Established in 2005 as part of the annual Amsterdam Sport Weekend, a citywide sponsored initiative to promote 'sports and recreation' within the city of Amsterdam, the Copa Amsterdam is an international football youth tournament held in the historic Olympic Stadium since 2010. It was originally held at Sportpark Sloten, home of Blauw-Wit Amsterdam from its inception in 2005 up until 2009. Each summer the city of Amsterdam and AFC Ajax invites U-19 teams from various top clubs from around the World to play in the tournament. Seven teams are invited and participate in the competition every year with the ninth edition of the tournament having occurred in 2013. Over the years, clubs such as Barcelona, Juventus, Olympique de Marseille, Real Madrid have had their senior youth teams participate in the tournament. While hosts Ajax have won the tournament twice, Cruzeiro from Brazil have won it the most, holding a total of three titles to their name. Other teams who have brought home the cup include Panathinaikos, AZ, Chelsea and Ajax Cape Town. The prizes and awards were handed out by Johan Cruijff in 2009 and 2011, in 2010 it was done by Daley Blind and by Sjaak Swart two years later. Since the 2011 edition, the tournament has been broadcast live on Eredivisie Live on Dutch national television and over the internet with commentary by Leo Driessen, Mark van Rijswijk and Ron de Rijk. The tournament is attended by prominent local football legends such as Frits Barend, Johan Cruijff and Danny Blind, and is frequented by many talent scouts. In accordance with the theme of the annual Amsterdam Sport Weekend however, an amateur team is put together consisting of local youth players, which is then coached by former Ajax players such as Ronald de Boer did with Men United in the 9th Edition of the tournament. In order to promote sport and recreation in the community, and to give young players an opportunity to present themselves at a high competitive level, coming from Amsterdam and the Region. Other teams that were assembled include the AT5 United, an all-star team composed of local Amsterdam talent, as well as FC NH which was an assembled selection of youth talent from the Dutch province of Noord Holland as a whole, and not limited to Amsterdam.
The Board of Advisors for the tournament consists of seven members, namely John Jaakke, Theo van Duivenbode, Jaap de Groot, René Zegerius, Oege Boonstra, Ronald de Boer and Maarten Oldenhof.
Tournament results
2005 (1st Edition)
Final placement
2006 (2nd Edition)
Final placement
2007 (3rd Edition)
Final placement
2008 (4th Edition)
Final placement
2009 (5th Edition)
Final placement
2010 (6th Edition)
Final placement
2011 (7th Edition)
Final placement
2012 (8th Edition)
Final placement
2013 (9th Edition)
Final placement
2014 (10th Edition)
Final placement
2015 (11th Edition)
Final placement
2016 (12th Edition)
Final placement
2017–2018
For the first time in 12 years the tournament was not held in 2017 due to scheduling issues, with the organizational body making an official statement, that the tournament would presume the following year.
2019 (13th Edition)
The following year the tournament was withheld once more. On April 25th, 2019 Ajax announced that the tournament would finally presume, and will be held on the 29th and 30th of June at the Olympic Stadium. The invited teams include Ajax Cape Town, Sagan Tosu and Sparta Rotterdam.
Ajax
Cruzeiro
Ajax Cape Town
Panathinaikos
Chelsea
Anderlecht