There seems to be a unique link between Ajax and Catalan giants Barcelona. Both clubs are massive but have a shared history due to the ridiculous number of personnel they have shared over the decades.
The likes of managerial legends Vic Buckingham and Rinus Michels have managed both. However, on the pitch, which players have played both of the European giants?
Johan Cruyff
The most high-profile player to have represented both European giants is the late, great Johan Cruyff. He, of course, started his professional career at his hometown club, Ajax, where he enjoyed a stellar career from 1964 until 1973, when he joined the Catalan giants.
The Netherlands international inspired Ajax to eight Eredivisie titles, but more importantly, three straight European Cups from 1971 until 1974 while becoming established as one of the best players on earth, as he scored 257 goals in 329 appearances.
He didn’t quite have the same success at Barcelona, well, not on the field anyway, winning just one Spanish title and one Copa del Rey.
When he retired and became a coach, there was a reversal of fortunes when he coached both clubs. He started his coaching career in Amsterdam, where he failed to win the Dutch title, winning just two KNVB Cups and also the Cup Winners’ Cup in 1987.
However, it wasn’t until he returned to Catalonia with the Blaugrana in 1988 that he found genuine success. He guided Barcelona to four straight titles from 1990 to 1994 and, among other achievements, the European Cup in 1992.
Johan Neeskens
The other great Johan in the great Netherlands and Ajax teams, Neeskens, was a box-to-box midfielder who married technique and steel into one stylish package.
He joined Ajax in 1970 and went on to enjoy the four most successful years of his playing career in the Dutch capital. Along with Cruyff, Neeskens played a key role in the club’s success at home and abroad.
The midfielder joined Barcelona in the same summer as Cruyff and stayed with the Catalan giants until 1979. Although there was less success when it came to trophies at Barcelona compared with his time at Ajax, Neeskens is still highly regarded amongst Blaugrana fans.
Ronald Koeman
The Netherlands head coach joined Ajax in 1983 from Groningen and enjoyed three seasons with the club from the Dutch capital. In those three seasons, the defender helped Ajax to the Eredivisie title and the KNVB Cup.
In 1986, he left for PSV Eindhoven, where he had success before moving to Barcelona in 1989. Koeman enjoyed the most success of his career during his six years playing for the Catalan giants.
Playing under the great Cruyff, Koeman was part of the Barcelona team that would be dubbed ‘The Dream Team’. He played a significant role in the Catalan giants, winning four straight Spanish titles and the European Cup.
When he retired and moved into coaching, he joined that illustrious group of Buckingham, Michels and Cruyff, who coached both of the European giants.
Koeman was head coach of Ajax from 2001 until 2005, winning the Eredivisie twice and the KNVB Cup once. He coached Barcelona from August 2020 until October 2021, winning just one Copa del Rey.
Michael Laudrup
Generally considered one of the best players that Denmark has ever produced, Laudrup joined Barcelona from Juventus in 1989 and stayed with the Blaugrana until 1994, and was another member of Cruyff’s ‘Dream Team’ in Catalonia. The forward scored 55 goals in 226 appearances in all competitions for Barcelona.
He ended his playing career at Ajax, playing for the Dutch club in season 1997/98. He made 30 appearances and scored 13 goals as Ajax won the domestic double of the Eredivisie title and KNVB Cup.
Patrick Kluivert
The forward came through Ajax’s famous youth ranks, scoring 53 goals in 101 appearances for the Amsterdam giants from 1994 until 1997.
Kluivert experienced significant success with the club from the Dutch capital, winning the Eredivisie title twice and the European Cup in 1994 under Louis van Gaal, another who has coached both teams.
The forward left Ajax as a free agent in the summer of 1997 to join Italian giants Milan. However, he only played for the Rossoneri for a season before moving to Catalonia to join Barcelona.
Kluivert spent six seasons with the Blaugrana, scoring 122 goals in 257 competitive appearances. However, during his time with the Catalan giants, the only silverware he picked up was a top-flight title in season 1998/99.
Zlatan Ibrahimovic
Having started his career in his homeland with Malmo, the charismatic Swede really started making his mark in the European game when he joined Ajax in 2001.
In his four seasons with the Dutch giants, Ibrahimovic developed a reputation as a deadly finisher. He helped Ajax win two Eredivisie titles and a KNVB Cup.
Ibrahimovic joined Barcelona in 2009, but despite helping the team win La Liga, the forward allegedly clashed with head coach Pep Guardiola. As a result, the Swede spent just one season with the Catalan giants.
Jari Litmanen
The former Finland international is a legend at Ajax. The attacking midfielder first joined the Dutch giants in 1992 and enjoyed seven highly fruitful campaigns with the Dutch giants.
During his first spell in Amsterdam, he helped Ajax win five Eredivisie titles, three Dutch cups and the Champions League in 1995.
In 1999, Litmanen moved to Barcelona, looking for a fresh challenge. He played just one season in Catalonia, scoring only four goals in 32 competitive appearances.
After two seasons in the Premier League with Liverpool, he returned to Ajax in 2002 before leaving Ajax for a second time in 2004 when he joined FC Lahti in his homeland.