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Daley Blind

Daley Blind (Dutch pronunciation: [ˈdeːli ˈblɪnt]; born 9 March 1990) is a Dutch professional footballer who plays for La Liga club Girona. He has been deployed in a variety of defensive roles – as a left-back, centre-back, and defensive midfielder. He is the son of former Ajax defender and former Netherlands national team manager Danny Blind.

Daley Blind
Blind playing for Manchester United in 2016
Personal information
Full name Daley Blind[1]
Date of birth (1990-03-09) 9 March 1990 (age 34)[2]
Place of birth Amsterdam, Netherlands
Height 1.80 m (5 ft 11 in)[3]
Position(s) Centre-back, left-back, defensive midfielder
Team information
Current team
 Girona
Number 17
Youth career
1995–1998 Amsterdamsche FC
1998–2008 Ajax
Senior career*
Years Team Apps (Gls)
2008–2014 Ajax 102 (3)
2010 → Groningen (loan) 17 (0)
2014–2018 Manchester United 90 (4)
2018–2023 Ajax 124 (7)
2023 Bayern Munich 4 (0)
2023– Girona 48 (1)
International career
2004 Netherlands U15 1 (0)
2006 Netherlands U16 4 (0)
2006–2007 Netherlands U17 13 (3)
2007–2009 Netherlands U19 16 (0)
2009–2013 Netherlands U21 23 (0)
2013–2024 Netherlands 108 (3)
Medal record
Men's football
Representing  Netherlands
FIFA World Cup
Third place 2014 Brazil
UEFA Nations League
Runner-up 2019 Portugal
*Club domestic league appearances and goals, correct as of 23:28, 14 December 2024 (UTC)

Blind rose through the youth ranks at Ajax, becoming a regular after a loan to Groningen, and won four consecutive Eredivisie titles with the club. In September 2014, he transferred to Manchester United for £13.8 million, where he was part of the team that won four trophies including the FA Cup, EFL Cup and UEFA Europa League. In the summer of 2018, Blind returned to Ajax, where he won his fifth Eredivisie title and a first-ever KNVB Cup in his first season back at the club. He won two more Eredivisie titles before moving to Bayern Munich, where he won the Bundesliga during a six-month spell. Blind signed for Spanish club Girona in 2023.

A full Netherlands international from 2013 to 2024, Blind earned over 100 caps, and was a member of the Dutch squad that finished third at the 2014 FIFA World Cup. He went on to feature at UEFA Euro 2020, the 2022 World Cup and Euro 2024.

Club career

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Ajax

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Blind began his career in the youth academy of his hometown club, Ajax; the same club where his father Danny made his name as a professional.[4] Blind is a product of the Ajax youth system and, while officially still a B-junior, he became a mainstay in the A-juniors during the 2007–08 season[5] before earning promotion to the Ajax first-team for the 2008–09 season.[6] He showed good promise as a youngster and was made captain of Jong Ajax in 2007.[7] He signed his first professional contract at the age of 17, tying him to the club until 1 July 2010.[5]

On 7 December 2008, Blind made his debut in the Ajax first-team in the away match against FC Volendam. Blind made an immediate impact when he forced a corner kick through a Volendam defender, from which Jan Vertonghen scored the winning goal for Ajax.[6] On 19 December 2008, he signed a contract extension keeping him with Ajax until 30 June 2013.[8][9]

Loan to Groningen

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On 5 January 2010, he joined Groningen on loan for the remainder of the 2009–10 season, during the winter transfer window.[10] At Groningen, Blind was mainly used as a right back.[11] He was almost sold to Groningen for €1.5 million by Ajax on a permanent basis but the move did not materialize.[7]

Back from loan spell

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Blind playing for Ajax in 2011

The following two seasons saw Blind contribute to two Eredivisie national championships with Ajax, for the 2010–11 season, and the 2011–12 season, the first of which would be Ajax's 30th championship title. However, Blind's performances when given the chance were unconvincing and he was even booed off the field in an Eredivisie game.[7] Under newly appointed manager Frank de Boer, Blind would be given more and more trust and playing time, earning him the place as the first-choice left back with a permanent starting position during the 2012–13 season.[12]

On 23 April 2013, it was announced by Marc Overmars that Ajax and Blind had reached an agreement to extend his contract for three years, binding him to the club until the summer of 2016.[13] On 5 May, Blind contributed to Ajax's third Dutch Eredivisie title in a row, marking the club's 32nd national title, helping to defeat Willem II 5–0 at home, and securing the top position on the table just one match day from season's end. Later that day it was announced that Blind had been declared AFC Ajax Player of the Year for the 2012–13 season, after playing an outstanding fifth year for Ajax, from the starting left-back position.[citation needed]

During the 2013–14 season, De Boer moved Blind back to his natural defensive central midfielder position and was named Dutch Footballer of the Year as Ajax won a fourth consecutive league title.[14]

Manchester United

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On 30 August 2014, Manchester United reached an agreement to sign Blind, subject to a medical and agreement of personal terms.[15] The transfer was completed on 1 September 2014, for a fee of £13.8 million.[16]

 
Blind playing for Manchester United in 2017

Blind made his debut 13 days after his signing, playing the full 90 minutes as United beat Queens Park Rangers 4–0 at Old Trafford for their first victory of the season.[17] His first goal for the club came on 20 October, a 20-yard strike that earned United a 2–2 draw at West Bromwich Albion.[18]

On 16 November, Blind sustained a knee ligament injury in the Netherlands' UEFA Euro 2016 qualifier against Latvia[19] which kept him out of the Manchester United team for the remainder of 2014. On 11 January 2015, Blind returned to the United team, starting in defence in a 1–0 loss to Southampton at Old Trafford.[20] On 8 February, he scored an injury-time equaliser for United in a 1–1 draw against West Ham.[21]

 
Blind taking a corner for Manchester United in the 2017–18 UEFA Champions League

Although throughout the previous season Blind was used as a defensive midfielder or left back, Blind started the season as a centre back, where he played for the majority of the season. On 12 September 2015, he scored his first goal of the season in a 3–1 win against Liverpool at Old Trafford, also being named man of the match for his performance.[22]

He began the 2016–17 Premier League season as first-choice centre back alongside Chris Smalling, however, lost his place in the team following a return to form of Phil Jones and Marcos Rojo. He worked his way back to the first-team, but featured mostly at left back, replacing first-choice left-back Luke Shaw. He scored his first goal of the season against Sunderland on Boxing Day, charging into the box to connect with a pass from Zlatan Ibrahimović and finishing low into the bottom corner.[23] He started the Europa League final against his former team Ajax, which Manchester United won 2–0.[24]

Return to Ajax

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On 17 July 2018, both Manchester United and Ajax announced they had agreed a transfer for Blind to return to Ajax for a four-year deal and a fee of €16 million with conditional add-ons.[25][26] On 16 December 2018, Blind scored his first senior hat-trick, in an 8–0 league win over De Graafschap at home, whilst playing as a centre back.[27]

In August 2020, Blind collapsed during a pre-season friendly and was due for medical exams before returning to training.[28]

On 27 December 2022, Blind and Ajax mutually terminated his contract and Blind left the club as a free agent.[29]

Bayern Munich

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On 5 January 2023, Blind joined Bundesliga club Bayern Munich on a contract until the end of the season.[30]

Girona

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On 7 July 2023, Blind joined La Liga club Girona on a two-year contract.[31] On 12 August 2023, he made his debut for the club in a 1–1 draw against Real Sociedad. On 3 January 2024, Blind scored his first goal for Girona in a 4–3 win over Atlético Madrid. It was the club's first ever league victory over Atlético and the result ensured that Girona would be equal on points with Real Madrid at the top of the table at the halfway point of the La Liga season.[32]

International career

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Blind training with the Netherlands national team in 2014

Youth

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Blind was called up to the Netherlands under-17 squad for 2007 European Championships. After missing out the opening match through suspension, he scored a brace against Iceland in the second match[33] but picked up an ankle injury in that match that ended his participation in the remainder of the tournament.[34] He was called up to the under-21 team for several 2011 European Championship qualifiers but did not leave the bench. On 13 October, he made his first appearance in the campaign, coming on as a substitute for Ajax teammate Siem de Jong in a 4–0 win away at Poland.

Senior

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Having had previous call-ups, Blind made his debut for the Netherlands senior team on 6 February 2013, in the starting left-back position, against Italy in a friendly at the Amsterdam Arena. The match ended in a 1–1 draw, with Blind playing the full 90 minutes.[35]

In June 2014, he was selected in the Netherlands squad for the 2014 FIFA World Cup. He was a starter at left wing back for the team's opening match against Spain, assisting goals for Robin van Persie and Arjen Robben, as the Oranje won 5–1.[36] He scored his first goal for the Netherlands in a 3–0 defeat of Brazil in the third-place play-off.[37] He would later score in a friendly against Mexico later that year.[38]

After the team had failed to qualify for both UEFA Euro 2016 and the 2018 FIFA World Cup, Blind was included in the Netherlands squad for the 2019 UEFA Nations League Finals, where he started at left back in both the semi-final win against England and final loss to Portugal.[39][40]

He was selected for teams played in the UEFA Euro 2020[41] and 2022 FIFA World Cup.[42] He scored his first goal for the Netherlands in eight years in the latter competition's round of 16 win over the United States.[43]

On 24 March 2023, Blind played his 100th match for the Netherlands in a 4–0 away defeat against France during the UEFA Euro 2024 qualifying.[44][45]

After initially being cut from the Netherlands' squad for the 2023 UEFA Nations League Finals, Blind was recalled as a replacement for the injured Matthijs de Ligt on 12 June 2023.[46] He was an unused substitute against both Croatia in the semi-final and Italy in the third place play-off.[47][48]

On 29 May 2024, Blind was named in the Netherlands' squad for UEFA Euro 2024.[49] On 14 August of that year, it was announced that Blind retired from international football with 108 caps.[50]

Personal life

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He is the son of former Ajax defender and former Netherlands national team manager Danny Blind.[5] His wife gave birth to their son in October 2019.[citation needed]

On 21 December 2019, it was revealed Blind had been diagnosed with myocarditis, and had been fitted with an implantable cardioverter-defibrillator.[51]

Career statistics

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Club

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As of match played 14 December 2024[52][53]
Appearances and goals by club, season and competition
Club Season League National cup[a] League cup[b] Europe Other Total
Division Apps Goals Apps Goals Apps Goals Apps Goals Apps Goals Apps Goals
Ajax 2008–09 Eredivisie 5 0 0 0 — 1[c] 0 — 6 0
2009–10 0 0 0 0 — 0 0 — 0 0
2010–11 10 0 4 0 — 4[d] 0 0 0 18 0
2011–12 21 0 1 0 — 3[e] 0 1[f] 0 26 0
2012–13 34 2 3 0 — 8[g] 0 1[f] 0 46 2
2013–14 29 1 6 0 — 8[g] 0 1[f] 0 44 1
2014–15 3 0 0 0 — 0 0 0 0 3 0
Total 102 3 14 0 — 24 0 3 0 143 3
Groningen (loan) 2009–10 Eredivisie 17 0 0 0 — — 2[h] 0 19 0
Jong Ajax 2009–10 Beloften Eredivisie 0 0 1 0 — — — 1 0
2013–14 Eerste Divisie 1 0 — — — — 1 0
Total 1 0 1 0 — — — 2 0
Manchester United 2014–15 Premier League 25 2 4 0 0 0 — — 29 2
2015–16 35 1 7 1 2 0 12[i] 0 — 56 2
2016–17 23 1 1 0 3 0 11[d] 0 1[j] 0 39 1
2017–18 7 0 1 0 3 0 6[k] 1 0 0 17 1
Total 90 4 13 1 8 0 29 1 1 0 141 6
Ajax 2018–19 Eredivisie 34 5 5 1 — 18[k] 0 — 57 6
2019–20 20 0 2 0 — 11[l] 0 1[f] 1 34 1
2020–21 23 1 3 0 — 8[m] 0 — 34 1
2021–22 34 1 3 0 — 8[k] 1 1[f] 0 46 2
2022–23 13 0 0 0 — 5[k] 0 1[f] 0 19 0
Total 124 7 13 1 — 50 1 3 1 190 10
Bayern Munich 2022–23 Bundesliga 4 0 1 0 — 0 0 — 5 0
Girona 2023–24 La Liga 34 1 3 2 — — — 37 3
2024–25 14 0 2 0 — 3[k] 0 — 20 0
Total 48 1 5 2 — 3 0 — 56 3
Career total 386 15 47 4 8 0 106 2 9 1 556 22
  1. ^ Includes KNVB Cup, FA Cup, DFB-Pokal, Copa del Rey
  2. ^ Includes EFL Cup
  3. ^ Appearance in UEFA Cup
  4. ^ a b Appearances in UEFA Europa League
  5. ^ Two appearances in UEFA Champions League, one appearance in UEFA Europa League
  6. ^ a b c d e f Appearance in Johan Cruyff Shield
  7. ^ a b Six appearances in UEFA Champions League, two appearances in UEFA Europa League
  8. ^ Appearances in Eredevisie European play-offs
  9. ^ Eight appearances in UEFA Champions League, four appearances in UEFA Europa League
  10. ^ Appearance in FA Community Shield
  11. ^ a b c d e Appearances in UEFA Champions League
  12. ^ Nine appearances in UEFA Champions League, two appearances in UEFA Europa League
  13. ^ Five appearances in UEFA Champions League, three appearances in UEFA Europa League

International

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Appearances and goals by national team and year[54]
National team Year Apps Goals
Netherlands 2013 8 0
2014 17 2
2015 9 0
2016 8 0
2017 10 0
2018 8 0
2019 9 0
2020 5 0
2021 14 0
2022 11 1
2023 5 0
2024 4 0
Total 108 3
Scores and results list Netherlands goal tally first, score column indicates score after each Blind goal.[54]
List of international goals scored by Daley Blind
No. Cap Date Venue Opponent Score Result Competition Ref.
1 19 12 July 2014 Estádio Nacional Mané Garrincha, Brasília, Brazil   Brazil 2–0 3–0 2014 FIFA World Cup [37]
2 24 12 November 2014 Amsterdam Arena, Amsterdam, Netherlands   Mexico 2–3 2–3 Friendly [38]
3 98 3 December 2022 Khalifa International Stadium, Al Rayyan, Qatar   United States 2–0 3–1 2022 FIFA World Cup [43]

Honours

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Ajax[55]

Manchester United

Bayern Munich

Netherlands

Individual

See also

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References

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  1. ^ "Updated squads for 2017/18 Premier League confirmed". Premier League. 2 February 2018. Retrieved 15 February 2018.
  2. ^ "2014 FIFA World Cup Brazil: List of players: Netherlands" (PDF). FIFA. 10 June 2014. p. 25. Archived from the original (PDF) on 25 June 2014. Retrieved 15 February 2018.
  3. ^ "Daley Blind: Overview". Premier League. Retrieved 15 February 2018.
  4. ^ "Ajax Showtime - Nieuws over Ajax, Jong Ajax en Ajax-jeugd". ajaxshowtime.com.
  5. ^ a b c "Ajax sign Daley Blind". Ajax.nl. 29 March 2007. Archived from the original on 28 February 2008. Retrieved 11 December 2008.
  6. ^ a b "Blind helps Ajax win in debut". Ajax.nl. 7 December 2008. Archived from the original on 17 December 2008. Retrieved 11 December 2008.
  7. ^ a b c Ramesh, Priya (20 June 2014). "Love is 'Blind': Profiling Ajax & Netherlands stalwart Daley Blind". Benefoot.net. Archived from the original on 4 July 2014. Retrieved 20 June 2014.
  8. ^ "New contract for Daley Blind". Ajax.nl. 19 December 2008. Archived from the original on 8 February 2009. Retrieved 29 December 2008.
  9. ^ "Daley Blind langer bij Ajax". De Telegraaf (in Dutch). 19 December 2008.[permanent dead link‍]
  10. ^ "Daley Blind on loan to FC Groningen". Ajax.nl. 5 January 2010. Archived from the original on 9 January 2010. Retrieved 27 April 2010.
  11. ^ "Daley Blind maakt furore bij FC Groningen". Ajax Life. 26 March 2010. Archived from the original on 3 September 2014. Retrieved 31 August 2014.
  12. ^ "Blind, exponent nieuw Ajax (Dutch)". NOS.nl. 20 November 2012. Retrieved 6 February 2013.
  13. ^ "Blind verlengt contract bij Ajax (Dutch)". Algemeen Dagblad. 23 April 2013. Retrieved 24 April 2013.
  14. ^ "Daley Blind". FIFA. Archived from the original on 12 June 2014. Retrieved 17 June 2014.
  15. ^ "United agree deal for Blind". Manchester United. 30 August 2014. Retrieved 1 September 2014.
  16. ^ "Daley Blind: Man Utd sign Dutch international for £13.8m". BBC Sport. 1 September 2014. Retrieved 1 September 2014.
  17. ^ "Man Utd 4–0 QPR". BBC Sport. 14 September 2014.
  18. ^ "West Brom 2–2 Man Utd". BBC Sport. 20 October 2014. Retrieved 21 October 2014.
  19. ^ "Manchester United say Daley Blind knee injury will be 'long story'". The Guardian. 21 November 2014. Retrieved 26 January 2015.
  20. ^ "Manchester United 0–1 Southampton: Saints leapfrog United into third after Dusan Tadic seals shock win". The Mirror. 11 January 2015. Retrieved 26 January 2015.
  21. ^ Johnston, Neil (8 February 2015). "West Ham 1–1 Man Utd". BBC Sport. Retrieved 10 February 2015.
  22. ^ McNulty, Phil (12 September 2015). "Man Utd 3–1 Liverpool". BBC Sport (British Broadcasting Corporation). Retrieved 13 September 2015.
  23. ^ "Manchester United v Sunderland Live Commentary & Result, 26/12/2016, Premier League". goal.com. Goal. 26 December 2016. Retrieved 7 April 2020.
  24. ^ "Manchester United vs. Ajax lineups: Blind, Fellaini and Mkhitaryan all handed starts". thebusbybabe.com. 24 May 2017. Retrieved 7 April 2020.
  25. ^ "Ajax rondt transfer Daley Blind af" (Press release) (in Dutch). AFC Ajax. 17 July 2018. Archived from the original on 15 May 2019. Retrieved 17 July 2018.
  26. ^ Froggatt, Mark (17 July 2018). "Blind completes transfer from United back to Ajax". Manchester United F.C. Retrieved 17 July 2018.
  27. ^ Netherton, Alexander (16 December 2018). "Football news - Ajax hit eight against De Graafschap". Eurosport. Retrieved 16 December 2018.
  28. ^ "Blind 'feeling fine' after collapsing". BBC Sport. 26 August 2020.
  29. ^ "Ajax and Daley Blind terminate contract". AFC Ajax. 27 December 2022. Retrieved 27 December 2022.
  30. ^ "FC Bayern sign Daley Blind". FC Bayern Munich. 5 January 2023. Retrieved 5 January 2023.
  31. ^ "Daley Blind, a versatile defender for Girona". Girona. 7 July 2023. Retrieved 7 July 2023.
  32. ^ "Girona Beat Atletico Madrid 4-3 Despite Alvaro Morata Hat-Trick". Sports Illustrated. 3 January 2024. Retrieved 4 January 2024.
  33. ^ "Blind double lifts Dutch". UEFA. 4 May 2007.
  34. ^ "Sidelined Blind's faith in team". UEFA. 6 May 2007.
  35. ^ "Netherlands vs Italy 1–1". Soccerway. 6 February 2012. Retrieved 6 February 2013.
  36. ^ "Holland's risky strategy pays off as they repeatedly catch Spain napping". The Guardian. 14 June 2014. Retrieved 17 June 2014.
  37. ^ a b Rose, Gary (13 July 2014). "Brazil 0–3 Netherlands". BBC Sport. British Broadcasting Corporation. Archived from the original on 22 October 2017. Retrieved 18 December 2017.
  38. ^ a b "Netherlands 2–3 Mexico". BBC Sport. British Broadcasting Corporation. 12 November 2014. Retrieved 18 December 2017.
  39. ^ Atkin, John (6 June 2019). "Netherlands 3-1 England: Nations League at a glance". Estádio D. Afonso Henriques: UEFA. Retrieved 2 February 2020.
  40. ^ Taylor, Daniel (9 June 2019). "Portugal win Nations League as Gonçalo Guedes does for the Netherlands". The Guardian. Estádio do Dragão. Retrieved 2 February 2020.
  41. ^ "Frank de Boer maakt EK-selectie bekend" [Frank de Boer announces European Championship squad] (in Dutch). Royal Dutch Football Association. 26 May 2021. Retrieved 26 May 2021.
  42. ^ "Van Gaal maakt 26-koppige WK-selectie bekend" [Van Gaal announces 26-man World Cup squad] (in Dutch). Royal Dutch Football Association. 11 November 2022. Retrieved 12 November 2022.
  43. ^ a b McNulty, Phil (3 December 2022). "Netherlands 3-1 USA: Dutch overcome USA to book quarter-final spot". BBC Sport. British Broadcasting Corporation. Retrieved 4 December 2022.
  44. ^ "How France beat Netherlands 4-0 thanks to Mbappe double in opening Euro 2024 qualifier". The Athletic. 24 March 2023.
  45. ^ "Daley Blind in illustrious row with hundredth international match for Orange | Football". Paudal. 24 March 2023.
  46. ^ "Calf injury knocks De Ligt out of Nations League finals". Reuters. 12 June 2023. Retrieved 7 June 2024.
  47. ^ "Netherlands vs Croatia". UEFA. 15 June 2023. Retrieved 7 June 2024.
  48. ^ "Netherlands vs Italy". UEFA. 18 June 2023. Retrieved 7 June 2024.
  49. ^ "Netherlands Euro 2024 squad: Ian Maatsen dropped, Georginio Wijnaldum and Daley Blind retained". The New York Times. 29 May 2024. Retrieved 7 June 2024.
  50. ^ "Blind quits Dutch national team after 108 caps". Reuters. 14 August 2024.
  51. ^ "Daley Blind: Ajax defender diagnosed with heart condition". BBC. 21 December 2019. Retrieved 12 January 2020.
  52. ^ Daley Blind at Soccerbase
  53. ^ Daley Blind at Soccerway
  54. ^ a b "Daley Blind". National Football Teams. Benjamin Strack-Zimmermann. Retrieved 9 December 2022.
  55. ^ "D. Blind – Honours". Soccerway. Retrieved 26 February 2017.
  56. ^ "Neres' stoppage-time goal seals Dutch Cup win". Ajax website. 18 April 2021. Retrieved 18 April 2021.
  57. ^ McNulty, Phil (21 May 2016). "Crystal Palace 1–2 Manchester United". BBC Sport. Retrieved 26 April 2019.
  58. ^ McNulty, Phil (26 February 2017). "Manchester United 3–2 Southampton". BBC Sport. Retrieved 26 April 2019.
  59. ^ Bevan, Chris (7 August 2016). "Community Shield: Leicester City 1–2 Manchester United". BBC Sport. Retrieved 26 April 2019.
  60. ^ McNulty, Phil (24 May 2017). "Ajax 0–2 Manchester United". BBC Sport. Retrieved 26 April 2019.
  61. ^ "Dortmund draw gifts Bayern title on thrilling final day". BBC Sport. 27 May 2023. Archived from the original on 27 May 2023. Retrieved 27 May 2023.
  62. ^ Rose, Gary (12 July 2014). "Brazil 0–3 Netherlands". BBC Sport. Retrieved 5 August 2022.
  63. ^ Hafez, Shamoon (9 June 2019). "Portugal 1–2 Netherlands". BBC Sport. Retrieved 25 July 2019.
  64. ^ "Daley Blind: Talent van het Jaar.htm". Ajax.nl.
  65. ^ "Blind speler van het jaar bij Ajax". NOS. 5 May 2013.
  66. ^ "Blind winnar gouden schoen". Goal.com. Archived from the original on 17 January 2015. Retrieved 8 August 2014.
  67. ^ "Frenkie de Jong Eredivisie Player of the Season 2018/2019". Eredivisie. 16 May 2019. Retrieved 31 August 2021.
  68. ^ "Sportgala van Amsterdam". AjaxShowtime.nl. Archived from the original on 17 December 2014. Retrieved 16 December 2014.
  69. ^ "UEFA Europa League Squad of the Season". UEFA. 25 May 2017. Retrieved 7 April 2020.
  70. ^ "UEFA Nations League Finals: Team of the Tournament". UEFA. 10 June 2019. Retrieved 11 June 2019.
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