AFC Ajax is one of the most successfulfootball clubs inEurope. They have won theEuropean Cup/Champions League four times, and are one of three clubs that have won the competition three times consecutively. Ajax have also won theUEFA Cup Winners' Cup once, theUEFA Cup once, theUEFA Super Cup three times, theIntercontinental Cup twice and theInternational Football Cup once. The club has also appeared in three additional finals finishing as runners-up. In the 1979–80 season, Ajax playerSøren Lerby was the top scorer of the European Cup with ten goals. Below is a list of all official European matches contested by Ajax.[1]
Ajax made their inaugural appearance in European competition during the1957–58 European Cup. In the first round, they faced East German sideWismut Karl-Marx-Stadt, securing a 3–1 victory at home and a 1–0 win away, advancing with a 4–1 aggregate score. In the quarter-finals, Ajax drew 2–2 with Hungarian clubVasas SC inAmsterdam but suffered a 4–0 defeat inBudapest, resulting in a 6–2 aggregate loss and their elimination from the tournament.
After their initial foray, Ajax participated in the1960–61 European Cup but were eliminated in the preliminary round by Norwegian clubFredrikstad FK, following a 4–3 loss away and a 0–0 draw at home. The decade also saw Ajax's first major European success when they won the International Football Cup in 1962, defeatingFeyenoord 4–2 in the final. In the1968–69 European Cup, Ajax reached the final but were defeated 4–1 byAC Milan.
After a period of transition, Ajax returned to European prominence by winning theUEFA Cup Winners' Cup in 1987, defeatingLokomotive Leipzig 1–0 in the final. They reached the final again in 1988 but were narrowly defeated byMechelen.
The 1990s saw Ajax reclaim their status among Europe's elite. They won theUEFA Cup in 1992, becoming one of the few clubs to have won all three major European competitions. In 1995, Ajax secured their fourthChampions League title by defeatingAC Milan 1–0 in the final. They reached the final again in1996 but were defeated byJuventus in a penalty shoot-out.
The early 2000s presented challenges for Ajax in European competitions. They reached theChampions League quarter-finals in the 2002–03 season but struggled to maintain consistent performances in subsequent years. Despite these hurdles, Ajax continued to develop young talents, laying the foundation for future successes.
Ajax experienced a resurgence in the late 2010s. They advanced to theUEFA Europa League final in 2017 but were defeated byManchester United. In the2018–19 Champions League, Ajax reached the semi-finals, showcasing a dynamic and youthful squad that earned admiration across Europe.
In the2020–21 UEFA Europa League, Ajax advanced to the quarter-finals, demonstrating their ongoing competitiveness in European tournaments. The club remains committed to its philosophy of developing young talent and playing an attractive, attacking style of football, aiming to build upon its rich European legacy.
^Ajax won 3–0 in the replay played in Paris, France.
^The match was abandoned in the 104th minute with the score at 1–1 after Austria Wien's goalkeeperFranz Wohlfahrt wasstruck by an iron rod thrown from the home stand. As a result, Ajax had to concede the match by default and were excluded from competing in European football for a year. Austria Wien won 4–0 on aggregate.
^The tournament was founded in 1961–62, but was only taken over by UEFA in 1995. Therefore the results of Intertoto Cup before the year 1995 are excluded from the statistics.
^Intertoto Cup was founded first in 1961–62, but was only taken over by UEFA in 1995. Therefore the results of Intertoto Cup before the year 1995 are excluded from this table.
^The team was named as SV Casino Salzburg between 1978 and 1997. It is named as FC Red Bull Salzburg since 2005
^The team was named as CSKA September Flag between 1968 and 1985. It is called as PFC CSKA Sofia since 2016
^The team was named as Levski-Spartak between 1969 and 1985. It is called as Levski Sofia since 1990.
^The team was named as Croatia Zagreb between 1993 and 2000. Its name is changed back to its original name Dinamo Zagreb since 2000.
^The team was playing for former Yugoslavia before 1992.
^The team was named as Bohemians ČKD Praha between 1965 and 1993. It is named as Bohemians Praha 1905 since 2013.
^The team was named as Baumit Jablonec between 2008 and 2015.
^The team was named as SC Wismut Karl-Marx-Stadt between 1954 and 1991. It is named as FC Erzgebirge Aue since 1991.