Ajax have made a generous gesture towards FC Volendam, De Telegraafsays. The full proceeds from ticket sales for the friendly at the Kras Stadion will go to the Keuken Kampioen Divisie club.
Ajax want to thank FC Volendam for their hospitality in the closing stages of last season. The Amsterdam club were allowed to use the stadium in the fishing village for the play-off matches for European football against FC Groningen and FC Utrecht.
"We are very grateful to Ajax for that. The television revenues are for Ajax and we have the income from the stadium. That is a very good arrangement," FC Volendam technical director Patrick Busby told the morning newspaper.
"The Ajax board informed us as a club and all our staff several times how grateful they were. They were hugely complimentary about the hospitality. And also about our pitch, which came through three matches in one week without any problems. Ajax showed in all kinds of ways how satisfied they were," the grateful Busby said.
In return, the Volendam director received a gift from the Ajax board. "We were allowed to go to one of Harry Styles' concerts with all the staff." Ajax had to move their play-off matches because Harry Styles played ten concerts at the Johan Cruijff ArenA, which meant the stadium was unavailable for matches.
Ajax and FC Volendam had already been planning to play a friendly against each other for some time. "Ajax thought it would be nice to play the friendly between the first teams on Sunday already, and of course we did too. This is a nice end to the preparations before the league starts again."
Busby also stressed that his club want to make progress in sharing knowledge between the coaches of both clubs. "We really want to make progress in that area. I also have very good contact with Jordi Cruyff and before that with Alex Kroes. Good things have already come from that, such as the return of Kayden Wolff. In that respect I am very satisfied with the cooperation."