AJAX - AWAY SHIRT 2025/2026
Ajax were founded on 18 March 1900 in Amsterdam, taking their name from the mythological Greek warrior Ajax. Known to supporters as de Godenzonen (the Sons of the Gods), they play at the Johan Cruyff Arena in the south-east of the city, a ground renamed in 2018 after the club's most famous graduate. Ajax are the Netherlands' most decorated side and one of only a handful of clubs to have won the European Cup three years running, between 1971 and 1973, the flowering of Total Football. Their youth academy, De Toekomst (the Future), remains one of the most admired production lines in world football.
The 2025/2026 season, during which this bold away shirt was worn, was a turbulent one in Amsterdam. Ajax finished third in the Eredivisie on 56 points from 34 matches, winning just 14 and drawing 14, a total well short of the standards the club sets itself. John Heitinga began the campaign as head coach but was sacked in November 2025 after a dismal start; Fred Grim took interim charge before Óscar García saw out the season. The third-placed finish still secured European football, yet it underlined a side very much in transition.
There was little cheer in the cup competitions. In the Champions League, Ajax endured a chastening league phase, finishing near the bottom of the 36-team table and losing four matches in a row, a run that included a heavy defeat to Inter Milan, for whom Marcus Thuram scored a hat-trick, and a loss away at Marseille. Domestically, Troy Parrott struck a hat-trick in an earlier KNVB Cup round, but Ajax were then hammered 6-0 by AZ Alkmaar and dumped out.
Belgian winger Mika Godts was the bright spark, finishing as top scorer with 17 goals in all competitions, a genuine breakthrough campaign for the academy graduate. Veteran striker Wout Weghorst chipped in with important goals, including a brace on the opening day, while the club continued to blood young talent throughout a season of upheaval. For all the disappointment, third place kept Ajax in European competition for another year.
Follow the club on X: @AFCAjax
