How Ajax rebuilt after ‘coup’ crisis

Ajax don’t have a club motto, but if they did it would have to be something like ‘Remember what you’re good at, even when everything seems to be falling apart’.

Tuesday’s historic win in the Bernabeu has all of Europe applauding the new generation of Ajax youngsters, while Real Madrid appear to have lurched into a major crisis. But it is not that long since the Netherlands’ most celebrated club was in a major crisis of its own. Almost exactly seven years ago, in March 2011, the club was rocked by a coup, masterminded by their greatest former player and Dutch football’s biggest legend, Johan Cruyff. Three key directors all resigned after a fallout with the man they had brought back as a technical consultant.