1997–98 AFC Ajax season

AFC Ajax
1997–98 season
ManagerMorten Olsen
StadiumAmsterdam Arena
Eredivisie1st
KNVB CupWinners
UEFA CupQuarter-finals
Top goalscorerLeague: Shota Arveladze (25)
All: Shota Arveladze (37)

During the 1997–98 Dutch football season, AFC Ajax competed in the Eredivisie.

Season summary

After the previous season's disappointing fourth place, Ajax regrouped to win the Eredivisie, finishing 17 points ahead of runners-up PSV Eindhoven, and the KNVB Cup, thrashing PSV 5–0 in the final.

Players

First-team squad

Squad at end of season

Note: Flags indicate national team as defined under FIFA eligibility rules; some limited exceptions apply. Players may hold more than one non-FIFA nationality.

No. Pos. Nation Player
— GK Netherlands NED Fred Grim
— GK Netherlands NED Casper Nelis
— GK Netherlands NED Edwin van der Sar
— DF Netherlands NED Danny Blind (captain)
— DF Netherlands NED Tim de Cler
— DF Netherlands NED Frank de Boer
— DF Netherlands NED Mario Melchiot
— DF Netherlands NED Tom Sier
— DF Denmark DEN Ole Tobiasen
— DF Nigeria NGA Christopher Kanu
— DF Ghana GHA Kofi Mensah[notes 1]
— MF Netherlands NED Ronald de Boer
— MF Netherlands NED Peter Hoekstra
— MF Netherlands NED Richard Knopper
— MF Netherlands NED Andy van der Meyde
No. Pos. Nation Player
— MF Netherlands NED Richard Witschge
— MF Denmark DEN Michael Laudrup
— MF Portugal POR Dani
— MF Poland POL Andrzej Rudy
— MF Argentina ARG Mariano Juan
— MF Suriname SUR Dean Gorré
— MF Nigeria NGA Tijani Babangida
— MF Nigeria NGA Sunday Oliseh
— FW Netherlands NED Gerald Sibon
— FW Netherlands NED Rody Turpijn
— FW Finland FIN Jari Litmanen
— FW Russia RUS Andriy Demchenko[notes 2]
— FW Georgia (country) GEO Shota Arveladze
— FW South Africa RSA Benni McCarthy

Left club during season

Note: Flags indicate national team as defined under FIFA eligibility rules; some limited exceptions apply. Players may hold more than one non-FIFA nationality.

No. Pos. Nation Player
— MF Netherlands NED Martijn Reuser (on loan to Vitesse)

Jong Ajax

Note: Flags indicate national team as defined under FIFA eligibility rules; some limited exceptions apply. Players may hold more than one non-FIFA nationality.

No. Pos. Nation Player
— DF Netherlands NED Serginho Greene
— DF Netherlands NED Quido Lanzaat
— DF Netherlands NED Mitchell Piqué
No. Pos. Nation Player
— MF Netherlands NED Cedric van der Gun
— MF United States USA John O'Brien

Transfers

In

Out

References

  1. ^ (in Danish) Sten Henriksen, "Ajax køber Tobiasen fri", Ekstra Bladet, 26 June 1997

Notes

  1. ^ Mensah was born in Koforidua, Ghana, but also qualified to represent the Netherlands internationally and represented the Netherlands at U-21 level.
  2. ^ Demchenko was born in Zaporizhzhia, Ukrainian SSR, Soviet Union (now Ukraine), but also qualified to represent Russia internationally and represented Russia at U-19, U-20 and U-21 level.
  3. ^ Veldman was born in Paramaribo, Suriname, but also qualified to represent the Netherlands internationally and made his international debut for the Netherlands in April 1996.
  4. ^ Musampa was born in Kinshasa, Zaire (now Democratic Republic of the Congo), but also qualified to represent the Netherlands internationally and represented the Netherlands at U-17, U-18, U-19 and U-21 level.