To make sure you never miss out on your favourite NEW stories, we're happy to send you some reminders

Click 'OK' then 'Allow' to enable notifications

De Ligt Delivers A Powerful Speech About Putting Ajax Back On The Map In European Football

De Ligt Delivers A Powerful Speech About Putting Ajax Back On The Map In European Football

"We’ve shown everyone what the big man above us [Johan Cruyff] wanted to see and what he expected from us," Ajax's Matthijs de Ligt said.

Adnan Riaz

Adnan Riaz

Matthijs de Ligt stole the spotlight during Ajax's title celebrations after he delivered a truly spine-tingling speech.

When the 19-year-old Dutch centre-back wasn't catching an object thrown at Amsterdam mayor Femke Halsema, he was making it clear how important this season has been to his club and Dutch football.

De Ligt, who has been heavily linked with a move to Barcelona in the summer, took the microphone in one hand and had the Eredivisie title in the other as he made an inspiring speech, speaking about the achievements of Ajax and paying tribute to the legendary Johan Cruyff.

"What's more important is that we have shown everyone what Ajax is about, what kind of city Amsterdam is," he said.

"We have shown everyone what we stand for and that is attacking football. We've shown everyone what the big man above us [Johan Cruyff] wanted to see and what he expected from us.

"We did it all together: experienced players, youth players, everyone. And the supporters, we want to thank you for a fantastic season."

Take a bow, de Ligt!

Ajax secured both the Eredivisie title and the KNVB Cup, not to mention reaching the Champions League semi-finals and knocking out teams like Juventus and Real Madrid during their brilliant season in Europe's top-tier club competition.

Last week, de Ligt had expressed his disappointment in missing out on the Champions League final after Tottenham Hotspur pulled off a remarkable upset in the second leg of their semi-final clash.

"The referee said there was only one minute left and we knew we would have to battle through," he told UEFA.

PA

"We thought we'd made it, but it wasn't to be. The game lasted five seconds too long.

"It was like the ground disappeared from under our feet. So close. We were so close. Naturally, it was deathly quiet in the dressing room afterwards.

"Spurs played with a great deal of intensity, and that caused us a lot of problems, particularly in the second half. We couldn't really relieve the pressure they put us under."

Will de Ligt leave Ajax in the summer?

Let us know in the comments.

Featured Image Credit: Johan Cruyff

Topics: amsterdam, Football News, Matthijs de Ligt, Football, Johan Cruyff Arena, Erik ten Hag, Eredivisie, Ajax, Johan Cruyff

Adnan Riaz is a journalist for SPORTbible. He studied for a B.A. in History at the University of York and followed it up with an M.A. in Multimedia Journalism at MMU. Before he started writing about sports, he spent over four years in the gaming press. He has worked for several publications, including Hardcore Gamer, LADbible and the Manchester Evening News. Follow him on Twitter to find out what he is working on next. Got a story tip for Adnan? Email him: [email protected]

X

@AdnanRiaz9