‘I had a grass allergy a week before the Champions League final. My eyes were red, my throat was sore and I didn’t feel right but I played anyway’ Jari Litmanen on his European triumph at Ajax

Ajax players celebrate with the Champions League trophy after winning the 1995 final against AC Milan.

Ajax’s 1995 Champions League win remains one of the most memorable triumphs in modern football history.

Louis van Gaal’s young, largely homegrown side looked to be the perfect modern template for success, combining Dutch flair and technical ability with physicality. Many predicted that years of European dominance would follow, but instead this would be the high-water mark of the team, as the newly-established Bosman ruling would soon rip apart the side.