Ajax vs Tottenham: Dutch masters land first trophy in five years ahead of Champions League semi-final second leg

Erik ten Hag’s side hold a 1-0 advantage over Spurs heading back to Amsterdam for the second leg

Mark Gleeson
Monday 06 May 2019 05:31 EDT
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Ajax fans gather in Madrid ahead of Champions League tie

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Ajax celebrated a first trophy in five years with success in the KNVB Cup at the weekend and now have high hopes of capturing more silverware in the next weeks.

“This is the first and now hopefully we can take more prizes,” said defender Daley Blind after scoring the opening goal in Sunday’s 4-0 win over Willem II Tilburg in the final at Rotterdam.

Ajax could still achieve a triple this season.

They take on Tottenham Hotspur on Wednesday for a place in the Champions League final and hold a 1-0 advantage after winning the first leg in London last week. They are also top of the table in the Dutch championship with two rounds to play.

“It looks as if everything is going right for us, both on and off the field. It’s a feeling we must treasure,” Blind told reporters. “But we are not finished. The season can still get whole lot better.”

Sunday’s Dutch cup win was the 19th in total for Ajax but first since 2010. They were last Dutch champions in 2014 and have not won a European club prize since their Champions League success in 1995.

Ajax have a 1-0 advantage over Tottenham after last week’s semi-final first leg in London as they seek a berth in this year’s final in Madrid on June 1.

Frenkie de Jong and Donny van de Beek celebrate with the trophy
Frenkie de Jong and Donny van de Beek celebrate with the trophy (Getty Images)

“The season has gone perfectly but we are not yet satisfied,” said coach Erik ten Hag. “We have shown some good things up to now and those memories will always be there. Beating Real Madrid away... that we’ll always remember.

“But realistically you need to have something tangible. And that is titles. Now that we have the cup, it must lead to others.”

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