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New name for Amsterdam Arena

The Dutch stadium is to be renamed after former Ajax player Johan Cruyff as of the start of the 2018–19 football season

By IQ on 09 Apr 2018

Coldplay's A Head Full of Dreams tour visited Amsterdam Arena in 2016 (John Reedijk)

Coldplay's A Head Full of Dreams tour visited Amsterdam Arena in 2016


image © John Reedijk

Amsterdam Arena will as of this August be known as the Johan Cruyff Arena, in tribute to one of the city’s most famous sons.

The stadium, which has a capacity of 53,000 for concerts, is home to the Ajax football club, where Cruyff played from 1964–1973 and 1981–1983. With the start of the 2018–2019 season, the venue will change its name to Johan Cruyff Arena (Johan Cruijff Arena in Dutch), “to give Johan Cruyff a worthy tribute and to realise the broadly supported wish expressed by [late Amsterdam mayor] Eberhard van der Laan on behalf of the city,” says Henk Markerink, director of Amsterdam Arena.

The venue’s new logo will be unveiled on 25 April, which would have been Cruyff’s birthday.

“We are proud to be able to bear his name”

“We are happy to pay permanent tribute to the football legend Johan Cruyff, a great Amsterdammer,” continues Markerink. “As a stadium, we are proud to be able to bear his name. This will resonate globally.”

Cruyff, widely regarded as one of the greatest association footballers of all time, passed away aged 68 on 24 March 2016.

The venue that will bear his name has in recent years hosted shows by Beyoncé, Coldplay, Muse, Rihanna, Roger Waters and AC/DC. It was also formerly home to EDM festival Sensation.

 


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