Ajax refused to hold a public tribute dedicated to the women’s team, which won the Dutch league title for the first time in five years in early May, due to the “lack of a celebratory atmosphere” due to the “sports debacle” of men’s team this season.
The mayoress of Amsterdam, Femke Halsema, offered the club to host a tribute to the women’s team next Monday in the Leidseplein area to celebrate their winning the national title, but Ajax, who agreed at first, the request was denied. “We do not support the moment or the place of recognition,” a club spokesman announced via the NU.nl newspaper.
Among the many reasons given, the club points to the fact that the team won the national title on May 7, which removes the “impetus” from a celebration, and suspects that public participation is “disappointing”, that, If so, “it’s not good for the image of the women’s club,” said the spokesperson.
“The lack of a celebratory atmosphere around Ajax in general (the poor performance of the men’s team this season and the uncertainty about who will be the coach after the summer break) plays also of its role,” explained the club, considering that “It is not prudent” to continue the celebration planned for Monday because, in this context, “it is not a good sign for the women of Ajax or the fans.”
The mayor and sports minister, Sofyan Mbarki, expressed their disappointment at the cancellation of the ceremony, emphasizing that “without the cooperation of the club, it is not possible to successfully organize a ceremony this season.” Last week, the mayoress welcomed the women’s team to her official residence.
“If the men get a recognition when they are champions, we should also get one,” said Ajax women’s captain Sherida Spitse after that meeting with Halsema, where the plan was to celebrate the their success was publicly announced to them.
The main fan club is also against it
The main supporter of the Ajax club, AFCASC, also opposed the idea, saying “the sentiment among the supporters around the sporting debacle this season does not allow experiments like the proposed celebration for the women’s team. ” He argued that “a public ceremony in Amsterdam should only be reserved for Ajax 1,” the men’s team, because it attracts more than 50,000 visitors per home game, while Ajax Women is limited to 800- 1,000 visitors.
Ajax players became national champions after a 6-1 win over PEC Zwolle earlier this month, securing the third title in the history of the Ajax women’s team, following the championships won in 2017 and 2018, but they have not yet received public celebration for their achievements, as the men’s team has.
Source: La Verdad
I’m Rose Herman and I work as an author for Today Times Live. My expertise lies in writing about sports, a passion of mine that has been with me since childhood. As part of my job, I provide comprehensive coverage on everything from football to tennis to golf.
