Ajax confirm stadium name change in honour of Johan Cruyff

The decision has been made following discussions between the Eredivisie club and the local authority, which co-owns the venue.

Ajax will unveil a new logo for the ground on April 25, on the day Cruyff would have turned 71. The Netherlands and Barcelona great died in 2016 after a battle with lung cancer.

Ajax CEO Edwin van der Sar told the club's official website: "Johan Cruyff is the greatest football player Ajax have produced. Partly thanks to him, Ajax are a big name, at home and abroad. It's nice that the stadium is named after him."

Cruyff's family added in a statement: "We're pleased with this news, and that the stadium can now officially be called the Johan Cruyff ArenA from the new football season."

Cruyff won a wealth of honours in two spells with Ajax as a player, including eight Eredivisie titles and three consecutive European Cups.

He returned as coach in 1985 and won two KNVB Becker trophies and the UEFA Cup Winners' Cup in 1987.

April 5, 2018