Football Season Guide

Ajax target redemption following a disastrous campaign that saw the Amsterdam giants slump to a fifth-place Eredivisie finish. Having narrowly missed out on the title the previous year, they were expected to challenge once again, but instead found themselves off the pace from the opening bell. Their cup campaigns offered no respite. A humiliating 6-0 thrashing at the hands of AZ Alkmaar dumped them out of the KNVB Beker, while their Champions League campaign collapsed almost before it began, ending in a dismal 32nd-place finish in the new league phase. Their sole saving grace was salvaging a Conference League spot via the Eredivisie play-offs. An off-season managerial shake-up saw Óscar García relieved of his duties, making way for former Girona boss Míchel. Ajax’s competitive season is already up and running. Having entered the Conference League in the second qualifying round in late July easily defeating Serbian of Vojvodina. In the third round they face Irish of Shelbourne. It has otherwise been a relatively low-key transfer window at the Johan Cruyff Arena. Promising young midfielder Sean Steuer has departed for Newcastle, while veteran frontman Wout Weghorst completed a move to Twente. Between the sticks, loanee Vitezslav Jaros returned to Liverpool, handing the starting gloves to January arrival Maarten Paes. On the incoming front, all eyes will be on marquee signing Marcos Leonardo, who arrives off the back of a prolific spell in Saudi Arabia, alongside left-back Caio Henrique from Monaco. Meanwhile, the return of 36-year-old club legend Daley Blind injects crucial elite-level leadership into a youthful squad. Much of their campaign will hinge on how quickly Marcos Leonardo settles; his emerging partnership with star winger Mika Godts—who racked up a formidable 17 goals and 12 assists last term—has all the hallmarks of a lethal tandem.