World Football Club Crests

When Ajax Amsterdam was created on 18 March, 1900, its founders were inspired by Greek mythology. Ajax fought in the Trojan War alongside Achilles and Odysseus, and is a hero of Homer’s Iliad, one of the great literary works of Ancient Greece. He is described as physically imposing, a virtually invincible warrior, stronger than anyone else. The founders of the club may not have known it at the time, but the description undeniably fits the football club Ajax.

Yet it took 28 years after the club’s foundation, in 1900, for the hero Ajax to be adopted on the club crest. Initially the emblem was an Ajax player in the club colours of red and white stripes. The player crest was slightly altered following the club’s promotion to the top division in 1911 to match the club’s new outfits, and it was only in 1928 that the helmeted head of Ajax was introduced. That remained until 1990, when a new abstract of the head of Ajax, drawn with just 11 lines to symbolise the number of players in a team, was launched.

Ajax is not just the Netherland’s foremost football club, with an overwhelming number of league championships (more than 30). This club, the pride of the Dutch capital, is also one of Europe’s greatest. It’s true that today’s team is not close to securing any cup successes on the Continent, but the club was once an outstanding presence in Europe. Led by that footballing artist and global star Johan Cruyff, Ajax won the European Cup three years running between 1971 and 1973. The club also won the Champions League as recently as 1995.

The success of the national team on the world stage has been disproportionate to the country’s modest size, and Ajax has played a big part in this. With one of the world’s leading youth academies, the club has fostered many Dutch internationals and world-class players. Such icons as Marco van Basten, Dennis Bergkamp and Christian Eriksen were forged by the club. The question is: which players of the future will live up to the name of Ajax?

CLUB: AFC Ajax

NICKNAMES: de Godenzonen (God’s Sons), de Joden (the Jews), I Lancieri (the Lancers) and Lucky Ajax

FOUNDED: 1900

STADIUM: Johan Cruyff Arena, Amsterdam (54,033)

HISTORIC PLAYERS: Sjaak Swart, Johan Cruyff and Marco van Basten

1900–1911. Unlike many other clubs, Ajax Amsterdam already had an emblem in the early years of the club, which simply showed a player. The club’s colours – red, white and black – are taken from Amsterdam’s flag, a flag that the Ajax captain traditionally wears as the captain’s armband.

1911–1928. The club crest changed when Ajax stepped up to the top division in 1911, and the player was given a new style of kit. Ajax was forced to make the change because the previous kit clashed with that of Sparta Rotterdam. The away kit didn’t exist at the time – hence the birth of Ajax’s classic home kit with a broad red stripe against a white background.

1928–1990. In 1928, the mythological hero Ajax arrived on the crest. In its shape and colouring, the image represents a china plate, which was created for the club’s 25th anniversary three years before.

1990–present. After 62 years the club crest was modernised; the earlier one had proved difficult to exploit commercially. The portrait of Ajax was simplified and made more abstract. The gold stars represent Ajax’s tens of Dutch Eredivisie league titles.

Marco van Basten in 1985 in the famous red stripe of Ajax, the dinstictive shirt design came about as as result of a kit clash with Sparta Rotterdam.