1998–99 AFC Ajax season

AFC Ajax
1998–99 season
Chairman	Michael van Praag
Manager	Morten Olsen (until December); Jan Wouters
Stadium	Amsterdam Arena
Eredivisie	6th
KNVB Cup	Winners
Champions League	Group stage
Johan Cruyff Shield	Runners-up
Top goalscorer	Jari Litmanen and Benni McCarthy (11)
	← 1997–98 1999–2000 →

During the 1998–99 Dutch football season, AFC Ajax competed in the Eredivisie.

Season summary

Having waltzed to the title during the previous season, Ajax suffered a complete collapse this season to finish 6th, 23 points adrift of champions Feyenoord. This was the club's lowest finish since 1965. The club also suffered poor form in Europe, finishing bottom of their Champions League group stage. Manager Morten Olsen had paid for the club's poor form in December with his job; his replacement, promoted reserve-team coach Jan Wouters, was unable to reverse the team's fortunes but managed to lead Ajax to win the KNVB Cup.

Players

First-team squad

Note: Flags indicate national team as defined under FIFA eligibility rules. Players may hold more than one non-FIFA nationality.


No.	Pos.	Nation	Player
1	GK	NED	Edwin Van Der Sar
2	DF	DEN	Ole Tobiasen
3	DF	NED	Danny Blind (captain)
4	DF	NED	Frank de Boer
5	DF	NED	Tom Sier
6	MF	NED	Ronald de Boer
7	MF	NGA	Tijani Babangida
8	MF	NED	Richard Witschge
9	FW	NED	Gerald Sibon
10	MF	FIN	Jari Litmanen
11	MF	GEO	Georgi Kinkladze
12	GK	NED	Fred Grim
13	MF	NED	Richard Knopper
14	FW	POR	Dani
15	MF	NGA	Sunday Oliseh


No.	Pos.	Nation	Player
16	MF	DEN	Jesper Grønkjær
17	FW	RSA	Benni McCarthy
18	MF	POL	Andrzej Rudy
19	DF	NED	Mario Melchiot
20	MF	SUR	Dean Gorré
21	DF	GHA	Kofi Mensah^{[notes 1]}
22	MF	NED	Peter Hoekstra
24	FW	GEO	Shota Arveladze
23	FW	BRA	Wamberto
29	FW	ANT	Brutil Hosé^{[notes 2]}
34	MF	NED	Andy van der Meyde
37	DF	NED	Tim de Cler
—	DF	NED	Quido Lanzaat
—	DF	NGA	Christopher Kanu
—	FW	NED	Kevin Bobson

Left club during season

Note: Flags indicate national team as defined under FIFA eligibility rules. Players may hold more than one non-FIFA nationality.


No.	Pos.	Nation	Player
—	MF	NED	Martijn Reuser (on loan to Vitesse)
—	MF	ARG	Mariano Juan (on loan to Racing)


No.	Pos.	Nation	Player
—	MF	USA	John O'Brien (on loan to Utrecht)

Jong Ajax

Note: Flags indicate national team as defined under FIFA eligibility rules. Players may hold more than one non-FIFA nationality.


No.	Pos.	Nation	Player
—	DF	NED	Serginho Greene
—	DF	NED	Mitchell Piqué


No.	Pos.	Nation	Player
—	MF	NED	Cedric van der Gun

Transfers

In

Wamberto - Standard Liège, August
Georgi Kinkladze - Manchester City, £5,000,000
Jesper Grønkjær - AaB, £3,500,000, July^[1]

Out

Edwin van der Sar - Juventus, approx. £5,000,000
Ronald de Boer - Barcelona
Mariano Juan - Racing, loan
Michael Laudrup - retired
Andriy Demchenko^{[notes 3]} - FC Metalurh Zaporizhya

Results

Champions League

Group stage

Pos	Team v t e	Pld	W	D	L	GF	GA	GD	Pts	Qualification	OLY	CZG	POR	AJX
1	Olympiacos	6	3	2	1	8	6	+2	11	Advance to knockout stage	—	2–0	2–1	1–0
2	Croatia Zagreb	6	2	2	2	5	7	−2	8		1–1	—	3–1	0–0
3	Porto	6	2	1	3	11	9	+2	7		2–2	3–0	—	3–0
4	Ajax	6	2	1	3	4	6	−2	7		2–0	0–1	2–1	—

Source: UEFA

16 September 1998	Croatia Zagreb	0–0	Ajax	Maksimir, Zagreb
		Report		Attendance: 33,000 Referee: Kim Milton Nielsen (Denmark)

30 September 1998	Ajax	2–1	Porto	Amsterdam ArenA, Amsterdam
	Rudy 57' Litmanen 86' (pen.)	Report	Zahovič 68'	Attendance: 40,000 Referee: Piero Ceccarini (Italy)

21 October 1998	Olympiacos	1–0	Ajax	Spiridon Louis, Athens
	Alexandris 39'	Report		Attendance: 73,250 Referee: Manuel Díaz Vega (Spain)

4 November 1998	Ajax	2–0	Olympiacos	Amsterdam ArenA, Amsterdam
	Witschge 33' Gorré 88'	Report		Attendance: 45,000 Referee: Stefano Braschi (Italy)

25 November 1998	Ajax	0–1	Croatia Zagreb	Amsterdam ArenA, Amsterdam
		Report	Šimić 68'	Attendance: 46,000 Referee: Marc Batta (France)

9 December 1998	Porto	3–0	Ajax	Estádio das Antas, Porto
	Zahovič 54', 80' Drulović 73'	Report		Attendance: 15,000 Referee: Pierluigi Collina (Italy)

References

^ The transfer for Grønkjær was completed in October 1997, but the player remained at his club until the start of the new Dutch football season.

Notes

^ Mensah was born in Koforidua, Ghana, but also qualified to represent the Netherlands internationally and represented the Netherlands at U-21 level.
^ Hosé was born in Willemstad, Netherlands Antilles (now Curaçao), but also qualified to represent the Netherlands internationally and represented the Netherlands at U-21 level before making his international debut for the Netherlands Antilles in 2004.
^ Demchenko was born in Zaporizhzhia, Ukrainian SSR, Soviet Union (now Ukraine), but also qualified to represent Russia internationally and represented Russia at U-19, U-20 and U-21 level.

[3] The transfer for Grønkjær was completed in October 1997, but the player remained at his club until the start of the new Dutch football season.

[1] Mensah was born in Koforidua, Ghana, but also qualified to represent the Netherlands internationally and represented the Netherlands at U-21 level.

[2] Hosé was born in Willemstad, Netherlands Antilles (now Curaçao), but also qualified to represent the Netherlands internationally and represented the Netherlands at U-21 level before making his international debut for the Netherlands Antilles in 2004.

[4] Demchenko was born in Zaporizhzhia, Ukrainian SSR, Soviet Union (now Ukraine), but also qualified to represent Russia internationally and represented Russia at U-19, U-20 and U-21 level.

[notes 1]

[notes 2]

[1]

[notes 3]