European football has some massive rivalries, where teams compete for supremacy in their city, region or their particular league. However, few rivalries in the European game can compare to Ajax vs Feyenoord.
A clash of cultures
When it comes to Ajax vs Feyenoord, the difference between the clubs is more than just two teams competing on a football pitch. Their rivalry extends off the pitch in that their respective cities, Amsterdam and Rotterdam, have such cultural differences.
The two cities are the biggest in the Netherlands, with similar population sizes. Amsterdam houses 2.4m people in the metropolitan area, while Rotterdam’s population is only slightly less at 2.3m. The two cities may have populations of similar size, but that’s where the similarities end.
Amsterdam is not only the Netherlands’ capital city but also the financial heartbeat of the country. The city is a metropolis and is considered one of the most popular tourist destinations in Europe. Its mix of visual charm and nightlife attracts tourists from all over the world. (Not to mention the availability of certain mind-altering substances).
Rotterdam is the country’s industrial hub and houses the biggest port in the Netherlands. There is a perception that people from the city are tougher and more hard workers than their counterparts in the capital.
Many people challenge that perception, as although the two cities are very different culturally, they both have their positive aspects, like any major city in Europe.
Ajax have been far more successful
In terms of success on the field, the club from the Dutch capital have been far more successful than their Rotterdam rivals. Ajax have won the Dutch top-flight on 36 occasions, the KNVB Cup 20 times, and the European Cup four times.
Feyenoord can’t get anywhere near their rival’s record when it comes to silverware won. The team from Rotterdam has claimed the Eredivisie title just 16 times, the Dutch Cup on 14 occasions, and the European Cup just once. When you look at the football scores between these two predominantly it is Ajax with the better results.
When it comes to the most successful Dutch clubs, Feyenoord aren’t even the second most successful, as not only have Ajax won more trophies, but PSV Eindhoven have also won more silverware in their history.
Ajax’s greater success at home and abroad has led to some claiming that everybody associated with Feyenoord are jealous of the Amsterdammers success over the years. That theory is understandable, considering the difference in the two clubs’ trophy cabinets.
Who has the better head-to-head record?
De Klassieker (The Classic) games between Ajax and Feyenoord are regarded as some of the biggest clashes of the Dutch season. In the past, the game has been more than just about bragging rights between the two sets of fans. The games between the rivals have also often been crucial in deciding titles and silverware over the years.
Since 1921, when the records began, the two Dutch giants have faced each other on 206 occasions in all competitions. Here is the head-to-head record:
| Competition | Matches | Ajax Wins | Draws | Feyenoord Wins | Ajax goals | Feyenoord goals |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Dutch top-flight | 169 | 77 | 45 | 48 | 350 | 259 |
| Dutch top-flight play-offs | 5 | 3 | 0 | 2 | 15 | 13 |
| Dutch Cup | 18 | 9 | 1 | 8 | 33 | 22 |
| Dutch Super Cup | 4 | 3 | 0 | 1 | 11 | 4 |
| Other | 9 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 19 | 20 |
| Total | 206 | 94 | 49 | 63 | 428 | 324 |
Ajax legend Sjaak Swart holds the record for most goals scored in De Klassiker, having scored 18 times for the Amsterdammers against their Rotterdam rivals.
A season of De Klassiekers
The two teams have met in many famous encounters over the years. The teams first met in 1919 in a disputed game that initially ended 3-2 to Ajax courtesy of a questionable winning goal. However, Feyenoord appealed the result, and the game was declared a 2-2 draw instead.
That was just the start of the controversial meetings between the two teams. The 1983/84 season produced four meetings between the two sides, with the added story of former Ajax hero Johan Cruyff lining up for the club from Rotterdam after Ajax unceremoniously dumped him.
The Amsterdam club basically told Cruyff he wasn’t wanted anymore because he was 36, and in the summer of 1983, he signed for their arch-rivals.
In one last show of his brilliance, Cruyff helped Feyenoord to the Eredivisie and KNVB Cup double. The first De Klassieker of the season produced an 8-2 victory for Ajax, with Marco van Basten scoring a hat-trick and Jesper Olson also grabbing a brace.
Cruyff wasn’t deterred by the defeat and reiterated on a Dutch Saturday night television show that Feyenoord would win the title. The loss led to a 15-game unbeaten run for the side from Rotterdam.
The next De Klassiker in the Eredivisie at De Kuip saw Feyenoord record a resounding 4-1 victory, with Cruyff scoring the second goal after Ruud Gullit had given his team the lead with a sensational free-kick.
Sandwiched in between the two Eredivisie meetings was a 2-2 draw KNVB Cup draw in Amsterdam. Feyenoord went on to win the replay 2-1 at De Kuip and lift the trophy.
Cruyff not only helped his team to the double of the Eredivisie title and KNVB Cup, but he had proven such an influential player that he was named Player of the Year. It was the perfect way for the legendary former Oranje player to show his former club what they were missing when they allowed him to leave the previous summer.
De Klassieker will never lose its passion
Over the years, Ajax and Feyenoord’s rivalry and passion have boiled over into unacceptable fan violence on several occasions. While that is not the sort of thing anybody wants to see in modern football, the passion and rivalry on the pitch are still strong, which is what matters the most.
As long as the players keep the game to just on-the-field activity, the rivalry between two of the biggest Netherlands clubs will remain among the best in the whole of European football and will continue to thrive and entertain us for years to come.