A J AX - THE TERRIFIC TEENAGERS
rfi*
UEFA
CHAMPIONS
The old group will probably remember the Ajax of the "golden age" of 70's.
You will probably remember Johan Cruijff and the "terrific kids" Neeskens,
Krol, Haan, Keizer, Rep etc. The youngers ones probably missed this
period, but perhaps you can "find consolation" by remembering the games
of Van Basten, A. Muhren, Rijkaard, Wouters, Van't Schip, Bosman etc.
right after 1980.
Ajax came in Athens in 1987 and under the direction of Johan Cruijff won
the Cup-Winners Cup against Locomotive Leipzig 1-0, scored by Marco
van Basten.
The famous team of Amsterdam, coached by Louis van Gaal, comes back
tonight in Athens to show its new face and give a new message "do it for
yourself"
Ajax can go further in the Champions League, said its coach and A.C, Milan
was its first victim...
The team has changed impressively. With just three veterans: Danny Blind
(33 years old), Frank Rijkaard (32 years old) and Sonny Silooy (33 years
old), in what might be their last European meeting. Danny Blind expresses
maturity, Frank Rijkaard shows a great physical and psychological
condition, although he has already announced his "good-bye" to football.
Among the 25 players, the 19 are born after 1970. The twin - brothers De
Boer are considered to have a valuable experience, though they are 24
years old! A new figure in this period is the 18 year old Patrick Kluivert, who
gained the team-shirt No 9 in a very short time and who is considered to be
the new Van Basten. He is 1.86 m high, appears comfortable in the field,
has good tactics, very strong shots, tough header shots and good control
of the ball. Many people believe that he is going to be the surprising star of
the C.L.
The 23 year old Jari Litmanen from Finland, with a lot of experience, sees
the C.L. as a trampoline for making a career in Italy's or Spain's football
teams.
The perscription of Ajax does not stop here. Another "terrific kid", the 18
year old Nordin Woofer is participating in the main team. The young from
Surinam received all the attention due to his scoring abilities. The Nigerians
Finidi George (23 years old), who played also in the World-Cup '94 and the
18 year old Kanu, a strong defender, are also valuable players.
Ajax has also its weak points - lack of experience in international
performances, and the negative impact of stress on its young players.
The reality will appear in the field...
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