Louis van Gaal retires: Barcelona, Bayern Munich and Manchester United but his finest hour was with Ajax — what happened to THAT great side of 1995?
SunSport looks back at the careers of the Amsterdam giants’ Champions League heroes who defeated AC Milan in Vienna
LOUIS VAN GAAL produced this sensational 'pure' footballing triumph of the mid-1990s'.
With Jari Litmanen as the lynchpin, the great Ajax team which beat AC Milan 1-0 to win the Champions League, with an average age of 23, in 1995.
Constant innovators, the Amsterdam giants brought us Total Football and even made shirt sponsors look cool, as they wore theirs vertically.
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The Dutch side were packed full of stars who would go onto have fantastic careers after the Bosman ruling ripped the team apart.
Stars fled primarily for Milan and Barcelona, and within two seasons, it was a whole new squad.
SunSport looks back at the wonderful, young Ajax team which became the cream of Europe nearly 22 years ago.
Goalkeeper
Edwin van der Sar
SNUBBED the chance to replace Peter Schmeichel at Manchester United in 1999, and moved to Juventus instead.
After two disappointing seasons in Italy, he made the switch to newly-promoted Fulham in the Premier League, before eventually moving to Old Trafford in 2005.
Van der Sar won four league titles and Champions League during six successful seasons as a Red Devil.
Is now a marketing director at Ajax.
Defence
Michael Reiziger
FULL-BACK joined Milan in 1996, but moved with Van Gaal to Barcelona a year later after an injury hit campaign.
Reiziger won two league titles and a Copa del Rey during his seven seasons in Spain, before joining Middlesbrough in 2004.
He then went back home with PSV Eindhoven, and added another two domestic championships.
Danny Blind
SKIPPER of the side and father of current United star Daley Blind.
Retired four years later, in 1999, at the age of 38.
Now manager of the Dutch national side which failed to qualify for Euro 2016.
Frank Rijkaard
SENIOR statesman of the team.
Rijkaard retired straight after this match — which brought him his third European Cup victory after two with Milan.
He then managed the Netherlands at Euro 2000, before leading Barcelona to two league titles and the Champions League in 2006.
Also bossed Galatasaray and the Saudi Arabia national team.
Frank de Boer
HAD already been in the first team for seven seasons by the time he lined up against Milan in Vienna.
De Boer joined Barcelona in 1999, where he won a league title. Following a year with Galatasaray, he moved to Rangers in 2004 before finishing his career in Qatar.
He managed Ajax and to four Eredivisie titles in a row, before a shocking spell in charge of Inter Milan.
Midfield
Clarence Seedorf
MOST successful graduate of the team.
Seedorf became the first man to win three Champions Leagues with three different teams when he won it with Milan 2003, having also won it with Real Madrid in 1998 — he added a fourth with the Italian giants in 2007.
He stayed in Italy until 2012, before ending his playing days in Brazil.
Seedorf briefly managed Milan in 2014.
Edgar Davids
ANOTHER who joined Fabio Capello at Milan — and another who left after just one season.
Joined Juventus in 1997 and stayed there until 2004, when he moved to Barcelona on loan.
Davids then moved to Tottenham for two seasons, before returning to Ajax and finishing his career back in England — first with Crystal Palace and then, bizarrely, Barnet.
Jari Litmanen
AJAX'S star man.
Executed the free role to perfection and was key in the club’s journey to the final.
Litmanen finished third in the 1995 Ballon d’Or standings — behind George Weah and Jurgen Klinsmann.
Like most of his team-mates, he moved to Barcelona in 1999, then joined Liverpool in 2001 where he won the FA Cup, League Cup and Uefa Cup.
He left after one season and played for another seven clubs — including a return to Ajax and a term at Fulham — before retiring in 2011.
Undoubtedly, the greatest Finnish player of all time.
Attack
Finidi George
NIGERIAN won eight major trophies during his three seasons at Ajax.
He left in 1996 and spent four years in Spain with Mallorca and Betis — before moving to newly-promoted Ipswich in 2000.
Although, he couldn’t stop relegation in 2002 and moved back to Spain where he retired in 2004.
Marc Overmars
PACEY winger moved to Arsenal in 1997, where he was a massive hit as the Gunners won the Double under Arsene Wenger.
However, it was just a stepping stone to the usual Ajax player’s journey — as he eventually moved to Barcelona in 2000.
Overmars spent a trophyless four years in Spain, before finishing his career with Go Ahead Eagles in his native Holland.
Is now a director of football at Ajax.
Ronald de Boer
TWIN brother of Frank, Ron played as Ajax’s outlet in Vienna.
Moved with his sibling to Barca in 1999.
But left for Rangers after just one season — and was again joined by Frank in 2004.
Also finished his playing days in Qatar.
Subs
Nwankwo Kanu
REPLACED Seedorf on 53 minutes.
Unlike most of his team-mates, the Nigerian moved across Milan to city-rivals Inter in 1996, where he won the Uefa Cup, before joining Arsenal in 1999.
He won two league titles — and was part of the Invincibles in 2004.
The joined West Brom and Portsmouth — for whom he scored the winner in 2008 FA Cup final.
Patrick Kuivert
REPLACED Litmanen with 70 showing on the clock — and netted the only goal of the game 15 minutes later.
Finished fifth in the Ballon d’Or standings in 1995 — before moving to Barcelona via Milan.
Left the Nou Camp for Newcastle in 2004.
He then played for Valencia, PSV and Lille before retiring in 2008.
Fred Grim
Unused.
Sub goalkeeper was 30 at the time.
Stayed with the club until 2002 before retiring.
Winston Bogarde
Unused.
Also moved to Barcelona via Milan.
Famously joined Chelsea in 2000 — and made nine appearances in four years.
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Peter van Vossen
Unused.
Moved to Turkey with Istanbulspor after the match.
Played for another five clubs — including Rangers — before retiring in 2004.