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2003–04 In Dutch Football
The 2003–04 season in Dutch football saw Ajax regain their title in the Eredivisie. Zwolle were relegated to the First Division. Johan Cruyff Shield ---- Eredivisie Awards Dutch Footballer of the Year * 2003–04 — Maxwell (Ajax) Dutch Golden Shoe Winner * 2003 — Dirk Kuyt (Utrecht) * 2004 — Maxwell (Ajax) Ajax squad 2003–04 ;Goal * Sander Boschker * Bogdan Lobonț * Maarten Stekelenburg ;Defence * Jelle Van Damme * Julien Escudé * Zdeněk Grygera * John Heitinga * Nigel de Jong * John O'Brien * Petri Pasanen * Hatem Trabelsi * Thomas Vermaelen * Fronio Walker * Abubakari Yakubu ;Midfield * Tomáš Galásek * Cedric van der Gun * Jari Litmanen * Maxwell * Anthony Obodai * Steven Pienaar * Stefano Seedorf * Wesley Sneijder * Rafael van der Vaart ;Attack * Jamal Akachar * Yannis Anastasiou * Ryan Babel * Nourdin Boukhari * Jason Culina * Zlatan Ibrahimović * Nicolae Mitea * Tom De Mul * Daniël de Ridder * Victor Sikora * Tom Soetaers * ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
AFC Ajax
Amsterdamsche Football Club Ajax (), also known as AFC Ajax, Ajax Amsterdam, or simply Ajax, is a Dutch professional football club based in Amsterdam, that plays in the , the top tier in Dutch football. Historically, Ajax (named after the legendary Greek hero) is the most successful club in the Netherlands, with 36 and 20 KNVB Cups. It has continuously played in the , since the league's inception in 1956 and, along with and , it is one of the country's " big three" clubs that have dominated that competition. Ajax was one of the most successful clubs in the world in the 20th century. According to the International Federation of Football History & Statistics, Ajax were the seventh-most successful European club of the 20th century and ''The World's Club Team of the Year'' in 1992. According to German magazine ''Kicker'', Ajax were the second-most successful European club of the 20th century. The club is one of five teams that have earned the right to keep the European Cup ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Sander Boschker
Sander Bernard Jozef Boschker (born 20 October 1970) is a Dutch former professional footballer who played as a goalkeeper. He is currently the goalkeeping coach at Twente. During a professional career which spanned 25 years he played mostly for Twente, appearing in 555 Eredivisie games and winning four major titles. Boschker was part of the Dutch squad at the 2010 World Cup. Club career Born in Lichtenvoorde, Oost Gelre, Gelderland, Boschker made his professional debuts with FC Twente in the 1989–90 season, appearing in one game with the first team. After an irregular beginning he firmly established himself in the side's starting XI, going on to play in more than 400 official matches for the Eredivisie club. Aged almost 33 Boschker moved to AFC Ajax, but had to settle with battling for being backup with the Amsterdam club, unable to dislodge youth product Maarten Stekelenburg. The following summer he returned to Twente, adding next to 200 more official appearances (in the ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Abubakari Yakubu
Abubakari Yakubu (13 December 1981 – 31 October 2017) was a Ghanaian footballer who played mainly as a defensive midfielder but also as a defender. Club career Born in Tema, Yakubu joined AFC Ajax at only 17, going on to remain in the Netherlands for one full decade. He made his Eredivisie debut on 19 April 2000, playing 50 minutes in a 1–1 away draw against FC Den Bosch and finishing his first season with only five matches. Yakubu played in an average of 15 league games in the following four years, going on to make 89 competitive appearances and helping the Amsterdam side to two national championships and the 2001–02 edition of the Dutch Cup. During the 2002–03 campaign he featured in five matches in the UEFA Champions League, in a quarter-final run that ended at the hands of eventual champions A.C. Milan; he spent 2004–05 on loan to fellow league team Vitesse Arnhem. In the ensuing off-season, Yakubu signed permanently with the latter club for four more years, ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Thomas Vermaelen
Thomas Vermaelen (born 14 November 1985) is a retired Belgian professional footballer who is currently an assistant coach for the Belgium national team. Being left-footed, he usually played as a left-sided centre-back and could play at left-back as well. His key attributes included aerial ability, leadership skills, and his quickness with the ball at his feet. He was also known for his goalscoring ability as a defender. Vermaelen joined the Ajax youth academy in 2000 and won the 2003–04 Eredivisie title in his first season with the club. He had a loan spell with RKC Waalwijk before rejoining Ajax and winning the KNVB Cup and Johan Cruyff Shield. After Klaas-Jan Huntelaar's departure in 2009, he served as club captain for the remainder of the season. He joined Arsenal in 2009 and was included in the PFA Premier League Team of the Year for that season. Following Robin van Persie's transfer to Manchester United in August 2012, he was named club captain but found first team oppo ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Hatem Trabelsi
Hatem Trabelsi ( ar, حاتم الطرابلسي, Ḥātem Ṭrabelsī; born 25 January 1977) is a Tunisian former professional footballer who played as a right-back for CS Sfaxien, Ajax, Manchester City and Al-Hilal Riyadh. At international level, he represented the Tunisia national team in three World Cups, gaining a total of 66 caps before retiring from international football in 2006. Club career Born in Ariana, Tunisia, Trabelsi grew up in Sfax, and started his football career with his home town club Sfaxien, where he initially played as a forward. An injury crisis at Sfaxien resulted in Trabelsi playing as a stop-gap right-back, leading to him converting to defence and becoming the team's regular right-back. In 2001 Trabelsi moved to Europe, signing for Dutch club Ajax. During the pre season of 2004, he was given a trial period at Arsenal by Arsène Wenger. A fee between Ajax and the English champions was agreed. With the transfer looking imminent, even ''Pro Evolution Soc ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Petri Pasanen
Petri Pasanen (born 24 September 1980) is a Finnish former professional footballer who played as a defender. He was most comfortable as centre-back, but also played right-back and left-back as well. Pasanen began his senior career in his native Finland before moving to Ajax. He spent most of his career at Bundesliga club Werder Bremen which he represented in the UEFA Champions League in multiple seasons, and in the 2009 UEFA Cup Final. Club career FC Lahti Born in Lahti, Finland, Pasanen became a regular for local club FC Lahti during the club's promotion season in 1998. During the next two seasons he made 42 appearances for the club in Finland's Veikkausliiga. Ajax Many of Europe's top clubs had become interested in the promising Pasanen, and in the summer of 2000 he joined Dutch club Ajax. He became a regular in the Ajax defense in his first season, but his progress was halted when he broke his foot in August 2001, and had to miss most of the 2001–02 season. Next season h ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
John O'Brien (soccer)
Jonathan Patrick O'Brien (born August 29, 1977) is an American former soccer player. After retiring, he pursued a career in psychology. O'Brien was one of the first Americans to earn a starting spot with a major European team, with Ajax Amsterdam in the late 1990s.O'Brien was the second American ever to play for the 1st team of Ajax, the first being Eddy Hamel who played for the club from 1922 to 1930. At the peak of his career, United States national teammate Landon Donovan called O'Brien the "best soccer player in the USA." Professional career O'Brien grew up in Playa del Rey, California and attended Brentwood School. After being brought to attention of youth director Co Adriaanse, he had his first trial with Ajax at the age of 14 and signed an amateur contract with the Dutch giants in 1994 as a 17-year-old. After two years on their youth teams, Ajax offered O'Brien a professional contract in 1998. He spent the 1998–99 season on loan to FC Utrecht and made his Ajax debut i ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Nigel De Jong
Nigel de Jong (born 30 November 1984) is a Dutch former professional Association football, footballer who played as a defensive midfielder. He is currently the technical director of the Royal Dutch Football Association, KNVB, the national Dutch soccer federation. he has also worked as an English language pundit for beIN Sports (Middle East TV channel), beIN Sports covering English Premier League, Premier League and UEFA Champions League, Champions League football. De Jong joined the Jong Ajax, Ajax youth academy and made the first team at age 17. He moved in 2006 to join Hamburger SV, Hamburg and then joined Manchester City in January 2009 for an estimated £18 million, where he became an important part of their holding midfield. A tireless grafter, he garnered a reputation of being a combative and feisty player in his performances, a reputation that earned him nicknames such as ''"The Destroyer"'' and ''"Lawnmower"''. He moved to Italian side A.C. Milan in August 2012, before jo ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
John Heitinga
John Gijsbert Alan "Johnny" Heitinga (born 15 November 1983) is a Dutch football coach and a former player who played as a centre back. He manages Jong Ajax, the reserves team of AFC Ajax. A product of the Ajax Youth Academy, he played for their first squad from 2001 to 2008. After a one-year spell at Atlético Madrid in Spain, he signed for Everton in 2009. Joining Fulham for six months in January 2014, he then signed with German side Hertha BSC the following Summer, signing a two-year deal with the club from Berlin. In June 2015 he returned to his first club Ajax. Since his debut for Dutch national team in February 2004, Heitinga has over 85 caps, and he has represented his country at two World Cups (2006 and 2010) and three European Championships (2004, 2008, and 2012). In 2008, Heitinga was named Dutch Footballer of the Year. He is of mixed Dutch and Indo ancestry. Club career Ajax Heitinga was part of the AFC Ajax youth team before making his debut for the first team o ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Zdeněk Grygera
Zdeněk Grygera (; born 14 May 1980) is a Czech former professional footballer who played as a defender. Club career Early career Grygera began his career at Petra Drnovice before moving to Sparta Prague. Ajax In July 2003, he was signed by Dutch club Ajax for an undisclosed fee, estimated to be around €3.5 million. His first goal came for the club came in September 2004, a 5–0 thrashing away at Den Bosch. He soon became a fan favorite, especially after scoring against bitter rivals Feyenoord in the April ''Klassieker''. Juventus On 10 January 2007, it was confirmed by Ajax Technical Director Martin van Geel that Grygera would be leaving for Juventus on a Bosman transfer when his contract with Ajax expired in June 2007. He was supposed to transfer after the 2006 FIFA World Cup, but the ''Calciopoli'' scandal prevented him from doing so. He expressed his delight over the possibility of playing with one of his Czech compatriots, Pavel Nedvěd. Due to his versatility, he ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Julien Escudé
Julien Régis Paul Escudé (born 17 August 1979) is a French former professional footballer who played mainly as a central defender but also as a full back. After making a name for himself with Rennes, he went on to play abroad with Ajax, Sevilla and Beşiktaş. He was an important part of the Spanish club as it won six major titles, including two UEFA Cups; he appeared in 237 official games for the team. Escudé earned 13 caps for France, but never went to a major tournament. Club career France / Ajax Born in Chartres, Escudé began his professional career at AS Cannes, playing one season in the second division. On 26 July 1999, after some solid performances, the 20-year-old joined Ligue 1 club Stade Rennais FC, managed by young Paul Le Guen, where he gradually developed into a top flight player, amassing nearly 150 official appearances. In the summer of 2003, Escudé signed with AFC Ajax, [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
