Paris, France | AFP | Ajax finished with 10 men on Tuesday but moved closer to the Champions League group stage with a 0-0 draw away to APOEL in Nicosia in a playoff round first-leg match. The game was goalless but packed with incident. Ajax, a four-time winner of the competition …
Read More »Juventus make De Ligt world’s most expensive defender
Rome, Italy | AFP | Dutch central defender Matthijs de Ligt, one of the most coveted young players in world football, signed Thursday for Juventus from Ajax for a fee of 75 million euros ($84.2 million) plus add ons. The 19-year-old agreed a five-year contract with the Italian champions. Juventus said …
Read More »Five things we learned in European football this weekend
Paris, France | AFP | Bayern Munich missed the chance to wrap up the Bundesliga title, but Ajax bounced back to close in on the Dutch crown, while Neymar offered a timely reminder of his quality at the weekend. Here, AFP Sport takes a look at five main talking points from …
Read More »Chaos and comebacks: Champions League proves the ultimate in sporting drama
Amsterdam, Netherlands | AFP | After all that, why exactly would you want to change it? Just as moves are being stepped up that threaten to change the Champions League into more of a closed shop than ever, along comes the drama of this week at Anfield and in Amsterdam of …
Read More »Spurs shock Ajax to set date with Liverpool
Lucas hat-trick takes Tottenham to Champions League final and breaks Ajax hearts Amsterdam, Netherlands | AFP | Lucas Moura’s last-gasp strike took Tottenham Hotspur to the Champions League final for the first time in their history on Wednesday, completing his hat-trick and sealing an incredible 3-2 win over Ajax to leave …
Read More »Five things we learned in European football this weekend
Paris, France | AFP | Ajax warmed up for their Champions League semi-final return against Tottenham Hotspur by lifting their first silverware of the campaign, while some surprise names remain in the running to qualify for Europe’s elite club competition next season. Here, AFP Sport takes a look at five main …
Read More »Ramos charged by UEFA with drawing deliberate booking
Paris, France | AFP | Real Madrid centre-back Sergio Ramos was charged by UEFA on Tuesday for “receiving a yellow card on purpose” during their Champions League last-16 tie with Ajax. The Spaniard was booked for a tackle on Kasper Dolberg in Real’s 2-1 first-leg victory in Amsterdam on February 13, two minutes after Marco …
Read More »Bayern top group after six-goal thriller at Ajax
Amsterdam, Netherlands | AFP | Robert Lewandowski scored twice as Bayern Munich pipped Ajax to top spot in Champions League Group E on Wednesday after a dramatic 3-3 draw which saw both sides finish with 10 men. The point was enough to put Bayern into the last 16 as group …
Read More »Spurs pay club record fee for Sanchez!
London, United Kingdom | AFP |Colombian international defender Davinson Sanchez became Tottenham Hotspur’s first signing of the close season on Friday when they paid a reported club record £42million (46m euros, $54m) to Dutch side Ajax. The 21-year-old, who was a pivotal member of the side that reached the Europa …
Read More »Mourinho relishes United’s ‘victory of pragmatism over poetry’
Stockholm, Sweden | AFP | Manchester United manager Jose Mourinho said his side’s season had been a triumph of pragmatism over poetry following their Europa League success against Ajax in Stockholm. In a poignant match scarred by Monday’s terror attack in Manchester, which left 22 people dead, United prevailed …
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