AFC Ajax

let's #GetTheBadgeIn and see what we can learn about the Dutch giants with the funny badge...

Ajax. The Sons of the Gods. Founded on 18 March 1900 in Amsterdam by 19 year old Floris Stempel, Carel Reeser and Han Dade, they took their name not from a city or a founder, but from one of Greek mythology’s greatest warriors. Ajax the Great fought in the Trojan War, held the line against the Trojans, and died “unconquered”. That spirit of strength and refusal to yield runs right through the club’s identity. Around 1928, the badge adopted Ajax’s profile — the version still used today, sketched with just 11 lines, one for each player.

The man behind the name, Ajax the Great, was known for his power, loyalty, and courage. Overshadowed in legend by Achilles and Odysseus, he still earned the title “the bulwark of the Achaeans” in Homer’s Iliad. He retrieved Achilles’ body under fire and fought with a stubbornness that the modern club would be proud of. When he lost the contest to inherit Achilles’ armour, he fell on his own sword — but died undefeated. In an era when so many clubs carry the names of sponsors (looking at you Salzburg 👀), Ajax draws on one of the ancient classics.

The club’s city is as much a part of its DNA as the hero it’s named after. Amsterdam began as a fishing village on the River Amstel, gaining city rights in 1300 and flourishing during the Dutch Golden Age. Trade, science, printing, and liberal politics made it a hub of culture and ideas. Refugees — Jewish, Huguenot, Portuguese — found safety here. By the 20th century, when Ajax were formed, Amsterdam had a working-class heart, drawn from its docks, factories, and railways. That spirit shaped the club’s openness, skill, and stubborn streak. The nickname “Joden” (Jewish), once a nod to the city’s Jewish community, became a badge of outsider pride and defiance, especially after the Second World War.

Ajax’s rise was swift. Promotion to the top tier came in 1911, with their first national cup and league title arriving in 1918. By the 1930s, they were dominating Dutch football, claiming five championships in a decade. But it was the 1960s and 70s that made Ajax a global name. Under Rinus Michels, with Johan Cruyff as the talisman, they pioneered Total Football — fluid, intelligent, attacking play that dazzled Europe. Three consecutive European Cups (1971–73) cemented their place among the game’s elite, with Cruyff scoring twice in the 1972 final against Inter Milan.

The honours list since is staggering: 36 Eredivisie titles, 20 KNVB Cups, four European Cups/Champions Leagues, a Cup Winners’ Cup, a UEFA Cup, two Intercontinental Cups, and multiple Super Cups. In 1995, Ajax were crowned “World Team of the Year” after adding the Intercontinental Cup and UEFA Super Cup to their Champions League triumph.

They’ve done it while producing some of football’s greatest players through their famed academy — the likes of Cruyff, Marco van Basten, Dennis Bergkamp, Clarence Seedorf, Wesley Sneijder, Matthijs de Ligt, and Frenkie de Jong. The nickname “de Godenzonen” (Sons of the Gods) has some merit to it.

Since 1996, home has been the Johan Cruyff Arena, the Netherlands’ largest stadium.

Its roof is fitted with over 4,200 solar panels, tapping into clean energy that’s stored in two mighty “mega-batteries” deep within the stadium — together offering 8.6 MWh of storage. On matchdays, everything from floodlights and escalators to beer taps and player tunnels are run entirely on renewable energy.

It also reuses rainwater, cools using nearby lake water, turns food waste into energy, feeds surplus power back into the grid - not a bad effort - Forest Green Rovers take note.

It’s hosted European finals, Euros, and some of Ajax’s biggest nights. Recent years have seen revivals of the old magic — a Europa League final in 2017, and in 2019, a thrilling Champions League run that toppled Real Madrid and Juventus before ending heartbreakingly against Spurs in the semi-finals.

Their fiercest rivalry, “De Klassieker” against Feyenoord, has burned since 1921 — a clash of cities and classes. Ajax lead the head-to-head, as they do in the trophy count.

Ajax's badge tells several stories: one that begins in ancient myth, runs through the canals and streets of Amsterdam, and plays out in some of the most beautiful football ever seen.

From ancient warriors to modern world champions, they are one of Europe’s great storytellers.