{"product_id":"afc-ajax-1998-1999-home-matchworn-6-ronald-de-boer","title":"AFC Ajax 1998-1999 Home Matchworn and signed #6 Ronald de Boer","description":"\u003cp\u003eAjax endured a turbulent and disappointing 1998‑1999 campaign, collapsing to \u003cstrong\u003e6th place in the Eredivisie\u003c\/strong\u003e—their lowest finish since 1965—just one year after dominating the league. The season was marked by inconsistent performances, defensive instability, and the mid‑season dismissal of manager \u003cstrong\u003eMorten Olsen\u003c\/strong\u003e, replaced by Jan Wouters. In Europe, Ajax finished bottom of their Champions League group, struggling against Olympiacos, Porto, and Croatia Zagreb. Despite the overall decline, the club salvaged some pride by \u003cstrong\u003ewinning the KNVB Cup\u003c\/strong\u003e, offering a rare highlight in an otherwise difficult transitional year marked by key departures (including Edwin van der Sar and Ronald de Boer) and the arrival of talents like Jesper Grønkjær and Georgi Kinkladze.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eFrank and Ronald de Boer left Ajax for Barcelona in the winter of 1999, joining a growing Dutch contingent at the club that already included Reiziger, Bogarde and Kluivert. Their departure came during a turbulent period at Ajax: results were declining, internal tensions were rising, and the relationship between coach Morten Olsen and several senior players had deteriorated. At the same time, Louis van Gaal—Barcelona’s coach and former Ajax manager—was under heavy pressure in Spain despite winning two league titles, frequently clashing with the media and even facing extreme criticism from some supporters. \u003cbr\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"RetrOriginalFootball","offers":[{"title":"AFC Ajax","offer_id":54320674898258,"sku":null,"price":999999.0,"currency_code":"EUR","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0585\/1312\/9648\/files\/PXL_20260728_200103332.jpg?v=1787167921","url":"https:\/\/retroriginalfootball.com\/en-de\/products\/afc-ajax-1998-1999-home-matchworn-6-ronald-de-boer","provider":"RetrOriginalFootball","version":"1.0","type":"link"}