Ajax have a famous system of youth development which in recent years has been updated to accommodate some satellite clubs in Africa and Belgium and a policy of scouting youth players throughout Europe rather than established first team players.
They took the field on Wednesday with 7 players who have never played for any other senior club; two - Brazilian Maxwell and Romanian Mitea (my man of the match) who were signed from other clubs at the ages of 20 and 16; and only two who could be considered to have been developed by other clubs.
The average age of the 11 was 21.9 years old.
Add to that the coach Koeman having the nouse and bottle to change his back four within the first five minutes because of the problems his left wing was having coping with Juve’s pace and power.
In terms of fans involvement the Arena was a gain bouncing with traditional club anthems, 50,000 flags, eight huge fans flags flown at the front of Vak 410 and a club-organised ticker tape and confetti display as the teams took the field.
To get to the level of development Ajax are at will not be cheap, easy or done quickly. Rangers have a long, long way to go.
GOALKEEPER - Maarten STEKELENBURG - 21 years old - home grown.
DEFENCE -
Zdenek GRYGERA - 24 years old - bought from Sparta Prague, 2nd season with Ajax
Nigel DE JONG - will be 21 in November - third full season in the first team, home grown.
Johnny HEITINGA - 21 in November - fourth season in first team - home grown.
MAXWELL - 23 years old, Brazilian, fourth season in first team.
MIDFIELD
Wesley SNEIJDER - 20 years old, third season in the first team, home grown.
Anthony OBODAI - 22 years old, came to Ajax via their satellite set up in Ghana and played with Ajax’s feeder club in Belgium for a season before breaking into the Ajax first team last season.
Rafael VAN DER VAART - 21 years old, played a single game in season 1999/2000 and has since become a regular.
FORWARDS
Steven PIENAAR - 22 years old, product of Ajax’s South African feeder club in Cape Town. Fourth season in first team.
Wesley SONCK - 26 years old. Bought from Genk
Nicolae MITEA - 19 years old. Played 9 games for Dinamo Bucharest before Ajax’s scouting system brought him to Amsterdam. Second season in first team.