Ajax announces 2003-2004 pre-season schedule

25 April: With seven more Eredivisie league games to go Ajax has revealed its pre-season agenda for the 2003-2004 season. The Amsterdammers will play nine pre-season fixtures this summer, including two games in England and two high-profile games at the annual Amsterdam Tournament.

After the players have enjoyed their well-deserved summer vacation, the Ajax-1 squad will go back in training at the Amsterdam ArenA on Monday 07 July. The first training game against an amateur opponent follows five days later, on the 12th. In the summer of 2002 Ajax restored the tradition of opening the season against an Amsterdam based amateur side. The 2002-2003 season was opened a stone's throw from De Meer, against Zeeburgia. This year the legendary, once professional city derby between Blauw Wit ('Blue White') and Ajax will be given new life.

Ajax will then set off for its traditional training camp near the eastern village of De Lutte. While based over there, friendlies against four amateur sides from the eastern Netherlands are on the agenda: VV De Lutte, Achilles '12, Koninklijke ('Royal') UD and DVS '33.

Having returned to Amsterdam from De Lutte the preparations will continue across the North Sea, in the United Kingdom. After last season's succesful and highly enjoyable visits to Celtic FC and Norwich City, games at Nottingham Forest FC (23 July) and Derby County (25 July) will be played.

Those teams are the first, but not the last international opposition. Upon return in Amsterdam the annual, prestigious Amsterdam Tournament is scheduled for Friday 01 and Sunday 03 August. The line-up for the tournament at the Amsterdam ArenA is yet to be confirmed, but rumor has it that Liverpool FC and Galatasaray are candidates for the 2003 edition.

The pre-season agenda in full:

Mon 07 Jul: first training, Amsterdam ArenA
Sat 12 Jul: Blauw Wit vs Ajax (Amsterdam, 14:30 CET)

DE LUTTE TRAINING CAMP

Mon 14 Jul: VV De Lutte vs Ajax (De Lutte, 19:30 CET)
Tue 15 Jul: Achilles '12 vs Ajax (Hengelo, 19:30 CET)
Thu 17 Jul: Koninklijke UD vs Ajax (Deventer, 19:30 CET)
Sat 19 Jul: DVS '33 vs Ajax (Ermelo, 14:30 CET)

U.K. TRAINING CAMP

Wed 23 Jul: Nottingham Forest FC vs Ajax (Nottingham, 19:45 local time)
Fri 25 Jul: Derby County FC vs Ajax (Derby, 19:30 local time)

AMSTERDAM TOURNAMENT

Fri 01 Aug: Day One - opposition t.b.d. (Amsterdam ArenA)
Sun 03 Aug: Day Two - opposition t.b.d. (Amsterdam ArenA)

The pre-season campaign is finished off with the traditional Open Day at De Toekomst, shortly after which the 2003-2004 Eredivisie will commence. The exact date, as well as the league schedule, will be announced by the KNVB during the summer - and by Ajax USA on the same day. (MP)

(Source: Ajax.nl)