Was it the management or the hard core that blocked the ceremony of the Ajax women?

It seemed like such a sympathetic plan: a festive ceremony for the Ajax women next Monday at the Leidseplein in Amsterdam. Earlier this month, the first women’s team, in contrast to the men of Ajax, did become champion of the Netherlands. Reason for Amsterdam mayor Femke Halsema to offer a ceremony on the balcony of the Stadsschouwburg.

Yet the party is canceled – because Ajax does not want to. A ceremony on the Leidseplein is “unwise and not a good signal to the Ajax women or to our fans”, according to a statement from the management.

The reason given by the club is “the lack of joy in and around Ajax”, read: the sporting malaise in the first men’s team, which won zero prizes this year; head coach Alfred Schreuder was fired early. In addition, the club foresees a disappointing turnout at Leidseplein, “which is not good for the image of women’s football”.

The necessary surprise

Mayor Halsema and alderman Sofyan Mbarki (Sport, PvdA) subsequently announced that they would not be honored. Without cooperation from the club, they “unfortunately see no possibility to organize a successful ceremony this season.” Ajax’s refusal has caused some surprise in the official residence and the town hall: in recent weeks, Ajax director Edwin van der Sar has taken a sympathetic attitude towards the idea of ​​a ceremony, according to those involved.

What may have played a role in the turnaround of the Ajax management is the opposition of fanatical Ajax fans. The AFCA Supporters Club, a mouthpiece of the hard core, spoke out on Thursday in a fiercely tone of voice statement against a tribute to the Ajax women. According to the supporters, this is “only reserved for Ajax 1”. The poor results of the men this season offer, the association writes, “no room for experiments such as the intended celebration of the women’s team”.

According to the supporters, Ajax should also “never cooperate in political statements” – a reference to mayor Halsema and councilor Ilana Rooderkerk (D66), who has also championed a tribute to the women.

According to the Ajax management, the opposition of the supporters association played no role in blocking the ceremony. However, the AFCA Supporters Club writes in a triumphant message on its website that the ceremony will not take place next Monday “partly thanks to the arguments of the AFCA Supporters Club”.

Read alsoHow Ajax won the national title in style

Joke from Halsema

What will not have helped in appeasing the Ajax supporters is a joke that Halsema made about the underperforming Ajax men. During a festive reception of the Ajax women at the official residence last week, the mayor said The parole: “You have a team that plays fantastic and technical football and then you have the Ajax men.”

The supporters were also offended by the location of the intended ceremony: Ajax has not been welcome on Leidseplein since the riots in 2006, because celebrations invariably turned into massive fights and destruction. For years, Ajax national titles were forced to be celebrated in a parking lot next to the Johan Cruijff Arena.

In 2019, Halsema allowed the men’s team to be honored for the first time in the city, on Museumplein. There was no ceremony at all around last year’s championship for the men, because there were not enough security guards available. This decision led Halsema to such serious threats that she filed a report.

D66 council member Rooderkerk calls in the position of the AFCA Supporters Club The parole “downright sexist.”