23 March 1997 - The Battle Of Beverwijk

On 23 March 1998, a clash between supporter groups of Feyenoord and Ajax turned fatal, as Carlo Picornie was beaten to death.

Dutch hooliganism dates back to the 1960s, with a particularly heated rivalry developing between the firms of Feyenoord and Ajax, two of the country's most successful clubs. In 1997, the two firms scheduled a confrontation for February, but it failed to materialize as the Ajax group retreated when faced with the larger, heavily armed Feyenoord group.

They coordinated another meeting for 23 March, despite the fact that the two teams did not play each other that day. They faced each other in a small field outside the town of Beverwijk, about 12 miles north of Amsterdam. The fight lasted only about five minutes, but in that short span, Picornie, a 35-year old Ajax supporter, died after being stabbed and beaten with several objects. A hotel manager and father of two, Picornie had reportedly been a leader of the Ajax firm in previous years.

The escalation of violence provoked a strong reaction in the Netherlands, triggering efforts by the Dutch government to crack down on hooliganism. Video footage of the incident led to several arrests, but the authorities were unable to identify the people directly responsible for Picornie's death.



[For more on the Battle of Beverwijk, see Understanding Football Hooliganism: A Comparison of Six Western Football Clubs by Ramón Spaaij.]

20 February 1971 - The Mighty Finn

On 20 February 1971, Finnish striker/midfielder Jari Litmanen was born in the city of Lahti. He went on to become the national team's all-time leading scorer, playing for them in four different decades.

He began his professional career in 1987 and spent time with Finnish clubs Reipas (1987-90), HJK (1991), and MyPa (1992) before joining Ajax, where he rose to international prominence. Between 1992 and 1999, he scored 135 goals in 253 appearances or Ajax, winning four league titles and the 1995 Champions League final (he finished as the tournament's second-highest scorer, with 6 goals).

After leaving Ajax, he one and a half relatively quiet seasons with Barcelona, then joined Liverpool in January 2001. In his first season there, he collected four trophies--the UEFA Cup, the UEFA Super Cup, the FA Cup, and the League Cup--then won a fifth--the Community Shield--at the start of the next season.

He returned to Ajax in 2002 and won another league title in 2004, then moved again to a series of clubs that included Lahti (2004, 2008-10), Hansa Rostock (2004-05), Malmö (2005-07), and Fulham (2007-08) before moving to his current club, HJK, in 2011 at the age of 40. Along the way, he made 137 appearances for Finland from 1989 to 210, scoring a record 32 goals.

2 June 1971 - It's True, Defense Wins Championships

On 2 June 1971, Ajax won the first of their three consecutive European Cups, beating Panathinaikos 2-0.

Prior to the start of the tournament, UEFA had made some changes to the rules, including the extension of the away-goals rule from the first two rounds to all rounds of the competition. That change greatly benefited Panathinaikos, who used away goals to advance out of the quarterfinals (over Everton, 1-1) and the semifinals (over Red Star Belgrade, 4-4). In doing so, they became the first--and to date only--Greek team to reach the Final.

Ajax, meanwhile, had reached the Final once before, losing to AC Milan in 1968.

Playing before a crowd of 83,179 at Wembley, Ajax proved too strong for the Greeks, taking a quick 5th-minute lead with a goal from forward Dick van Dijk. The only other goal came in the 87th minute from Ajax midfielder and second-half substitute Arie Haan. But the day was really won by the Ajax defense, who managed to completely shut down the tournament's top scorer, forward Antonis Antoniadis. The striker had tallied 10 goals in the run up to the Final, four more than his closest rivals.

The win was the second straight for a Dutch team--Feyenoord had won the previous year--and the first of three consecutive European Cups for Ajax. They returned to the Final twice more, winning in 1995 and finishing as runners-up in 1996.

18 March 1900 - Ajax The Great

On 18 March 1900, AFC Ajax were founded in Amsterdam. They have since become one of the world's most successful clubs, pioneering total football and collecting a haul of silverware that includes 29 Dutch league titles, 18 KNVB Cups, and four European Cups/Champions League trophies.

Named after the Greek hero from the Iliad, the club's early days gave little sign of the greatness to follow as their first 10 seasons were spent in the Dutch second division. They won their first major trophy, the KNVB Cup, in 1917 and followed it with back-to-back league titles in 1918 and 1919. They enjoyed tremendous success through the 1930s and 1950s, but rose to even greater heights in the 1960s due to the combination of manager Rinus Michels and star midfielder Johan Cruyff.

Michels refined Ajax's style of play known as "total football" in which players shifted responsibilities based on the flow of the match. With Cruyff at its core, Ajax rose to European heights, winning three consecutive European Cups (1971, 1972, and 1973).

Ajax continued their success through the '80s, '90s, and 2000s. But while they continue to collect KNVB Cups on a regular basis, most recently winning it in 2010, they have not won a league title since 2004.

26 September 1990 - Bergkamp's International Career Takes Flight

On 26 September 1990, Dennis Bergkamp made his international debut for the Netherlands in a friendly against Italy. He would go on to become the Dutch national team's greatest goalscorer.

Bergkamp, a second striker (and renowned aviophobe), began his professional career four years earlier with Ajax, where he won the UEFA Cup Winners' Cup (1987) and the KNVB Cup (1987) before winning the Eredivisie in 1990. His performance that season won him the Dutch Football Talent of the Year and earned his his first cap for the Netherlands.

The Dutch lost that first match, 1-0 in Palermo, but Bergkamp developed into a prolific striker, scoring 37 goals in 79 international appearances - enough to make him the Netherlands' top scorer by the time of his international retirement in 2000 (though he was later surpassed by Patrick Kluivert). The Dutch failed to claim any major silverware during his tenure, but he earned an individual honor by winning the 1992 UEFA Euro golden boot. He also won silverware at the club level with Ajax, Inter, and especially Arsenal, where he won three Premier League titles and four FA Cups between 1995 and 2006.

1 August 1976 - Kanu Can Do

On 1 August 1976, future Nigerian striker Nwankwo Kanu was born in the city of Owerri. He would go on to become the most decorated African footballer in history.

Kanu made his professional debut in 1991 at the age of 16 for Nigerian First Division club Federation Works, scoring 20 goals in 35 appearances before moving to fellow Nigerian club Iwaunyanwu Nationale, now known as Heartland FC, in 2002. He won the Nigerian Premier League title in 1993, his first silverware.

He rose to international prominence in 1993, when he signed with Dutch side Ajax. There, he won three consecutive Eredivisie titles (1994, 1995, 1996) and the UEFA Champions League (1995). He left Ajax for Inter in the summer of 1996, after captaining Nigeria to the Olympic gold medal - a feat that earned him the 1996 African Footballer of the Year award. But a defective aortic valve limited his playing time with Inter and he moved to Arsenal in February 1999.

He resumed his successful streak at Arsenal, winning two Premier League titles (2002 and 2004) and two FA Cups (2002, 2003). But the emergence of Thierry Henry pushed Kanu to the bench and, dissatisfied with his reduced playing time, he moved to West Bromwich Albion in 2004. He spent two seasons with West Brom, then moved to Portsmouth, where he again raised the FA Cup in 2008.

12 July 1988 - An Award For Winning Awards

On 12 July 1988, UEFA recognized Juventus as the first club to win all three of UEFA's major competitions - the European Cup, the Cup Winners' Cup, and the UEFA Cup - by awarding them the UEFA Plaque.

One of the most successful clubs in Europe, Juventus won the first of their three UEFA Cups in 1977, defeating Athletic Bilbao over two legs by virtue of the away goal rule. In 1984, they won their only Cup Winners' Cup, beating Porto 2-1. One year later, they completed their triple crown, winning the first of two European Cups when they topped Liverpool 1-0 thanks to a Michel Platini penalty kick. Prior to that, Juve had twice finished as European Cup runners-up.

Only two other clubs - Ajax and Bayern Munich - have followed Juventus by winning all three of the major UEFA competitions, but Juventus remains the only club to win all of the confederation's official tournaments and cups, including the Intertoto Cup (1999) and the UEFA Super Cup (1984, 1996), as well as the joint UEFA-CONMEBOL Intercontinental Cup (1985, 1996).

31 December 1973 - Cruyff Returns To The Top

On 31 December 1973, Dutch international Johan Cruyff won the European footballer of the year award, the Ballon d'Or. It was the second such award for Cruyff, who first won it it 1971.

Cruyff began the year in his ninth season with Ajax and, by the end of the 1972-73 season, had led the Amsterdam side to a treble consisting of the 1973 European Super Cup, their sixth Eredivisie title, and their third consecutive European Cup. In the summer of 1973, he moved to Barcelona.

Internationally, Cruyff's Netherlands team had qualified for the 1974 World Cup, edging Belgium out at the top of the group on goal differential.

The award catapulted Cruyff into another successsful year in 1974, with Barcelona winning their first La Liga title in 14 seasons and the Dutch advancing to the World Cup Final, eliminating Brazil, East Germany, and Argentina along the way. Although the Oranje lost to West Germany in the Final, Cruyff was named Player of the Tournament and went on the win his third Ballon d'Or, the first player in history to win the award three times.

28 November 1995 - Danny Plays A Blinder

On 28 November 1995, Ajax claimed their second Intercontinental Cup by defeating Grêmio on penalties, 0-0 (4-3), before a crowd of 47,000 at Tokyo's National Stadium.

Established in 1960, the Intercontinental Cup matched the reigning European champion against the reigning South American champion. The Cup was initially contested as a two-leg home and away tie, but switched to a single-match format in 1980.

Both Ajax and Grêmio had previously participated in the Cup, with successful results. Ajax's prior appearance was in 1972 and ended as a 4-1 aggregate win over Argentinian side Independiente. Grêmio's earlier match was a 2-1 extra-time win over Hamburg in 1983.

In the 1995 Final, the two teams were even at 0-0 at the end of extra time, despite the Brazilian side losing defender Catalino Rivarola to a red card in the 57th minute. In penalties, the shooters got off to a rough start with Ajax keeper Edwin Van der Sar saving the first shot from midfielder Dinho, while the next two shots, from Ajax forward Patrick Kluivert and Grêmio defender Francisco Arce, were off target. The remaining kicks were converted, however, with Ajax center back Danny Blind scoring the decisive shot. Blind was subsequently chosen as man of the match.

Starting in 2005, the Cup was taken over by FIFA and renamed the FIFA Club World Cup.

26 November 2003 - Milan's Maldini Makes His Mark

On 26 November 2003, Milan defeated Ajax 1-0 in a Champions League group stage match before a crowd of 50,000 at Ajax's Amsterdam ArenA. The match was the 100th European Cup/Champions League appearance for Milan defender Paolo Maldini and the fourth time the two teams had met in the Champions League in 2003.

Maldini signed with Milan as a youth player in 1978, then as a professional in 1984. He made his first European Cup appearance in the 1988-89 campaign, which saw Milan claim its third title in the competition. By November 2003, Milan and Maldini had claimed three more European Cup/Champions League trophies (1990, 1994, 2003).

Ajax and Milan had a long history together in the competition, dating back to the 1969 Final in which Milan beat the Dutch club 4-1. Ajax returned the favor in the 1995 Final with a 1-0 win over the Italians. The clubs met in the quarterfinals of the 2002-03 Champions League, with Milan emerging victorious by the aggregate score of 3-2.

Maldini's century match was the second leg of the 2003-04 group stage, with Milan having won the previous leg 1-0 at home. In Amsterdam, Ajax battled to 0-0 draw at the break, despite having had to withdraw their star forward Zlatan Ibrahimović in the 40th minute due to injury. In the 51st minute, Milan striker Andriy Shevchenko chested a Cafu pass in front of the goal and calmly put the ball into the net. Milan then held on for the 1-0 win.

Both Ajax and Milan lost their last group stage matches, Ajax to Brugge and Milan to Celta Vigo. Ajax's loss to Brugge dropped the Dutch club to the bottom of the table and out of the competition. Milan finished at the top of the table to advance to the knockout rounds where they successfully defended their title.

31 October 1964 - Birth Of The Dutch Master

On 31 October 1964, future World Player of the Year and three-time European Footballer of the Year Marco van Basten was born in Utrecht.

In 1981, the then-16-year old striker signed with Ajax in 1981. He made his first appearance for the senior side in April 1982, scoring a goal on his debut. He secured a starting position for the 1983-84 season and became the Eredivisie's top scorer that year with 28 goals in 26 league appearances. He remained the league's top scorer for the next three seasons.

While at Ajax, the club won three league titles (1981-82, 1982-83, 1984-85), three Dutch Cups (1983, 1986, 1987), and the UEFA Cup Winners' Cup (1987).

In 1987, van Basten transferred to Milan. An ankle injury limited his playing time to 11 matches in that first season, but Milan won the Scudetto. Internationally, van Basten led the Netherlands to the 1988 UEFA European Championship as the tournament's top scorer. He won his first European Footballer of the Year award that year.

The following season, he helped Milan to the Serie A title and the 1989 European Cup trophy, scoring two goals in the Final along the way to claiming his second European Footballer of the Year award.

He won his third European Footballer of the Year award in 1992, along with the FIFA World Footballer of the Year award, after leading Milan to yet another Serie A title as the league's top scorer.

His recurring ankle injury ended his playing career in 1993, though he did not officially retire until 1995.

3 October 1981 - The Sweet-Finishing Swede

On 3 October 1981, Swedish international Zlatan Ibrahimović was born in Malmö. The striker, who currently plays for Barcelona, is now one of the highest-paid footballers in the world.

Ibrahimović started his professional career in 1999 with his hometown club, Malmö FF, but transferred to Ajax in 2001. He helped Ajax win the Eredivisie title in his first season. He also made his first appearance for the Swedish national team senior side in 2001.

In 2004, he moved to Juventus and made an immediate impact, scoring 16 goals his first season. Juve won the Serie A title in Ibrahimović's two seasons there, but were forced to relenquish those Scudettos after being found guilty of match-fixing. As an additional punishment, Juve were relegated to Serie B for the 2006-07 season. As a result, Ibrahimović left Juventus and signed with rivals Inter.

Again, Ibrahimović proved to be an instant success, becoming Inter's top scorer his first season with 15 goals and helping the Milanese club to three consecutive Scudettos. Despite his success, however, he has been the subject of frequent criticism for failing to make an impact in critical matches, including matches in the UEFA Champions League.

In 2009, Ibrahimović moived again, this time to reigning La Liga and Champions League holders Barcelona. The transfer was widely publicized, with Inter receiving forward Barça forward Samuel Eto'o (valued at €20 million) and €46 million for the striker. He currently earns €9.5 million per year with the Catalan club.

[2011 Update: In 2010, Ibrahimović moved from Barcelona to AC Milan and is currently in his second season there.]

31 August 1979 - Bayern Spoils The Party

On 31 August 1979, Bayern Munich defeated hosts Real Madrid in the opening match of the inaugural Trofeo Santiago Bernabéu.

Founded in honor of former Real Madrid manager and President Santiago Bernabéu, who died over one year earlier on 2 June 1978, the Trofeo is a preseason mini-tournament originally contested by Real and three invited teams. In 1978, those teams were Bayern Munich, Ajax, and Milan.

Bayern quickly took an 0-2 lead with goals in the 2nd and 16th minutes. Real pulled one back in the 19th minute, but was unable to equalize and the match ended 1-2. Bayern advanced to the Final against Ajax, who had beaten Milan on penalties, and scored two late goals to win 2-0 and claim the first Santiago Bernabéu trophy.

In 1987, the Trofeo abandoned the four-team format and has since been played as a single match between Real and one other team.

19 August 1995 - The Dutch Master Debuts

On 19 August 1995, striker Dennis Bergkamp debuted for Arsenal in a 1-1 home draw against Middlesbrough.

Arsenal manager Bruce Rioch lured the Dutch international away from Inter, who had signed him from Ajax in 1993 for a transfer fee of £12 million, making him the second-most expensive footballer in the world at that time. His two seasons in Italy were unsuccessful, however, and Arsenal was able to purchase him for the relative bargain of £7.5 million.

A three-time Eredivisie top scorer during his time with Ajax, Bergkamp did not score for the Gunners until his seventh match, a 4-2 home win over Southampton on 23 September 1995. He quickly resumed his former proficiency in front of the goal, however, and notched 120 goals in 411 appearances for Arsenal before retiring after the 2005-06 season.

He earned a number of personal honors while playing for the North London side, including the English PFA Player of the Year award in 1998, a third-place finish in FIFA Player of the Year voting (1997), and two Premier League Goal of the Season awards (1998, 2002).

1 July 1976 - Striking Similarities

On 1 July 1976, two future Dutch internationals were born in the Netherlands - Patrick Kluivert in Amsterdam and Ruud van Nistelrooy in the city of Oss. In addition to sharing the same birthday, they share the same position - striker - and both were included on the FIFA 100, Pelé's March 2004 list of the greatest living footballers.

Kluivert was the first to rise to international prominence, debuting with the Ajax senior side in August 1994 at the age of 18. Ajax won the UEFA Champions League that season, with Kluivert coming off the bench to score the winning goal in the 85th minute in the Final against A.C. Milan. He joined Milan for a brief period in 1997-98, then transferred to Barcelona, where he made 255 appearances in all competitions, scoring 120 goals.

Van Nistelrooy, meanwhile, started his professional career at Dutch Second Division side Den Bosch, where he played from 1993 to 1997. He played the 1997-98 season with Herenveen in the Eredivisie, then moved to PSV Eindhoven, where he scored 75 goals in 91 appearances from 1998 to 2001, winning back-to-back Eredivisie titles in the last two seasons. He also secured individual honors as the Eredivisie top scorer in 1998-99 and 1999-2000 and was twice named Dutch Player of the Year (1999, 2000). He continued to enjoy success with Manchester United (2001-06) and Real Madrid (2006-present).

Although their time on the Dutch national team overlapped, with Kluivert playing from 1994 to 2004 and van Nistelrooy from 1998 to 2008, they never played together for the Oranje in a major tournament. Van Nistlerooy did not play in the 1998 World Cup or UEFA Euro 2000, while Kluivert was on the bench for the entire UEFA Euro 2004 tournament and was left out of the 2006 World Cup squad.

20 June 1995 - The Non-Flying Dutchman Lands In London

On 20 June 1995, Arsenal signed Dutch striker Dennis Bergkamp from Inter for a fee of £7.5 million.

Nicknamed "the Non-Flying Dutchman" due to his fear of flying, Bergkamp was a product of the Ajax youth academy and played for the Amsterdam senior side from 1986 to 1993, helping them to the Eredivisie title (1989-90), the KNVB Cup (1987, 1993), the European Cup Winners Cup (1987), and the UEFA Cup (1992). In total, he scored 122 goals in 239 matches for Ajax and was voted Eredivisie Player of the Year in 1992 and 1993.

In 1993, he was signed by Inter for £12 million. He helped them win the UEFA Cup in 1994, but never settled in with the team or the Italian style of play. Over his two seasons in Milan, he scored only 10 goals in 50 appearances before being being signed by Arsenal manager Bruce Rioch in the summer of 1995. Inter president Massimo Moratti, unhappy with the £4.5 million loss, reportedly claimed "They will be lucky if he scores 10 goals this season."

And indeed Bergkamp's Arsenal career started slowly. He made his debut on 19 August 1995 against Middlesbrough, but did not score until his seventh match. He finished the season with 16 goals in 43 appearances. His Arsenal career truly began to flourish, however, with the arrival of manager Arsène Wenger in September 1996 and he was a key member of the Invincibles, Arsenal's unbeaten league side of 2003-04.

In all, Bergkamp made 411 appearances for the Gunners, scoring 120 goals. With Bergkamp, Arsenal won three Premier League titles (1998, 2002, 2004) and four FA Cup trophies (1998, 2002, 2003, 2005). He retired from playing after the 2005-06 season.

24 May 1995 - Milan Was Heard Later Yelling "Get Off Our Lawn!"

On 24 May 1995, Ajax won the UEFA Champions League Final, defeating A.C. Milan by the score of 1-0 before a crowd of 49,730 at the Ernst Happel Stadion in Vienna.

The two sides stood in stark contrast - Milan was older, having only one player under the age of 26, while Ajax was young, with only two players over the age of 25. The Dutch side was experienced, however. They had just won the Eredivisie title without losing a match and had also gone unbeaten in their Champions League run to the Final, including two earlier wins over Milan in the group stage.

And while the teams battled to a scoreless stalemate in the first half, Ajax's youth was served in the second half by the introduction of 18-year-old forward Patrick Kluivert. He came on in the 69th minute, replacing Finnish midfielder Jari Litmanen. In the 85th minute, Kluivert started an attack that involved touches from every Ajax midfielder on the pitch, from Nigerian winger Finidi George to winger Marc Overmars, then to center mid Edgar Davids before midfielder Frank Rijkaard delivered the ball back to Kluivert in the penalty area. Kluivert slipped past two Milan defenders, then swept the ball past Milan keeper Sebastiano Rossi for the match's only goal.

22 May 1996 - The Crowd Might Have Been Slightly In Juve's Favor

On 22 May 1996, Juventus defeated Ajax on penalties to win the 1996 UEFA Champions League Final before a crowd of 67,000 at the Stadio Olimpico in Rome.

Manager Marcello Lippi's Juventus side scored first when, in the 12th minute, forward Fabrizio Ravanelli collected a poorly headed ball from Ajax's central defender Frank de Boer, rounded the keeper, and slotted the ball into an empty net. Ajax equalized in the 41st minute, however, as Juventus goalkeeper Angelo Peruzzi failed to secure de Boer's free kick from the edge of the box. The ball fell to the feet of Ajax's Finnish midfielder Jari Litmanen, who knocked it home from a yard out.

The teams played a physical second half, with the Bianconeri dominating, but unable to take the lead due to the brilliant play of Ajax keeper Edwin Van der Sar. The teams played through a scoreless second half and two periods of extra time before heading to penalty kicks.

It was Peruzzi who shined the brightest during the penalties, first saving the opening kick from Ajax midfielder Edgar Davids. Then, after Juventus scored on their first four kicks, he stretched out to his left to save the shot from Ajax defender Sonny Silooy, giving Juventus the win with the final score of 1-1 (4-2).

25 April 1947 - I Finally Get To Mention The Washington Diplomats

On 25 April 1947, football legend and three-time European Footballer of the Year Johan Cruyff was born in Amsterdam.

A pioneer in the Dutch concept of "total football," Cruyff started his playing career at the age of 10, when he joined the Ajax youth academy. His first appearance for the first team came on 15 November 1964, when he scored the only goal for Ajax in a 3-1 loss.

Within a year, he was a regular first team player, scoring 25 goals in 23 games in the 1965-66 season, as Ajax claimed the Eredivisie title. He was the league's top goalscorer the following season, with 33 goals, as Ajax again claimed the league title and also won the KNVB Cup. He stayed with Ajax until August 1973, scoring 251 goals in 319 appearances in all competitions.

In the summer of 1973, Cruyff was sold to Barcelona for 6 million guilder, and immediately helped them claim the La Liga title that season - their first since 1960. He was an immediate fan favorite, and continued his prolific scoring, with 61 goals in 184 total appearances for the Catalan side.

Cruyff was lured away from Barça in 1979 by the Los Angeles Aztecs, who offered him a very lucrative deal in their efforts to legitimize American football. His was named NASL Player of the Year in his one season with the Aztecs. He then played for the Washington Diplomats and Levante in Spain before returning to the Netherlands to play for Ajax and then Feyenoord.

He retired from playing in 1984, but enjoyed a successful managerial career with Ajax (1986-88) and Barça (1988-96), winning multiple awards and trophies.