Sydney FC and European football giants Ajax have signed a historic partnership which will help bring some of the world’s finest youth development ideas and coaching to Australia.
The three-year agreement will see the Sky Blues partner with the Ajax Coaching Academy during which the two clubs will exchange knowledge in the fields of coach education and football development.
Ajax have a long history of developing the world’s best players through their youth set up, including the likes of Johan Cruyff, Denis Bergkamp, Patrick Kluivert, Rafael van der Vaart and more recently Tottenham superstar Christian Eriksen.
The Dutch club will also offer services in player identification by organising clinics and coaching seminars in cities across Australia where the best players will be offered a football scholarship at Sydney FC.
Sydney FC Chief Executive Officer Danny Townsend is excited by the agreement and the prospect of an even greater pool of talent coming to the Sky Blues.
“Sydney FC’s Academy is rapidly becoming recognised as the leading youth academy in Australia and this alignment with Ajax, who are renown for having the world’s foremost youth development strategy, will further strengthen our program,” he said.
“To have access to the knowledge and expertise of Holland’s biggest club, and to be able to bring that to Australia will provide a huge benefit to Sydney FC and football across the country.”
The Sky Blues will also benefit from reciprocal opportunities for both club’s coaching staff to visit and learn from each other’s academies.
Ajax Chief Executive Officer and former Manchester United and Holland goalkeeper Edwin Van Der Sar said: “It draws Ajax’s power that we have established another partnership with a club.
“Our aim is to find good partners all around the globe. Sydney FC is a top side in Australia and we think they will be a great partner for Ajax.
“It is another partnership with interesting opportunities to further establish our name as the number one football academy in the world.”
The partnership follows Sydney FC’s first participation in the 2018 Future Cup which is hosted at Ajax’s Academy.
The young Sky Blues more than held their own in the tournament, defeating Sporting Lisbon (1-0) and narrowly going down to Paris Saint Germain (3-2) and Ajax (2-0) in the group stage before beating a J-League select team 5-4 on penalties to finish 5th in the eight team tournament.
We’re the Hyundai A-League Premiers but we’re #NotDoneYet…Be at Allianz Stadium for our remaining two clashes and secure your seats, say you were there and be a part of history!
