De Meer Stadium

You are now standing on the spot where the center spot of the forerunner of the Johan Cruijff Arena used to be. Far away from the megastadiums and commercial world of modern soccer, Ajax's true home for many years was Stadium De Meer. Located in the Watergraafsmeer, between the gardens, residential neighborhoods and sounds of the city, from 1934 to 1996 De Meer was the setting for legendary matches, rising talent and unforgettable Ajax moments.

When the stadium opened on Dec. 9, 1934, it held about 22,000 spectators. Later that was expanded to over 29,000. Yet De Meer always remained orderly, intimate and - above all - Amsterdam. Here people were close to the field, and as a supporter you felt every shot, every tackle, every goal.

In De Meer, club icons grew up. This is where Johan Cruijff first showed his class, and generations of Ajac players poured onto the field: Van Basten, Rijkaard, Bergkamp, Kluivert - all started here. De Meer was not a concrete colossus, but a soccer house where you could climb over the fence as a child, where the smell of grass and fries mingled, and where you sometimes stood so close to the field that you could hear the goalkeeper calling.

At the same time, De Meer was also limited. Top European soccer had to be played at the Olympic Stadium, because De Meer did not meet UEFA requirements. And as Ajax grew, the stadium did not grow with it. In 1996, Ajax bid a final farewell to De Meer and moved to the modern Johan Cruijff ArenA in Southeast.

But for those who were there, De Meer remains the real Ajax. No stadium that felt so familiar, so full of memories - and where soccer was still something of the neighborhood, the club and the city. In the place where the stadium stood, street names like "Anfieldroad" and "Wembley" still recall the glory of yesteryear. But in the heart of the supporter, De Meer lives on - as the stadium where Ajax was home.