Daley Blind can become national champion for the seventh time with Ajax on Wednesday evening and with that he is approaching record holders Sjaak Swart and Johan Cruijff. For trainer Erik ten Hag, a third championship in a row with the team from Amsterdam beckons, with which he would equal Rinus Michels and Louis van Gaal.

If Ajax wins against sc Heerenveen, then the 32-year-old Blind’s seventh title with Ajax will be a fact. The Orange international, who became champion with the club in 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014, 2019 and 2021, will then be on a level with Wim Suurbier (7) and Barry Hulshoff (7). Only Cruijff (8) and Swart (8) are still above that. Blind’s father Danny Blind conquered five championship cups as an Ajax player.

Davy Klaassen is going for his fifth title with Ajax and Maarten Stekelenburg is chasing his fourth championship. Last year, at the age of 38, the goalkeeper became the oldest Ajax player ever to be crowned champion and now he can become the fourth player ever to win an Eredivisie title after his 39th birthday.

Stekelenburg then follows in the footsteps of Pim Doesburg (at 43 with PSV in 1987) Jan Heintze (at 39 with PSV in 2003) and Sander Boschker (at 39 with FC Twente in 2010).

De Boer remains record holder

The club record for most national titles in a row is in the name of Frank de Boer with four: in 2011, 2012, 2013 and 2014. Ten Hag, who will leave for Manchester United after this season, can become champion for the third time in a row with Ajax and Of course, the corona year 2020 does not count in this. At the time, Ajax finished first, but the club could not call itself champion, because the season was cut short.

Van Gaal led Ajax to the title in 1994, 1995 and 1996 and under Michels the club became champion in 1966, 1967, 1968 and 1970. The Eredivisie record for most championships is held by Guus Hiddink, who won six titles with PSV (1987, 1988, 1989, 2003, 2005 and 2006).

Ajax-sc Heerenveen starts on Wednesday, like all other matches in round 33, at 8 p.m. The match will be played in the Johan Cruijff ArenA and is led by referee Allard Lindhout. If Ten Hag’s team does not take the title against the Frisians, then a last chance awaits Vitesse in the away match on Sunday.