The scenes of devastation around the Amsterdam Arena as Lucas Moura fired Tottenham into the Champions League final last May appeared to signal the end of the latest Ajax fairytale.

The despair of head coach Erik ten Hag's on the touchline was shared by his shattered players, who slumped to their knees and openly cried as their European adventure ended in desperate circumstances that could only be toasted by those with Spurs loyalties.

A run that included remarkable wins away from home against Real Madrid and Juventus in the knockout stages of Europe's elite competition should have ended in the ultimate finale for Ten Hag and his team of giant-killers, but a cruel twist of fate was at the end of their rainbow.

Not only was this the end of their dreams of an appearance in a Champions League final against Liverpool, but this appeared to be the final act for a team that had romped to Dutch league and cup success in thrilling fashion.

Expand Close Ajax players lie down dejected after conceding a last minute goal to send them out of the Champions League. Photo: REUTERS/Piroschka Van De Wouw REUTERS / Facebook

Twitter

Email

Whatsapp Ajax players lie down dejected after conceding a last minute goal to send them out of the Champions League. Photo: REUTERS/Piroschka Van De Wouw

Ajax's Class of 2019 looked set to go their separate ways and while Matthijs de Ligt's move to Juventus and Frenkie de Jong's switch to Real Madrid saw two €75m transfer windfalls enter the club's overflowing cash pot last summer, fears that manager Ten Hag and his midfield duo of Dusan Tadic and Donny van de Beek would follow them proved to groundless.

So instead of being rebuilt, Ajax's dream team merely required a little reshaping, with Dutch international winger Quincy Promes a shrewd signing from Sevilla and Razvan Marin another astute purchase from Standard Liege.

Significantly, the club's core structure has remained stable since 2012, with former Arsenal midfielder Marc Overmars, Ajax's respected director of football affairs, working alongside former Manchester United and Holland keeper Edwin van der Sar, the club's a high effective acting CEO.

It is a foundation that ensures stability can be continued even if star names of head coaches make way for the exit door, with the Ajax model an offering a club like Manchester United a blueprint to success in the modern game.

After United's executive vice-chairman Ed Woodward (below) made the unusual move of issuing a statement last week defending his chaotic approach to transfer trading at Old Trafford and Tottenham manager Mauricio Pochettino has been highlighting differences with his chairman Daniel Levy, it is easy to appreciate why the firmly-embedded Ajax model is the envy of many European clubs.

Here is a sporting giant that has the right players in position on and off the pitch, and while Ten Hag's future is likely to be the subject of discussion once again as he is being strongly linked with a move to take over at Everton, his pride at the story he has overseen since his appointment as Ajax coach in December 2017 is evident in his each and every comment.

Expand Close Manchester United executive vice-chairman Ed Woodward (pictured) backed manager Ole Gunnar Solskjaer earlier in the week (Martin Rickett/PA) PA Archive/PA Images / Facebook

Twitter

Email

Whatsapp Manchester United executive vice-chairman Ed Woodward (pictured) backed manager Ole Gunnar Solskjaer earlier in the week (Martin Rickett/PA)

"I knew what I was coming into when I joined Ajax and that is a club with a strong philosophy and a set-up that allows you to aim for everything," says Ten Hag, ahead of Wednesday's enticing Champions League clash against Chelsea in Amsterdam.

"Clearly, the aim last season was to achieve success in the Eredivisie, but we also reached the Champions League semi-final and had some incredible moments. This was never our target, but we achieved it.

"This season belongs among the best in the history of the club. To become league champions again will be our ambition. In Europe? We have to try and go again and see what is possible."

Ten Hag was rewarded for his remarkable successes last season with an improved contract that ties him to the club until 2022, yet Ajax chiefs have long offered their star employees new deals with more than one eye on the compensation that will come their way when they leave.

Ajax have always been a selling club and their success in harvesting either home-grown talent or reviving players who have failed to shine elsewhere has been a hugely lucrative business for several decades.

Overmars and Van der Sar have excelled in recruiting players that fit the Ajax ethos and their move to identify Ten Hag as a coach that would slide neatly into the club's mould was a master stroke that has reaped very handsome dividends.

Even if we are now in the final days of the Ten Hag era at Ajax, Overmars and Van der Sar will provide continuity for his successor, who will take over a team that have started this season in impressively bullish fashion.

Expand Close Ajax coach Erik ten Hag. Photo: Andrew Couldridge/Action Images via Reuters Action Images via Reuters / Facebook

Twitter

Email

Whatsapp Ajax coach Erik ten Hag. Photo: Andrew Couldridge/Action Images via Reuters

A flying start to the defence of their Dutch title has been complemented by qualification to the Champions League group stages and thumping 3-0 wins against Lille and Valencia in their opening two Group H matches.

Big names come and go as quickly as new faces arrive, but this Ajax machine continues to churn out results, with Van der Sar admitting the club's approach has evolved in his time working alongside Overmars.

"There has been an evolution in the way we have done things, but always with the same approach," states the former Holland keeper, who has hinted that he would be open to the prospect of a role as Manchester United's sporting director.

"In the past, we believed this club would achieve success with a reliance on our academy, but now we are open to signing some experienced players as well and this was important last season.

"We brought in Dusan Tadic and Daley Blind ahead of last season and the impact they had with the young players at the club was so important to the success we had. This was a lesson we learned not to rely on youth and it is important to what we do now.

"The aim from here is to compete at the top of European football. We did that last season and now we want more. That is the idea of everyone at the club."

Victory against Chelsea on Wednesday would put Ajax within touching distance of the Champions League knockout stages once again, and after all they achieved last year nobody will fancy locking horns with a team that have mastered the art of defying logic.

Online Editors