Ajax players and 100,000 fans celebrate in Amsterdam

Ajax sealed the 2018/19 title in Doetinchem. Photo: Maurice van Steen/VI via HH

More than 100,000 people packed into Amsterdam’s Museumplein on Thursday afternoon to celebrate Ajax’s league and cup double.

The father and brother of Abdelhak Nouri, the young Ajax player felled by brain damage in July 2017, took to the stage to show the championship shield to fans.

Nouri played in shirt number 34 and all the team were wearing number 34 shirts on the podium in his honour – and in honour of the club’s 34th league title, which was Nouri’s ambition.

At one point police urged people planning to travel to the festivities to stay home because the area was full to overflowing. The Museumplein is full, city officials said on Twitter.

The Van Gogh and Stedelijk museums were closed because of the expected crowds, and three secondary schools were forced to move school final exams to a new location because of the noise and disturbance.

On Wednesday evening, Ajax clinched the Dutch Eredivisie title for the first time since 2014 and earlier took the KNVB Cup for the first time in nine years. The Amsterdammers also narrowly failed to make the Champions League final.

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