Search: 'Ajax'

Derek Brookman reports on how the latest attempt to create a "superclub" in the Dutch region of Limburg hit the buffers

The notion of creating a football powerhouse in Limburg, the sliver of the Netherlands wedged between Belgium and Germany, is not new, and resurfaced this season with a plan to merge Fortuna Sittard and Roda JC. The idea of a Limburg superclub was mooted as far back as 1996, and extensive negotiations also took place in 2002 involving a third Limburg club, MVV Maastricht, as well. Tensions ran so high then that two members of the Roda board wore bullet-proof vests before addressing their own fans on the subject. In the end, just like six years earlier, there were too many differences of opinion to proceed.

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If you believe the leaks there is a new European Super League on the horizon. Ben Lyttleton searches for the clubs’ real motives

Lyon president Jean-Michel Aulas blamed his team’s Champions League elimination by Barcelona on fundamental flaws in the structure of French football; AC Milan managing director Adriano Galliani has asked UEFA to consider a salary cap as “a wind of crisis” blows across the European game; and Spain’s professional clubs have a combined debt of over €700 million. Reason enough, apparently, for all three to be accused of leaking plans of a new European Super League to sports papers across the continent. They all denied the claims, but the reasons behind the leak are as interesting as the plans themselves.

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A spate of death threats, with bullets sent in the post, is hurting the image of football in Holland. Derek Brookman reports

Many people, if asked to choose an appropriate adjective for Dutch society, would plump for “tolerant”. We all know about the views on prostitution and soft drugs, and the country also has a centuries-old tradition of welcoming those deemed not to ­conform elsewhere.

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In South Africa, tradition has taken on a whole new meaning as clubs are traded off as franchises as a means of preserving a top flight status, reports Gunther Simmermacher

A synthetic club will almost certainly be crowned South Africa’s league champions when the season ends in mid-May: Supersport United or Ajax Cape Town. There ought to be widespread jubilation at the failure of South Africa’s Big Three – Orlando Pirates, Kaizer Chiefs and Mamelodi Sundowns – to put up even a token challenge, but, since South African football fans tend to support one of these three, anguish and anger prevail. While the detached observer may enjoy the (doubtless temporary) fall of the giants, for the purist there is little satisfaction in the accomplishments of the two main challengers. 

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Johan Cruyff's latest revelation has only added to the idea that things are not always as they seem with the Dutch genius, says Derek Brookman

A 30-year-old story recently exploded back into life when Johan Cruyff gave what would appear to be the definitive explanation for his non-participation in the 1978 World Cup in Argentina.

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