AFC Ajax Amsterdam — Things we can learn from “de Godenzonen”
Every single guy (or girl) who ever watched ninety minutes of the game will tell you that football is something more than just plane sports. “Behind every kick of the ball there has to be a thought and love” someone said once. But football has become some kind of monster with the great lust and appetite for the money. I am solemnly saying that money managed to ruin everything that is pure — even football. Money and big ass transfers, new technologies, politics, business, corruption… All mentioned permanently changed and deranged soul purpose of football. What is that you might wander? Answer lies in tree simple letters — F and U and N at the end. Easy as that — FUN is where everything begins and where it all began.
Football is not serious yet it’s is threatened like the biggest serious thing in the World. Somehow, we managed to ruin something that is supposed to be fun and then turn it into something severe. Hack, we even kill our selves over ball (Football War). Football is not supposed to be serious. Football is a leisure time — L-E-I-S-U-R-E.
But even today there are certain bastions of freedom and tradition embodied in clubs with that primal “football spirit”. Spirit that captured our harts and made us love this sport like non other. That clubs are not plenty and they are disappearing as we speak, but they are out there. Where? In Amsterdam for example — where else :) AFC Ajax is shine example that everything is not so grim; Amsterdamian’s fight their battle against modern football and they are doing great if you ask me. As I write this they are “destroying” their colleagues from F.C. Utreht with the four goals to zero. Also, they went into the semi finals of the Champions League by beating such teams as Real Madrid, Juventus and Tottenham. Kudos to Ajax for everything they done over the past few years, but something else inspired me to write these words of appreciation. Laughter! That’s right — great emotion that keeps us separated from the animals. Currently it’s 87th minute on the match against Utreht and lads from Ajax are having a great time on the pitch. They are enjoying in every minute of the game and that is something that disappeared from the modern day football. Enjoy in moment — possible the hardest easiest thing in the 21st century.
AFC Ajax is a great Brand and when you talk about their success you can also put = (equal) sign to every branch of industry. We can all learn from the lads from Amsterdam. FUN and Enjoyment are on the first and second place, but what about the others?
Team, Team Play and Do jor job mentality
How to describe football to someone who never watched it in his life. Football is a team play with the eleven guys in each squad and one ball and bla, bla, bla… That’s right — a team play! It is all about a team. Every player on that pitch has a good reason to stand (run) there and it must be eleven of them — not ten, not nine, not fifteen… Eleven! You could win a game with that individual minute of greatness, but you cant win all of them — simply, you cant! AFC Ajax is a great example of what can be done with the power of unity because everyone knows their place and they are doing that like a great team that they are. Now, compare this with the inside life of every and any company in the world.
I know that nearly everyone wrote team player in their CV-s and we are indeed a team players by nature. Great team is the most important asset of every company. Team that knows how to work like mechanism, where every single screw is important. Team that knows how to work as one. And when they all know their purpose only sky is the limit than. I know “sky is the limit” is cliche term but cliches are good from time to time. And every firm should aim to the skies via great teams and their chemistry.
COACHES and LEADERS
Team is only as good as their leaders — maybe this is a harsh statement but that is the only truth. Every team must have someone to lead them and to guide them. Erik Ten Hag — current coach of AFC Ajax came into the club in 2017. only to transform them into great mechanism; Mister ten Hag obtained trust of the team in quick way with his unique style of football that can be called — Possession with Purpose. Also, he gave certain creative freedom to his players as he achieved to transfer the pressure off the team on to him — that is maybe his greatest achievement.
On the pitch that special someone (for me) is Dušan Tadić, 31 years old attacking midfield from Serbia. When he arrived from England many speculated would it be good decision because of his years, but Tadić almost immediately brought certain degree of experience to the young team. His leadership abilities are great and teammates believe in him because he always gives everything to the cause. And he is not even a first star, he is just part of the squad. All for one, One for all is the right sentence if you talk about Ajax Amsterdam nowadays.
Lets transfer this to work environment — Leader is someone who can obtain trust of people, leader is someone who listens and knows what his team wants, leader is someone who has courage and endurance, leader is someone who has that unique charisma and social/emotional intelligence, leader can transfer pressure from his colleagues and also can coop with that pressure on him. And last but not the least — leader gives everything to the cause and team.
Formation and Style of Play
Under Erik Ten Hag, Ajax set up 4–3–3 formation with the four defenders in the back line, three in the midfield and tree in the front line — this system is not unique nor it’s something special, but if you look closely Ten Hag set up a game of short passes and careful build up play that comes from the back four players and good selection of play makers. Movement is also crucial in his style and style of Ajax — smart and fast movement I might add. Ten Hag didn’t invent something new; F.C. Ajax has always been recognized as a team that cherish the attacking play so It’s up to players to adopt to that work environment and not the other way around. Every serious brand has its own image, standards and procedures that cannot be easily changed.
Again, lets transfer this to the environment of work — team is only good as coach that leads them from the bench. Short passes, build up play and fast movements are big parts of the modern day football — Ten Hag knows that perfectly. Every firm leader must know what modern time brings and what innovation to use — Implementation and Timing are words for today — guys over at Ajax know this very well. Also they know how to protect and preserve their brand and style, if you don’t believe me look at the results that they constantly achieving. Always look at the results if you have a doubt.
Strategy, Vision and Development
“Best of luck, Frenkie” is the message that Ajax sent to De Jong when he signed for FC Barcelona via Mundo Deportivo, one of the top sports media outlets in Spain. That is respect! And you cant buy respect. F.C. Ajax bought full-page ads only to wish good look to their ex employee — imagine that. We can see a lot from that act only.
Frankie De Jong is only 22 years old yet his transfer brought massive amount of money to F.C. Ajax. So, instead of spending they decided to create new value via generating and promoting players from their youth Academy. Amsterdamians are doing “their thing” stubbornly over past few decades — “their thing” is part of an identity that cannot be erased. Strong vision, Clear strategy and Constant Implementation made Ajax great and positive brand that they are.
Conclusion
The future is great for the guys from Amsterdam and that is why we all need to learn from them — because behind ones bright future there is a success story. I will also say — Best of luck, Ajax! And that comes from someone who rather prefers their fierce rivals from the city of Rotterdam. Rivalries aside we all need to have that romantic duel where David finally beats the Goliath.
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Original Article:
https://www.linkedin.com/pulse/fc-ajax-amsterdam-things-we-can-learn-from-de-du%C5%A1an-rai%C4%8Devi%C4%87/
