Former Ajax, Juventus and Manchester United goal keeper, Edwin Van Der Sar, who is the marketing director of his first major club says Ajax will head to China after the 2015/2016 season.
Ajax have announced plans to tour China with a full strength squad. They will stay in Beijing and Shenyang from May 13th to the 19th where they will play a friendly against Chinese Super League club Liaoning Whowin FC in Shenyang on the 18th. The first team squad is also scheduled to have a clinic for a local youth team then a public training session and other various activities in both cities.
Van der Sar in a press release said:
“It is a long-cherished wish to go to China with Ajax.
“After our Asian trip to Indonesia in 2014, we now visit China. It’s good for Ajax to be internationally visible with this tour.
“It will be a nice experience for players and staff and, of course, China is home to Ajax sponsors CST (tire producer), Huawei (telecommunications equipment and service provider), Sengled (smart-lighting company) and Le Sports (sports subsidiary of Internet group Le Eco) and an important market for our sponsors Adidas and Mercedes.”
Ajax are the all-time leading Dutch champions with 33 league titles and are poised to win another as the club leads the current table with four matches left. The club has also won four European Champions Cup/Champions League (1971, 1972, 1973 and 1995) and two Intercontinental Cups (1972, 1995).
Edwin Van Der Sar has been to China before as Ajax director and he also accompanied Dutch King Willem-Alexander during a state visit to China. The goal keeper recently visited Amsterdam to pay his respects to Johan Cruyff following his death. While there, he heaped praises on the legend calling him the “greatest player” Ajax has ever produced.