Ajax announces pre-season fixtures for next season

18 May: Qualification for a European tournament is anything but certain, yet Ajax has already announced its pre-season agenda, including six friendly fixtures against Dutch amateur sides.

The preparations for the 2001-2002 season kick off relatively early this year, because no European or World Championship for national teams is being played this summer. The Ajax-1 squad is due at the ArenA on Monday, 01 July. After one week of training, the agenda of pre-season warm-up games against amateur sparring partners is as follows:

Sat 07 July, Oldebroek: VV Owios (1st Class) vs Ajax
Tue 10 July, Tiel: Theole (3rd Class) - Ajax
Sat 14 July, Hoogeveen: Hoogeveen (1st Class) vs Ajax
Tue 17 July, Oldenzaal: Quick '20 (Top Class) vs Ajax
Thu 19 July, Vaassen: SV Vaassen (4th Class) vs Ajax
Sat 21 July, Huissen: RKHVV (1st Class) vs Ajax

Co Adriaanse and his team will set off for the traditional pre-season training camp in De Lutte on Monday, 16 July, and will return to Amsterdam after the game against RKHVV in Huissen, to prepare for the final testcase before the 2001-2002 Eredivisie kicks off: the Amsterdam Tournament at the ArenA.

Thu 26 July: Ajax vs AC Milan
Sat 28 July: Ajax vs Liverpool FC

The league schedule will be put together by the Dutch Football Association (KNVB) after the post-season promotion/relegation play-offs have been played. (MP)

Source: Ajax.nl