but the youth development still functions better than all other clubs. All players were sold to bigger and more wealthy English, Spanish and Italian sides.

From a business perspective, this looks great. And Ajax is a business nowadays, so: well done! But, the primary thing remains winning prizes. Fans want to see their club snatch the title every now and then.

Ajax won their last title in 2004 and hasn’t played CL football for three seasons in a row! How is that possible. How can you make 106 mio on great players and only show two national cups in four years as the return in prizes?

The money Ajax made has never been transferred to the pitch. The wrong players were bought for too high prices because these players had contracts at other clubs. That’s not youth development!

Do you want to develop players to sell them with a profit? Or do you develop them to win prizes?

Another proof that treating a football club like a company (Ajax is listed on the Amsterdam Stock Exchange) can result in a full bank account, but it doesn’t give any guarantees for the full prize-cupboard.

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Comments

By Felipe dos Santos Souza | September 12th, 2008 at 7:16 am

This article couldn’t be more right. That’s why I’m talking PSV is favourite for the fifth trophy in a row: Ajax is powerful financially and still has one of the best player’s nurture systems in Europe, but, instead of using them – and the money that they bring – in a controlled way, the directors are spending it mindlessly. So, we are obliged to watch players like Oleguer wearing the red-and-white. Not that Oleguer is not a good guy, but in Barcelona he was more cheered and loved for his Basque-support speeches than for his playing style. That’s why I think Ajax will take a little yet to return to the victories’ way: the problem is what the men in black are doing, like Coronel Report showed to us.

By ghost of steve finnan | September 12th, 2008 at 12:38 pm

Oleguer is garbage and he makes 3 million euros year salary. Rommedahl is garbage, Luque is garbage, Kennedy is garbage, etc, etc, over the last just 2-3 yrs of signings. All wastes of the $ brought in by sale of great young talent. Just save it if you’re gonna buy washed up veterans from bigger teams just to make it look like you’re doing something.

Posted from United States

By goose | September 12th, 2008 at 1:54 pm

Ajax have lost their soul after the moved to the Amsterdam Arena and went to the stock exchange
they are a ‘cold’ and arrogant club .. its true they have been hit hard by the Bosman courtcase but they forgot they were a football team and now its a mess

Posted from Netherlands

By finnster01 | September 12th, 2008 at 5:13 pm

@goose; As an old time Ajax supporter I totally agree with you. Despite the fairly stats that Jan put up, the reality is that we had 1 or 2 players in the Olympics squad.

Since when did Ajax have so few players in the U21?

I don’t think the development is in good shape at the moment at all. Remember it takes quite a few years to develop the talents, and to be honest I am concerned about the future. And so is JC.

By goose | September 13th, 2008 at 3:55 am

@finnster; true, thats the one thing that Cruijff keeps saying .. the youth development system doenst work anymore…but vBasten wants to be the lone leader so nothing is done to fix it

Posted from Netherlands

By Caleb | September 13th, 2008 at 8:45 am

Spoiler for Liverpool vs. Man U game:

More tireless running by Kuyt set up Babel for the winning goal. Babel returned the favour to Kuyt, but Sar was able to stop him.

Looking forward to the Arsenal vs. Blackburn game…

By dave | September 13th, 2008 at 9:15 am

Is the main problem for Ajax their failure to properly to spend the money they receive, or is it the lack of talent coming thru their own youth systems? Because they still seem to be quite good at finding young talent developed by others, purchasing that talent just before the player becomes ready for a really big move and reaping millions in the exchange.

Posted from United States

By finnster01 | September 13th, 2008 at 9:17 am

Babel was awesome. Kuyt should have scored two more though.

Anyway first win for ‘pool over the arch enemy since 2004.

A little early here in NY, but going to the bar at 7 am to watch soccer is priceless. Especially if your team wins. Now I have to go food shopping for the girlfriend. That will be a huge challenge. I am sure to forget something and get my arse whopped.

By finnster01 | September 13th, 2008 at 1:49 pm

I forgot to buy toilet paper of all things…and I am not even kidding, so indeed got my arse kicked.

My body feels like Robben’s right now

By Carlos | September 13th, 2008 at 7:00 pm

hahaha Finn and you thought you were “On a roll”.

Kuyt was again super tireless as was Mascherano. v Persie scored but also missed a couple, played ok though.
Re Ajax – Always been a fan but starting to dislike Marco’s style more and more. We really haven’t seen any great youngsters since Sneijder Vaart Babel era ??? Where are the talented 17 y olds ?

Posted from Singapore

By Jan | September 14th, 2008 at 3:21 am

Funny Finn… …

There definitely are a couple at Ajax, Carlos. The generation coming after the current U21s apparently is very strong again!

By eric | September 14th, 2008 at 9:04 am

I am of opinion that Ajax youth system has been loosing its teeth these past couple seasons. There isn’t anybody that I’d call real promising talents after the last bunch of Van der Vaart, Sneijder, Heitinga, Babel, Huntelaar, Emmanuelson and co. Vertonghen is probably as close as it can get. I like Van der Wiel, but he’s got long way to prove himself. Van Basten assigns him to Right Back, and time will tell if he can thrive here. Siem De Jong is rather average, I am afraid. He’d be a useful team member week in week out, but he lacks technical skills to make it the next level. Further down in pipeline, Sarpong, Donalds and Van der Heijden have shown flashes of what they can do. The real issue about the youth system is that, instead of developing their own, Ajax chooses to invest on youngsters from other clubs, the likes of Suarez, Sulejmani, Aissati, and Sno. Over time, I think Ajax will face with the reality of the inevitable dying of its once famous youth academy.

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