Champions League

After two victories, Ajax suffered its first loss in the group phase of the Champions League against Chelsea on Wednesday. The match in the Johan Cruijff Arena in Amsterdam ended 0-1 after a goal by Quincy Promes was rejected by the video assistant referee (VAR). The Amsterdam players feel "robbed". 

The Amsterdam police arrested 303 supporters of French football club Lille OSC at the Strandvliet subway station in Amsterdam on Tuesday for disrupting public order. The large group of football fans lit fireworks, used violence and walked on the subway tracks. By Tuesday night, eight of them were still in custody, the police said on Twitter.

Ajax advanced to the Champions League playoffs with a 3-2 victory against PAOK Saloniki in Amsterdam on Tuesday. After a 2-2 draw between the Amsterdam and Greek teams in Thessaloniki last week, the one goal victory was just enough for Ajax to go through to the next round, NOS reports.

Dusan Tadic scored two goals from three penalties for the Amsterdam team. Nicolas Tagliafico scored the third. Diego Bisewar, the only Dutch player in Greek service, scored the visiting club's two goals. 

Four Amsterdam men were sentenced to jail by a British court for causing an affray and assaulting a police officer before a Champions League match between Ajax and Tottenham Hotspur in London on April 30th. The four Ajax fans are also banned from attending football matches in the United Kingdom for six years, the local police said in a statement.

The city of Amsterdam is getting ready to celebrate Ajax's victory in the Eredivisie and the Amsterdam team's great performance in the Champions League. For the first time since 2011, the celebration will be held on the Museumplein in the center of the city. The square opens to celebrators at 1:00 p.m., and the official festivities will start at 4:00 p.m.

The Ajax players are extremely disappointed by their last-second elimination from the Champions League in the semi-final against Tottenham Hotspur on Wednesday, but they are also proud of how far they've come and the impressive season they've had in the league. 

Excitement is mounting in Amsterdam as the Champions League semi-final match between Ajax and Tottenham Hotspur approaches. Ajax fans are planning the "biggest entrada ever" at the Johan Cruijff stadium before the match. Statistically, Ajax has a very good chance to make it through to the finals or the first time since 1996, NU.nl reports.

Tottenham Hotspur warned the football club's supporters to steer clear of a number of bars in Amsterdam, in general advise to fans travelling to Amsterdam for Wednesday's Champions League semi-final match against Ajax. The match is scheduled for 9 p.m. at the Johan Cruijff ArenA in Amsterdam Zuidoost.

Last week Amsterdam mayor Femke Halsema said that she will consider holding a celebration on the Museumplein should Ajax win the Champions League. But the people who live around the square are against such a party. "Unfortunately, at this time the Museumplein can no longer handle this party", residents' association Vereniging Buurtbelang Museumplein said in a letter to the mayor, Het Parool reports.

The letter is signed by six board members of the association. Exactly how many residents the association represents, is not clear.

While Ajax is delighted with their 0-1 win against Tottenham Hotspur on Tuesday, the team emphasized that it is not yet time to celebrate. The Amsterdam team is a big step closer to the Champions League final, but they still face a difficult job in the return at the Johan Cruijff Arena next week. 

"We stand with one toe in the final. It is no more than that", Ajax defender Joel Veltman said to NU.nl reports. "Tottenham has a top team, they can still rectify this."

Ajax is facing of against the Tottenham Hotspurs in London tonight in the first semi-final match for the Champions League. While fans are optimistic about the Amsterdam team's chances, the bookies currently favor Tottenham.