May 1992
Ajax... Fifteen Years Ago
Only two more official games are on the agenda for Ajax;
namely the most important one of the season and the
least important one. PSV are the Dutch champions of
1992, so Ajax can regard their last Eredivisie fixture (at
SVV/Dordrecht '90) as a friendly kickabout and a test for the
decisive leg of the UEFA Cup final, at home against Torino.
The encounter is equally unimportant to Dordrecht, who are
15th and 'safe'. For what it's worth: Ajax show some good
football and put a score of 0-5 on the boards. Rob Aflen, John
van Loen (2x) and Stefan Pettersson score for Ajax - and so
does goalkeeper and former Feyenoord hero Joop Hiele, who
scores a clumsy own goal, much to the enjoyment of the Ajax
supporters. Meanwhile, champions PSV thrash De Graafschap 5-0,
sending them to the First Division.
1. PSV * 34-58 (82-24)
2. Ajax ** 34-55 (83-24)
3. Feyenoord *** 34-49 (54-19)
4. Vitesse ** 34-40 (47-33)
5. FC Groningen ** 34-39 (44-37)
6. FC Twente 34-35 (53-49)
7. MVV 34-35 (42-44)
8. Sparta 34-35 (50-53)
9. Roda JC 34-35 (41-45)
10. RKC 34-34 (50-49)
11. FC Urecht 34-33 (37-39)
12. Willem II 34-31 (44-45)
13. FC Volendam 34-28 (34-50)
14. Fortuna Sittard 34-25 (36-50)
15. SVV/Dordrecht '90 34-25 (38-64)
- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -
16. FC Den Haag [PO] 34-22 (35-63)
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17. De Graafschap **** 34-21 (29-59)
18. VVV **** 34-12 (32-84)
* = champions, European Champions Cup; ** = UEFA Cup;
*** = Cup Winners' Cup; **** = relegated to First Division;
[PO] = Promotion/relagation play-offs.
Promoted from First Division: Cambuur Leeuwarden, FC Den Bosch
In the promotion/relegation play-offs, the curtain also
drops for FC Den Haag, who lose to Go Ahead Eagles. Feyenoord,
meanwhile, win the cup for the second straight season, beating
Roda JC in the final (3-0). The Rotterdammers returned to the
top of the Eredivisie this season, after a number of dismal
seasons.
The 1991-1992 season is over for all Dutch football clubs -
but not for Ajax. The Amsterdammers have ten days to kill until
the big final at the Olympic Stadium. Public presale at De Meer
ended in total chaos and fights between frustrated supporters
and riot police. On Wednesday 13 May 'only' 48,000 people can
attend the final, Ajax's first chance to win a European trophy
in their own city.
Louis van Gaal decides not to plan any friendly fixtures,
but to give the team a few days' off and then prepare for the
final on the training pitch. Everybody's fit. No injuries. But
on May 12 there suddenly is bad news: Dennis Bergkamp is ill.
He's in bed and has high fever. Will he make it? The doctors
are pessimistic and on the day of the great final there is no
other option than to delete Bergkamp's name from the list of
Ajax selectees for Ajax vs Torino.
Rob Alflen gets the nod from Louis van Gaal instead. He will
play as a right midfielder and Aron Winter will move to the
middle to play at Bergkamp's position.
Menzo; Silooy, Blind, Jonk, De Boer; Alflen, Winter, Kreek;
Van 't Schip, Pettersson, Roy. Those are the eleven names.
Around six o'clock the Olympic Stadium is already full - and
the atmosphere is unforgettable.
Replacing poor Dennis Bergkamp in
midfield: Rob Alflen, here duelling with Torino's Martin
Vazquez.
Ajax look confident in the opening phase and come close to
scoring a couple of times: Stefan Pettersson's header is
cleared off the goal-line and a low Bryan Roy shot turned
around the post by goalkeeper Marchegiani. It looks good!
But then... a turning point. After wonderful individual work
from Lentini, striker Walter Casagrande towers high above the
Ajax defenders. Stanley Menzo is nailed to the ground as the
slamming header hits the post. Relief at the Olympic Stadium.
Ajax make it to the half-time break with the precious 0-0 score
on the boards, but Torino are getting stronger. They have Ajax
in a hold and have started their hunt for a goal.
Around the hour mark the tension at the old Olympic of
Amsterdam South has become almost unbearable. Pettersson, Van
Loen and Alflen get small chances, but Ajax slowly grow rigid
with fear as the minutes tick away. The pressure increases.
Defender Mussi storms forward. Who's gonna stop him? He shoots
- and the ball takes a deflection that is too much for Stanley
Menzo. For a split-second it seems like there's no oxygen at
the Olympic Stadium as the ball trickles... and hits the
post!
How many minutes? Seven, maybe eight. Ajax are still alive.
Don't panic now! You're going to win the UEFA Cup! Torino
attack desperately. Another long ball forward. Fusi heads it
back into the goalmouth and there is substitute Sordo, Torino's
extra striker. He turns... volleys... and hits the cross-bar!
The underside of the bloody cross-bar! Someone in heaven wants
Ajax to win that cup!
The players of Torino are now foaming with frustration.
Their manager, Emiliano Mondonico, lifts his seat high above
his head and throws it down in anger. Ajax whack the ball
forward. It rolls toward the corner flag and Stefan Pettersson
wants to keep it there as long as possible. The Swede is pushed
over by an onstorming Torino defender and falls down, taking
the corner flag down with him. The Swede immediately grabs his
shoulder and screams in agony. Broken collarbone - no doubt
about it. Ajax can't replace Pettersson anymore, as Marciano
Vink and John van Loen have already been brought on. They will
have to survive the last seconds with ten men.
Stefan Pettersson, stretchered
off just before the liberating final whistle...
And there it is! The final whistle of referee Zoran
Petrovic! Don't ask how, but Ajax have won the UEFA Cup of
1992! The trilogy has been completed - and look at Louis van
Gaal: he storms onto the pitch, his arms wide open. Madness.
The man's been in charge of Ajax-1 for only six months and
there you have it: a European trophy!
The official ceremony at the
stadium: Ajax, proud winners of the UEFA Cup of
1992!
Captain Danny Blind lifts the cup inside the Olympic Stadium
and then it's time to go: Leidseplein, here we come! 48,000
supporters sing at the top of their lungs as they walk down
Amstelveenseweg, then turn right, all the way down Overtoom
towards the City Theatre at Leidseplein. People are standing on
their balconies, dancing, the speakers of their stereo sets
blasting Ajax tunes into the night.
In the dressing room: Bryan Roy,
Louis van Gaal and the UEFA Cup.
The players, meanwhile, have boarded their coach and are on
their way to the City Theatre. But not immediately! They take a
detour via the hospital, where they pick up Stefan Pettersson.
The striker joins the team with his arm in a sling. Does it
hurt? Hell, no! And on they go: not to Leidseplein, but to
Amsterdam West, where Dennis Bergkamp's parents live. The team
want to show the poor chap the cup before they show it
to the fans. Bergkamp looks like a zombie and is too ill to
join the team to Leidseplein, but he can smile when a
photographer shoots a picture of him and Danny Blind, with the
cup, sitting at the bed of his old boys' room.
It's well after eleven o'clock when Ajax arrive at
Leidseplein. Danny Blind steps onto the balcony of the City
Theatre. How many people are going mental down there? 80,000?
100,000? You can't even see where the crowd ends: they're
shoulder to shoulder, all the way down to the Paradiso, towards
Rijksmuseum. Hundreds of flares are lit as Blind steps forward
on the balcony and lifts the UEFA Cup. What a party. And what
makes it even better: there are no incidents, no riots, hardly
any damage.
Louis van Gaal shows the trophy
to the fans at Leidseplein, while everybody wants to be on that
balcony...
Allow us to say it one last time: Ajax are the UEFA Cup
winners of 1992!
From the hospital to Leidseplein:
Stefan Pettersson.
No Ajacied even thought about it yet, but the football
season ain't over. In fact, the biggest event is yet to come.
Europe is preparing for Euro '92 in Sweden, where Oranje
will defend their European title. No less than seven Ajax
players are in the squad called up by Rinus Michels for the
preparation campaign: Wim Jonk, Aron Winter, Bryan Roy, Dennis
Bergkamp, Frank de Boer, John van 't Schip and Stanley Menzo.
They get Michels' permission to take a week off before joining
the squad, but there isn't much time to prepare: Holland play
their first group game against Scotland on June 12.
Three serious friendly testcases are on the agenda before
departure to Sweden: against Austria (27 May), Wales (30 May)
and France (05 June). After a good week of training and a few
friendly kickabouts against Dutch amateur clubs, Austria is
beaten by the score of 3-2. Rijkaard, Bergkamp and Gullit score
for Holland. Not bad, but definitely not great either. The
second friendly, against Wales, in Utrecht on May 30, is a
whole lot better: 4-0, courtesy of Roy, Van Basten, Jonk and
Winter.
The last friendly, against France in early June, will tell
the Dutch where they really stand. After that it's time for the
real thing. (MP)
Toby '343': thanks again for sending us a
wonderful selection of photos!
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