April 1992
Ajax... Fifteen Years Ago
Milan's San Siro and the Delle Alpi in Turin may be larger,
but this ground - Genoa's Luigi Ferraris - is most
definitely more beautiful. It is April 1st 1992 and the first
leg of the UEFA Cup semi-final between Genoa 1893 and Ajax is
about to begin. Just look at it: an ocean of waving white flags
with the colours of Genoa on them (red and marine blue), a
massive cloud of thick, red smoke and a massive banner over the
entire second tier: Una Fede, Un Mito, Un Amore Infinito
('A Faith, A Myth, A Never-Ending Love'). Approximately 1,000
Ajax supporters behind the goal can only let this tidal wave of
noise wash over them and shoot pictures of what they're
seeing.
Referee Nielsen from Denmark blows his whistle, Ajax kick
off and the game is underway. Menzo, Blind, Jonk, Alflen, De
Boer, Winter, Bergkamp, Kreek, Van 't Schip, Pettersson and Roy
are the eleven Ajacieden supposed to do the job. They're
wearing their green away jersey and the white shorts of the
home kit and try to pass the ball around, in order to find
their rhythm in this madhouse.
Stefan Pettersson is airborne
at Luigi Ferraris Stadium, 01 April 1992.
Alflen almost loses possession, but manages a pass to the
right flank, from which John van 't Schip releases a sweeping
cross that perfectly finds the forehead of Stefan Pettersson,
who has moved to the near post and beats goalkeeper Braglia
with a perfect header into the far side netting: 0-1. The
tornado of noise at Luigi Ferraris instantly dies down. All
that remains is total madness in that one little section of the
stadium where the supporters wear red and white. Precisely 42
seconds have ticked away and Ajax are 0-1 up. No Genoa player
has touched the ball yet.
For more than one hour Ajax are absolutely majestic. The
Italians don't know how to defend Ajax's wing play. The
Amsterdammers win their duels, create the better chances and,
precisely on the hour, double their lead as Stefan Pettersson
smoothly chips the ball over his sliding defender and then
lifts it over goalkeeper Braglia. A defender manages to tap the
ball out of the goalmouth, but there is Bryan Roy, turning and
firing home with his right: 0-2 (60'). It is the reward for a
magnificent performance.
Ajax look remarkably solid and mature, but... one should
always knock on wood after having thought something like that.
Almost immediately after Roy's goal something changes. Are Ajax
trying to show some 'gallery play'? Suddenly, the Ajacieden
constantly seem to be one step too late - and they pay the
price for it: striker Carlos Aguilera brings Genoa back into
the game in the 73rd minute and scores again seven minutes
later. Did the ball cross the goal-line entirely? Not sure, but
fact is that the goal stands - and that Luigi Ferraris is
exploding. How unnecessary... Ajax had the game in their
pockets, but now they might very well get K.O.'d in the
remaining ten minutes.
Rob Alflen and Frank de Boer
celebrate Ajax's spectacular triumph in Genoa, 01 April
1992.
Kreek, Menzo and even Wim Jonk pick up yellow cards as Genoa
smell blood and Ajax try desperately to organize their defense.
Another attack unfolds, but Ajax intercept and climb across the
peripet for one last counter-attack. Bergkamp picks up the ball
in midfield, turns stylishly and sends a splitting thru-pass to
Aron Winter, who is at full speed, chips the ball over Braglia
and watches it slam into the upper ninety. "My God, what a
climax!" yells commentator Evert ten Napel on Dutch TV. "Even
Hitchcock couldn't have written this scenario!"
Ajax beat Genoa, in what will be remembered as one of the
club's most spectacular European matches ever. The final,
against the winners of Real Madrid vs Torino, is very close
now...
As the weekend comes nearer the Ajacieden have to focus on
the Eredivisie away game at Willem II. There is more than
enough reason to take that fixture seriously: on Friday evening
PSV drop a point in Maastricht, against MVV (1-1). They now
have 50 points out of 30 games. Ajax drive to Tilburg with 45
out of 29. If they win the gap will be three points with four
games left to play. Chances are small, but it ain't over
yet!
Sonny Silooy and John van Loen start instead of Blind and
Roy and after 12 minutes Rob Alflen opens the scoring with a
stunningly beautiful lob over goalkeeper Jansen. The hosts
don't bow their heads and equalize immediately (fantastic goal
from midfielder Martin van Geel), but Ajax are the better side.
John van Loen gives Ajax the lead again (36'), another splendid
goal from Martin van Geel levels the score (71'), but Stefan
Pettersson (77') and Dennis Bergkamp (90') pocket the two
points: 2-4. The team deserves a compliment for this one, only
four days after 'Genoa': two equalizers, but they still did the
business. Well done.
One week later: Ajax vs FC Den Haag at De Meer, one day
after PSV's easy home win over Willem II (3-0). Louis van Gaal
leaves a few players out of the team again (Winter and Roy), as
the return leg against Genoa is only three days away. The two
points stay in Amsterdam, but the relegation candidates from
The Hague give Ajax a hard time. Emiel van Eijkeren (penalty,
29') wipes out Michel Kreek's 17th minute opening goal, and
Ajax then take a 3-1 lead (a brace from Pettersson, including
one from the penalty spot), but Den Haag almost grab a point
after Marcel Valk's 78th minute goal. 3-2 is the final score.
After 31 games, PSV have 52 points. Ajax follow with 49.
Ajax vs Genoa: goalkeeper Braglia
denies Aron Winter, 15 April 1992.
Wednesday 15 April is a beautiful, sunny day and Amsterdam
is buzzing. Ajax and Genoa supporters get on tremendously well
and the pub owners of Rembrandtplein do excellent business
before 48,000 people hop on trams #16 and #24 towards the old
'Olympic'. Genoa require two goals, but start cautiously. They
lean back and wait for their chance. The tactic seems to work:
Ajax take the initiative, but seem a bit undecided and after 39
minutes their slot in the final is in serious peril When
Maurizio Iorio fires home diagonally: 0-1.
What to do now? If it stays like this Ajax wil advance on
away goals, but another Genoa goal will be fatal. Should they
attack or close the shop? Luckily for Ajax the insecurity
doesn't last long: the second half is only thirty seconds old
when Wim Jonk picks up the ball in midfield and releases a shot
that goalkeeper Braglia fails to hold on to. The first man to
arrive on the scene is Dennis Bergkamp: 1-1 (46'). It is the
knock-out blow for the Italians. Ajax are in the final and will
face Torino, another Italian outfit, who surprisingly
eliminated Real Madrid in the other semi. Ajax will travel to
Turin first, on Wednesday 29 April. The return leg in Amsterdam
is on May 13.
Roda JC vs Ajax, the Eredivisie match originally planned for
Sunday 19 April, is played on Tuesday evening due to Ajax's
European efforts. Ajax can still win the title in theory, but
PSV beat RKC on Saturday (5-0). It doesn't look good. Ajax know
what their job is, but Roda are 7th on the table and can still
qualify for Europe. Stefan Pettersson and Dan Petersen are on
tour with their respective national teams and Aron Winter is
slightly injured, but it doesn't matter: Louis van Gaal's men
are on a roll at the moment and book a fine, remarkably easy
win. Roy (20'), Jonk (40') and Bergkamp (64') score the goals:
0-3.
Excellent result, but we have to be honest: the title seems
out of reach. PSV can clinch it on Sunday 26 April by winning
at FC Groningen. Not an easy away game, but even if they lose
they will still have to drop another point on matchday 34,
against De Graafschap... Ajax's chances seem close to zero and
the 15,341 people who come to De Meer for Ajax vs VVV have more
important stuff to worry about than the Eredivisie title: the
first Torino game is coming closer...
Ajax beat VVV, but that's about it. Pettersson makes it 1-0
from the penalty spot (6') and Alfons Groenendijk doubles the
score (53'), but by the time Eric Orie converts a penalty for
the visitors (65') PSV are 0-3 up in Groningen. The title goes
to Eindhoven. Ajax's 3-1 win over VVV (third goal: John van
Loen) can not change that.
Ajax and Torino take to the pitch
at the Delle Alpi, 29 April 1992.
But hey: who cares? On Monday and Tuesday an army of 5,000
supporters travel to Turin for Ajax's first ever UEFA Cup
final, against Torino at the enormous Delle Alpi Stadium. The
only European trophy that Ajax never won is at stake. The
line-up: Menzo, Silooy, Blind Jonk, De Boer, Winter, Bergkamp,
Kreek, Van 't Schip, Pettersson and Roy. Their confidence is
enormous.
But Torino aren't a piece of cake. They have players such as
Spanish midfielder Rafael Martin Vazquez, Belgian veteran Enzo
Scifo, Brazilian striker Walter Casagrande and one of Italy's
most talented young strikers, Pierluigi Lentini. Moreover,
they're a lot that is not at all interested in the Fair Play
Cup. Torino play with their bayonets out and it is up to Ajax
to ignore the provocations.
The Amsterdammers play fantastically well in the first half
and after 14 minutes they celebrate what's arguably the most
beautiful goal ever scored by an Ajax player in a European
final: Wim Jonk receives the ball in midfield and releases a
cracker of a shot from 25 yards out, which spins so
tremendously that it seems to bow away from goalkeeper
Marchegiani's hands and slams into the right corner.
Michel Kreek barrages Torino's
goal in the first leg of the UEFA Cup final.
Torino gasp for breath in the first half. Ajax sometimes
play the opposition off the park, but once again find out the
hard way that Italians can score out of nowhere. After 63
minutes Stanley Menzo can't hold on to Scifo's shot from the
edge of the box - and there is Casagrande for the rebound:
1-1.
For twelve minutes Ajax's backs are against the wall, but
now it's Ajax's turn to take advantage of sloppy passing in
midfield. There goes Dennis Bergkamp, who penetrates the area
and feels how defender Benedetti brings him down. The shrill
whistle of referee Worrell from England resounds and one minute
later Ajax are 1-2 up. No-one can convert a penalty as calmly
as Stefan Pettersson (75').
It feels like a decisive goal, but that thought once again
turns out to be a bit too optimistic when Walter Casagrande
reacts faster than the Ajax defenders to a seemingly harmless
thru-ball and manages to tap it past Stanley Menzo: 2-2 (83')
and that's the final score. A good result and two vital away
goals, after a wonderful evening of football, but Ajax had
chances and could have left Turin with a win... Hopefully they
won't be punished for it in two weeks' time at the Olympic
Stadium.
April 1992 ends with an unforgettable get-together of the
Ajax players and their supporters at the Delle Alpi, who are
still locked inside the three-tier away end of the otherwise
empty ground. A good hour after the match the Ajax players
return to the pitch for a quick salute. They are serenaded by
5,000 supporters, who sing We Are The Champions as one
man, then yell the name of their club as a mantra that goes on
for minutes. Everybody feels the same thing right now: shivers
down their spines and a deep-rooted conviction that Ajax will
do the business on 13 May. No doubt about it: Ajax will join
the elite of European football clubs that have won the European
Champions Cup, the European Cup Winners Cup and the UEFA
Cup. (MP)
Great pictures again, eh? They were once again
selected and sent to us by Toby '343'.
Thanks!
Next month:
- May
1992:
- Ajax vs Torino: will they do it?
- Oranje prepare for Euro 1992
Previous:
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