Everything old is new against for Dutch Eredivisie powerhouses AFC Ajax.
The 36-time Dutch first-division champions based in Amsterdam announced on Sunday, November 17, that they would be officially reverting to their classic crest full-time in time for the start of the 2025-26 season. This means the new old crest will be used on match shirts and “gradually implemented across all of the club’s expressions.”
The classic crest was used from 1928 to 1991, at which time the club switched to a more abstract version — drawn with just 11 lines to represent the 11 players on a soccer team — that they have ever since. Both versions depict a bust of the Greek war hero Ajax, who was an important figure in the Trojan War.
Ajax celebrated the return of the classic logo on Sunday during an exhibition match between legends of their club and legends from Spanish club Real Madrid at the Johan Cruijff ArenA in Amsterdam.
Ajax will celebrate the 125th anniversary of its founding on March 18, 2025.
“We know that the majority of our fans have cherished this wish for years, and we felt that our 125th anniversary was the perfect moment to give back the classic logo to our fans and ourselves,” said Ajax CEO Menno Geelen on the club’s website. “Furthermore, history has shown that we are at our best when we remain true to the Ajax DNA. That’s why we are doing everything within the club to uphold that DNA, from our football philosophy to our core values. Bringing back the classic logo symbolizes this commitment and serves as both a tribute to our rich history and an inspiration for the future—a future that relies on everything we hold dear about our club.”
“The 125th anniversary feels like a very fitting moment to give the logo back to the club, the fans, and ourselves,” added Ernst Boekhorst, chair of the club’s board of directors. “We are delighted to make such a contribution.”
Ajax used the classic crest on its home kits as recently as 2021-22, when it helped with the 1970s throwback aesthetic they were trying to achieve.