Werder face off against Ajax Amsterdam

Frank de Boer has been Ajax Amsterdam coach since 2010. (Photo: nph)
First Team
Thursday, 18.07.2013 / 13:55

After their 3-2 loss to PEC Zwolle in a test match on Wednesday, Werder Bremen will take on their next opponent from the Dutch Eredivisie Friday evening 19 July 2013 in Meppen (kick-off 8:15 p.m). Robin Dutt's team...

After their 3-2 loss to PEC Zwolle in a test match on Wednesday, Werder Bremen will take on their next opponent from the Dutch Eredivisie Friday evening 19 July 2013 in Meppen (kick-off 8:15 p.m). Robin Dutt's team will be taking on a tough opponent in the Dutch champions from Amsterdam.

It's a match-up of two European greats from the late 1980s and 1990s. While Ajax won the European Cup Winners Cup in 1987, Werder Bremen captured the same trophy five years later. But the Dutch team captured the biggest of the international titles, becoming the only Dutch club to win the Champions League in 1994-95. Football legends such as Patrick Kluivert, Edgar David, Edwin van der Sar and Frank de Boer characterised the golden years of the 32-time Dutch champions.

Christian Poulsen (right) and Ajax Amsterdam will be back in the Champions League in 2013-14. (Photo: nph)

From "raw material" to "diamonds"

Frank de Boer has been Ajax head coach since 2010 and would like to bring the club back to their golden times. Amsterdam, after all, are still considered today as one of the biggest talent factories in Europe. It's not surprising that Ajax have turned "raw material" into "diamonds" such as Klaas-Jan Huntelaar, Rafael van der Vaart and Zlatan Imbrahimovic for example.

The teams last faced off in 2006-07 in the Round of 16 of the UEFA Cup, in which the Green-Whites advanced in the two-leg tie before finally losing in the semi-finals to Espanyol Barcelona. Maybe it would be a good omen for a successful season for Werder if the match Friday evening goes positively.

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