Barcelona-bound Ajax midfielder Frenkie de Jong has revealed that his Dutch side are very capable of coming away with a positive result when they welcome European champions Real Madrid to the Johan Cruyff Arena on Wednesday.
The Eredivisie giants will face World Club Cup champions Real Madrid over two legs in the knockout phases, starting with a home game at the Johan Cruyff Arena on the 13th of February.
Ajax have been very disappointing in the Champions League in the last couple of years, failing to reach the quarter finals of the competition since 2003.
However, they got eliminated at that stage of the competition in 2003 by eventual winners AC Milan, and the fans must have had no complaints as the Ajax players gave their all to the team.
The four-time UEFA Champions League winners last lifted the trophy as far back as in 1995. Frenkie de Jong, who is now an integral member of this new Ajax squad, had not even been born at the time, to emphasize how long ago that was.
In truth, this will be de Jong’s last season with Ajax following the completion of his big-money move to Spanish champions Barcelona last month.
The Netherlands international is very optimistic ahead of the two-legged matches against Real Madrid, insisting his side can come out victorious at the end of the fiery battles at Ajax and Madrid respectively.
Speaking with Het Kontakt, the young midfielder acknowledged that the game will be a very tough one, considering they are facing a team that have won the Champions League four times in the last four years.
de Jong, however, remains optimistic ahead of the big game.