# 2007–08 AFC Ajax season

During the 2007–08 season, AFC Ajax participated in the Eredivisie, the KNVB Cup, UEFA Champions League and the UEFA Cup. The first training took place on 5 July 2007. The traditional AFC Ajax Open Day was on 8 August.

## Pre-season

The first training for the 2007–08 season was held on 5 July 2007. In preparation for the new season, Ajax organized a training camp in De Lutte at the De Thij Sportpark. During the pre-season, the squad played friendly matches against VVSB, GFC, Quick '20 and Go Ahead Eagles before traveling to Scotland to play against Rangers and Falkirk. They then returned to Amsterdam to play Atlético Madrid and Arsenal in the annual Amsterdam Tournament.

## Player statistics

Appearances for competitive matches only
| No. | Pos | Nat | Player | Total | Total | Eredivisie | Eredivisie | UEFA Cup | UEFA Cup | KNVB Cup | KNVB Cup |
| No. | Pos | Nat | Player | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals |
| 1 | GK | NED | Maarten Stekelenburg | 35 | 0 | 30 | 0 | 4 | 0 | 1 | 0 |
| 2 | DF | NED | John Heitinga | 39 | 9 | 32 | 7 | 4 | 0 | 3 | 2 |
| 3 | DF | URU | Bruno Silva | 12 | 0 | 12 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 4 | DF | BEL | Thomas Vermaelen | 20 | 0 | 16+2 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 5 | DF | NED | Urby Emanuelson | 36 | 3 | 27+3 | 3 | 4 | 0 | 2 | 0 |
| 6 | DF | GHA | Samuel Kuffour | 2 | 0 | 0+2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 7 | FW | SWE | Kennedy Bakircioglu | 22 | 3 | 12+6 | 3 | 2 | 0 | 1+1 | 0 |
| 8 | FW | ESP | Ismael Urzaíz | 7 | 0 | 0+3 | 0 | 0+3 | 0 | 1 | 0 |
| 9 | FW | NED | Klaas-Jan Huntelaar | 39 | 36 | 33 | 33 | 4 | 2 | 2 | 1 |
| 10 | FW | ESP | Albert Luque | 19 | 4 | 9+6 | 4 | 0+1 | 0 | 2+1 | 0 |
| 11 | FW | BRA | Leonardo | 8 | 2 | 1+7 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 12 | GK | NED | Erik Heijblok | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 |
| 13 | MF | NED | Edgar Davids | 14 | 0 | 14 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 15 | MF | BEL | Laurent Delorge | 6 | 1 | 2+2 | 1 | 1+1 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 16 | FW | URU | Luis Suárez | 40 | 19 | 29+4 | 16 | 3+1 | 1 | 3 | 2 |
| 17 | MF | BEL | Jan Vertonghen | 34 | 2 | 27+3 | 2 | 0+1 | 0 | 3 | 0 |
| 18 | MF | ESP | Gabri | 32 | 1 | 25 | 1 | 4 | 0 | 3 | 0 |
| 19 | FW | DEN | Dennis Rommedahl | 36 | 6 | 13+16 | 4 | 3+1 | 1 | 0+3 | 1 |
| 20 | FW | ROU | George Ogăraru | 20 | 0 | 14+1 | 0 | 1+1 | 0 | 3 | 0 |
| 21 | FW | ARM | Edgar Manucharyan | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 23 | MF | SWE | Rasmus Lindgren | 11 | 2 | 9+2 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| # | FW | ROU | Nicolae Mitea | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 24 | MF | NED | Mitchell Donald | 4 | 0 | 0+2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1+1 | 0 |
| 25 | DF | NED | Gregory van der Wiel | 9 | 0 | 4+1 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 2 | 0 |
| 26 | MF | NED | Jeffrey Sarpong | 2 | 0 | 0+1 | 0 | 0+1 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 27 | MF | ANT | Vurnon Anita | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 28 | MF | DEN | Michael Krohn-Dehli | 1 | 0 | 0+1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 29 | MF | DEN | Kenneth Perez | 18 | 8 | 14+3 | 8 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 |
| 30 | GK | NED | Dennis Gentenaar | 6 | 0 | 3+2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 |
| 31 | DF | NED | Jurgen Colin | 15 | 0 | 6+6 | 0 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 32 | GK | NED | Marco van Duin | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 33 | FW | ANT | Javier Martina | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 37 | MF | NED | Jan-Arie van der Heijden | 2 | 0 | 0+2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 38 | MF | NED | Siem de Jong | 25 | 2 | 13+9 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 1+2 | 0 |
| 39 | DF | NED | Vito Wormgoor | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Players sold or loaned out after the start of the season: ||||||||||||
| 3 | DF | NED | Jaap Stam | 10 | 0 | 6 | 0 | 4 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 6 | DF | NED | Hedwiges Maduro | 18 | 5 | 11+3 | 4 | 2 | 0 | 2 | 1 |
| 22 | FW | NED | Robbert Schilder | 9 | 0 | 3+5 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0+1 | 0 |
As of 14 November 2011
# Nicolae Mitea was issued shirt number 23 at the beginning of the season, however he sat out the season due to injury and was never issued a new shirt number.

## 2007–08 selection by nationality

| Nationality | | | | | | | | | | | | Total Players |
| Current squad selection | 10 | 3 | 3 | 3 | 2 | 2 | 2 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 29 |
| Youth/reserves squad in AFC Ajax selection | 5 | - | - | - | - | - | - | 1 | - | - | - | 6 |
| Players out on loan | 3 | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | 3 |

## Team statistics
### Eredivisie standings

| Standing | Matches played | Wins | Draws | Losses | Points | Goals for | Goals against | Yellow cards | Red cards |
| 3 | 34 | 20 | 9 | 5 | 69 | 84 | 45 | 60 | 2 |

#### Points by match day

| Match day | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | 10 | 11 | 12 | 13 | 14 | 15 | 16 | 17 | 18 | 19 | 20 | 21 | 22 | 23 | 24 | 25 | 26 | 27 | 28 | 29 | 30 | 31 | 32 | 33 | 34 | Total |
| Points | 3 | 3 | 1 | 3 | 3 | 3 | 1 | 1 | 3 | 3 | 1 | 3 | 0 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 3 | 1 | 3 | 1 | 3 | 0 | 3 | 3 | 3 | 3 | 1 | 0 | 3 | 3 | 3 | 3 | 69 |

#### Total points by match day

| Match day | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | 10 | 11 | 12 | 13 | 14 | 15 | 16 | 17 | 18 | 19 | 20 | 21 | 22 | 23 | 24 | 25 | 26 | 27 | 28 | 29 | 30 | 31 | 32 | 33 | 34 | Total |
| Points | 3 | 6 | 7 | 10 | 13 | 16 | 17 | 18 | 21 | 24 | 25 | 28 | 28 | 31 | 31 | 31 | 32 | 33 | 36 | 37 | 40 | 41 | 44 | 44 | 47 | 50 | 53 | 56 | 57 | 57 | 60 | 63 | 66 | 69 | 69 |

#### Standing by match day

| Match day | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | 10 | 11 | 12 | 13 | 14 | 15 | 16 | 17 | 18 | 19 | 20 | 21 | 22 | 23 | 24 | 25 | 26 | 27 | 28 | 29 | 30 | 31 | 32 | 33 | 34 | Standing |
| Standing | 1st | 1st | 3rd | 2nd | 1st | 1st | 2nd | 3rd | 2nd | 1st | 1st | 1st | 2nd | 1st | 2nd | 3rd | 3rd | 3rd | 3rd | 2nd | 2nd | 2nd | 2nd | 3rd | 2nd | 2nd | 2nd | 2nd | 2nd | 2nd | 2nd | 2nd | 2nd | 2nd | 2nd |

#### Goals by match day

| Match day | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | 10 | 11 | 12 | 13 | 14 | 15 | 16 | 17 | 18 | 19 | 20 | 21 | 22 | 23 | 24 | 25 | 26 | 27 | 28 | 29 | 30 | 31 | 32 | 33 | 34 | Total |
| Goals | 8 | 4 | 2 | 1 | 3 | 6 | 2 | 0 | 1 | 4 | 2 | 4 | 1 | 3 | 1 | 2 | 2 | 6 | 1 | 2 | 2 | 0 | 3 | 1 | 6 | 3 | 4 | 4 | 0 | 1 | 4 | 4 | 2 | 5 | 84 |

### 2007–08 statistics

* This is an overview of all the statistics for played matches in the 2007-08 season.
| | Friendlies | Amsterdam Tournament | Johan Cruyff Shield | KNVB Cup | UEFA Champions League | UEFA Cup | Dubai Cup | Eredivisie | UEFA Champions League Qualifying Play-offs | Total |
| Matches | 7 | 2 | 1 | 3 | 2 | 2 | 2 | 34 | 4 | 57 |
| Wins | 5 | 1 | 1 | 2 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 20 | 2 | 32 |
| Draws | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 9 | 1 | 11 |
| Losses | 1 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 2 | 1 | 2 | 5 | 1 | 14 |
| Home | 0 | 2 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 17 | 2 | 25 |
| Away | 7 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 1 | 1 | 2 | 17 | 2 | 32 |
| Yellow cards | 2 | 2 | 2 | 2 | 5 | 4 | 1 | 60 | 9 | 87 |
| Red cards | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 2 | 0 | 4 |
| 2 x yellow in 1 match | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 1 |
| Number of substitutes used | 33 | 3 | 3 | 3 | 9 | 5 | 5 | 95 | 11 | 175 |
| Goals for | 27 | 2 | 1 | 7 | 1 | 3 | 4 | 94 | 6 | 143 |
| Goals against | 3 | 1 | 0 | 6 | 3 | 3 | 6 | 45 | 4 | 81 |
| Balance | +24 | +1 | +1 | +1 | -2 | +0 | -2 | +45 | +2 | +62 |
| Clean sheets | 5 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 7 | 1 | 16 |
| Penalties for | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 1 | 7 |
| Penalties against | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 5 |

### 2007-08 team records

| Description | Competition | Result |
| Biggest win | Friendly match | GFC - AFC Ajax ( 0 - 9 ) |
| Biggest win | KNVB Cup | AFC Ajax - SC Heerenveen ( 3 - 1 ) |
| Biggest win | UEFA Champions League | — |
| Biggest win | UEFA Cup | Dinamo Zagreb - AFC Ajax ( 0 - 1 ) |
| Biggest win | Eredivisie | De Graafschap - AFC Ajax ( 1 - 8 ) |
| Biggest loss | Friendly match | Falkirk F.C. - AFC Ajax ( 2 - 1 ) |
| Biggest loss | KNVB Cup | NAC Breda - AFC Ajax ( 4 - 2 ) |
| Biggest loss | UEFA Champions League | Slavia Praha - AFC Ajax ( 2 - 1 ) |
| Biggest loss | UEFA Cup | AFC Ajax - Dinamo Zagreb ( 2 - 3 ) |
| Biggest loss | Eredivisie | AFC Ajax - NAC Breda ( 1 - 3 ) |
| Most goals in a match | Friendly match | GFC - AFC Ajax ( 0 - 9 ) |
| Most goals in a match | KNVB Cup | NAC Breda - AFC Ajax ( 4 - 2 ) |
| Most goals in a match | UEFA Champions League | Slavia Praha - AFC Ajax ( 2 - 1 ) |
| Most goals in a match | UEFA Cup | AFC Ajax - Dinamo Zagreb ( 2 - 3 ) |
| Most goals in a match | Eredivisie | De Graafschap - AFC Ajax ( 1 - 8 ) |

#### Top scorers

| Nr. | Name | |
| 1. | Wesley Sneijder | 6 |
| 2. | Kennedy Bakircioglu | 4 |
| 3. | Klaas-Jan Huntelaar | 3 |
| 3. | Jeffrey Sarpong | 3 |
| 5. | Nicolae Mitea | 2 |
| 5. | Gabri | 2 |
| 7. | Thembinkosi Fanteni | 1 |
| 7. | Edgar Davids | 1 |
| 7. | Sameegh Doutie | 1 |
| 7. | John Heitinga | 1 |
| 7. | Laurent Delorge | 1 |
| 7. | Javier Martina | 1 |
| 7. | Chakib Tayeb | 1 |
| Total | Total | 27 |
| Nr. | Name | |
| 1. | Gabri | 1 |
| Total | Total | 1 |
| Nr. | Name | |
| 1. | Klaas-Jan Huntelaar | 33 |
| 2. | Luis Suárez | 16 |
| 3. | Kenneth Perez | 8 |
| 4. | John Heitinga | 7 |
| 5. | Hedwiges Maduro | 4 |
| 5. | Albert Luque | 4 |
| 5. | Dennis Rommedahl | 4 |
| 8. | Kennedy Bakircioglu | 3 |
| 8. | Urby Emanuelson | 3 |
| 10. | Siem de Jong | 2 |
| 10. | Jan Vertonghen | 2 |
| 10. | Leonardo | 2 |
| 10. | Rasmus Lindgren | 2 |
| 14. | Laurent Delorge | 1 |
| 14. | Gabri | 1 |
| Own goals | Edson Braafheid (Twente) | 1 |
| Own goals | Douglas (Twente) | 1 |
| Total | Total | 93 |
| Nr. | Name | |
| 1. | John Heitinga | 2 |
| 1. | Luis Suárez | 2 |
| 3. | Dennis Rommedahl | 1 |
| 3. | Hedwiges Maduro | 1 |
| 3. | Klaas-Jan Huntelaar | 1 |
| Total | Total | 7 |
| Nr. | Name | |
| 1. | Luis Suárez | 1 |
| Total | Total | 1 |
| Nr. | Name | |
| 1. | Klaas-Jan Huntelaar | 2 |
| 2. | Dennis Rommedahl | 1 |
| Total | Total | 3 |
| Nr. | Name | |
| 1. | Gabri | 1 |
| 1. | Wesley Sneijder | 1 |
| Total | Total | 2 |
| Nr. | Name | |
| 1. | Kenneth Perez | 1 |
| 1. | John Heitinga | 1 |
| Total | Total | 2 |

## Placements

| | Friendlies | Amsterdam Tournament | Dubai Cup | KNVB Cup | UEFA Champions League | UEFA Cup | Eredivisie |
| Status | 7 played, 5 wins, 1 draw, 1 loss | 3rd place | 4th place | Eliminated in Round of 16 Last opponent: NAC Breda | Eliminated in Play-Off round Last opponent: Slavia Prague | Eliminated in First Round Last opponent: Dinamo Zagreb | 3rd place 69 points in 34 matches qualified for UEFA Cup |
* Klaas-Jan Huntelaar finishes as topscorer of the Eredivisie with 33 goals in 34 matches.
* Maarten Stekelenburg is voted Player of the Year by the supporters of AFC Ajax.
* Jan Vertonghen is voted Talent of the Year by the supporters of AFC Ajax.
* John Heitinga is voted Dutch Footballer of the Year by De Telegraaf and Football International.
* Klaas-Jan Huntelaar wins the Bronze boots award.

## Results

All times are in CEST

### Amsterdam Tournament
#### Final standings of the LG Amsterdam Tournament 2007

| Team | Pld | W | D | L | GF | Pts |
| Arsenal | 2 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 3 | 9 |
| Atlético Madrid | 2 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 3 | 6 |
| Ajax | 2 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 2 | 5 |
| Lazio | 2 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 2 | 2 |

### Dubai Cup
#### Final standings of the Mohammed Bin Rashid International Football Championship Dubai 2008

| Ajax | KNVB Cup – 4th place |
| Internazionale | 2006–07 Serie A – Runner-up |
| Internacional | 2006 FIFA Club World Cup – Winner |
| VfB Stuttgart | 2006–07 Bundesliga – 3rd place |
| Semi-finals | Semi-finals | Final | Final |
| 5 January | 5 January |
| Internacional | 1 |
| Internacional | 1 | 7 January | 7 January |
| VfB Stuttgart | 0 | 7 January | 7 January |
| VfB Stuttgart | 0 | Internacional | 2 |
| 5 January | 5 January | | Internacional | 2 |
| 5 January | 5 January | Internazionale | 1 |
| Internazionale | 2(5) | Internazionale | 1 |
| Ajax | 2(4) | | |
| Ajax | 2(4) | Third place | Third place |
| | | 7 January | 7 January |
| | | Ajax | 0 |
| | | VfB Stuttgart | 1 |

### Friendlies
## 2007–08 transfers
### Summer transfer window

For a list of all Dutch football transfers in the summer window (1 July 2007 to 1 September 2007), please see List of Dutch football transfers summer 2007.

#### Arrivals

* The following players moved to AFC Ajax.
| Name | Position | Transfer type | Previous club | Fee |
| Return from loan spell | Return from loan spell | Return from loan spell | Return from loan spell | Return from loan spell |
| Michael Krohn-Dehli | Midfielder | 15 May 2007 | Sparta Rotterdam | - |
| Robbert Schilder | Defender | 15 May 2007 | Heracles | - |
| Donovan Slijngard | Midfielder | 15 May 2007 | Groningen | - |
| Jan Vertonghen | Midfielder | 15 May 2007 | RKC Waalwijk | - |
| Transfer | Transfer | Transfer | Transfer | Transfer |
| Laurent Delorge | Midfielder | 10 May 2007 | ADO Den Haag | €800,000 |
| Dennis Rommedahl | Forward | 20 July 2007 | Charlton Athletic | €1,000,000 |
| Jürgen Colin | Defender | 1 August 2007 | Norwich City | €100,000 |
| Luis Suárez | Forward | 10 August 2007 | Groningen | €7,500,000 |
| Albert Luque | Forward | 25 August 2007 | Newcastle United | €8,200,000 |
| Free Transfer | Free Transfer | Free Transfer | Free Transfer | Free Transfer |
| Erik Heijblok | Goalkeeper | 1 July 2007 | HFC Haarlem | - |
| Kennedy Bakircioglu | Forward | 18 July 2007 | Twente | - |
| Ismael Urzaíz | Forward | 19 July 2007 | Athletic Bilbao | - |

#### Departures

* The following players moved from AFC Ajax.
| Name | Position | Transfer type | New club | Fee |
| Out on loan | Out on loan | Out on loan | Out on loan | Out on loan |
| Rydell Poepon | Forward | 30 January 2007 | Willem II | - |
| Kenneth Vermeer | Goalkeeper | 24 May 2007 | Willem II | - |
| Transfer | Transfer | Transfer | Transfer | Transfer |
| Tom De Mul | Forward | 9 July 2007 | Sevilla | €4,500,000 |
| Kenneth Perez | Forward | 11 July 2007 | PSV | €1,500,000 |
| Ryan Babel | Forward | 13 July 2007 | Liverpool | €11,500,000 |
| Wesley Sneijder | Midfielder | 12 August 2007 | Real Madrid | €27,000,000 |
| Free Transfer | Free Transfer | Free Transfer | Free Transfer | Free Transfer |
| Zdeněk Grygera | Defender | 4 June 2007 | Juventus | - |
| Emmanuel Boakye | Defender | 18 June 2007 | Heracles | - |
| Michael Timisela | Defender | 6 July 2007 | VVV-Venlo | - |
| Roger | Midfielder | 7 July 2007 | — | - |
| Derk Boerrigter | Forward | 16 July 2007 | FC Zwolle | - |
| Olaf Lindenbergh | Midfielder | 31 August 2007 | Sparta Rotterdam | - |

### Winter transfer window

For a list of all Dutch football transfers in the winter window (1 January 2008 to 1 February 2008) please see List of Dutch football transfers winter 2007–08.

#### Arrivals

* The following players moved to AFC Ajax.
| Name | Position | Transfer type | Previous club | Fee |
| Loan | Loan | Loan | Loan | Loan |
| Samuel Kuffour | Defender | 28 January 2008 | Roma | - |
| Transfer | Transfer | Transfer | Transfer | Transfer |
| Kenneth Perez | Forward | 1 January 2008 | PSV | €1,250,000 |
| Bruno Silva | Defender | 20 January 2008 | Groningen | €3,750,000 |
| Rasmus Lindgren | Midfielder | 28 January 2008 | Groningen | €3,500,000 |

#### Departures

* The following players moved from AFC Ajax.
| Name | Position | Transfer type | New club | Fee |
| Out on loan | Out on loan | Out on loan | Out on loan | Out on loan |
| Robbert Schilder | Defender | 30 January 2008 | Heracles | - |
| Transfer | Transfer | Transfer | Transfer | Transfer |
| Hedwiges Maduro | Defender | 18 January 2008 | Valencia | €6,500,000 |
| Free Transfer | Free Transfer | Free Transfer | Free Transfer | Free Transfer |
| Jaap Stam | Defender | 27 October 2007 | — | - |