{"product_id":"1997-98-ajax-amsterdam-alex-shirt","title":"Ajax Amsterdam 1997-98 Umbro Home Vintage Jersey ALEX","description":"\u003ch2 style=\"font-size:1.8em;font-weight:bold;margin-bottom:16px;\"\u003eAjax Amsterdam 1997-98 Umbro Shirt — The Post-Champions League Era with ALEX Flocking\u003c\/h2\u003e\n\n\u003cp style=\"font-size:1.1em;line-height:1.8;margin-bottom:20px;\"\u003eThe 1997-98 season, Amsterdam. \u003cstrong\u003eAjax\u003c\/strong\u003e is emerging from an absolutely insane golden period and beginning a reconstruction after the hemorrhage of players to major European clubs. This \u003cstrong\u003eUmbro home shirt flocked with ALEX\u003c\/strong\u003e — a first name, not a surname — is the kind of piece that tells a precise story, that of a club rebuilding its empire from the ashes of a legendary generation.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003ch2 style=\"font-size:1.4em;font-weight:bold;margin-top:28px;margin-bottom:12px;\"\u003eShirt Details\u003c\/h2\u003e\n\u003cp style=\"line-height:2;margin-bottom:20px;\"\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eSeason:\u003c\/strong\u003e 1997-98\u003cbr\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eClub:\u003c\/strong\u003e Ajax Amsterdam\u003cbr\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eType:\u003c\/strong\u003e Home\u003cbr\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eKit Manufacturer:\u003c\/strong\u003e Umbro\u003cbr\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eSponsor:\u003c\/strong\u003e ABN AMRO\u003cbr\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eCondition:\u003c\/strong\u003e 8\/10\u003cbr\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eState:\u003c\/strong\u003e LITTLE PULLS, SLIGHTLY USED PRINTINGS — authentic wear of a worn vintage shirt, not a display shirt fresh out of the box\n\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003ch2 style=\"font-size:1.4em;font-weight:bold;margin-top:28px;margin-bottom:12px;\"\u003eWhat this shirt represents\u003c\/h2\u003e\n\n\u003cp style=\"line-height:1.8;margin-bottom:14px;\"\u003eBetween 1994 and 1996, \u003cstrong\u003eAjax Amsterdam\u003c\/strong\u003e won almost everything — \u003cstrong\u003eChampions League 1995\u003c\/strong\u003e, UEFA Super Cup, Intercontinental Cup. Then the machine broke down. Davids, Seedorf, Kluivert, De Boer, Davids again — all left for Italy or Spain one by one. The \u003cstrong\u003e1997-98 season\u003c\/strong\u003e represents this pivotal period when the club had to reassemble a competitive team without the stars who had made all of Europe tremble.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003cp style=\"line-height:1.8;margin-bottom:20px;\"\u003eDespite everything, the \u003cstrong\u003eUmbro shirt from this season\u003c\/strong\u003e remains associated with quality players. \u003cstrong\u003eJari Litmanen\u003c\/strong\u003e, the brilliant Finn, was still present that season, one of the last big names from the glorious era still wearing the colors of the \u003cstrong\u003eAmsterdam ArenA\u003c\/strong\u003e. Ronald de Boer was part of the squad, as were young talents emerging from the legendary \u003cstrong\u003eDe Toekomst\u003c\/strong\u003e academy. The Ajax DNA remained intact, even if the context had changed.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003ch2 style=\"font-size:1.4em;font-weight:bold;margin-top:28px;margin-bottom:12px;\"\u003eMoments etched into this shirt\u003c\/h2\u003e\n\n\u003cp style=\"line-height:1.8;margin-bottom:12px;\"\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eThe 1997-98 Eredivisie title — the answer to skeptics\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\nDespite massive departures, \u003cstrong\u003eAjax won the Dutch championship\u003c\/strong\u003e that season, proving that their youth academy system remained superior to anything else the country could produce. It is with this shirt that the club demonstrated its resilience and its ability to rebuild without ever losing its level of national domination.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003cp style=\"line-height:1.8;margin-bottom:12px;\"\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eJari Litmanen — the last of the Mohicans\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\nThe Finnish number 10, \u003cstrong\u003eone of the best players in Ajax history\u003c\/strong\u003e, continued to illuminate the Amsterdam ArenA with his precise passes and surgical free-kicks. To see him wearing this Umbro shirt with the ABN AMRO sponsor is to witness the last appearances of a cult player before his departure to FC Barcelona.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003cp style=\"line-height:1.8;margin-bottom:20px;\"\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eThe ALEX flocking — a collector's curiosity\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\nA first name alone on a \u003cstrong\u003evintage football shirt\u003c\/strong\u003e is already a peculiarity that catches the eye of any serious collector. In the Eredivisie in the 90s, some Brazilian players wore their first name rather than their surname — a footballing tradition that gives this shirt an additional character and a unique identity among pieces from that era.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003ch2 style=\"font-size:1.4em;font-weight:bold;margin-top:28px;margin-bottom:12px;\"\u003eAuthentic vs Replica\u003c\/h2\u003e\n\n\u003cp style=\"line-height:1.8;margin-bottom:14px;\"\u003eAn \u003cstrong\u003eauthentic vintage shirt\u003c\/strong\u003e is not a run-of-the-mill fan shirt. It is a piece designed to be worn in real conditions — different cut, period technical fabric, finishes that meet the demands of professional players. The word \"authentic\" in the world of \u003cstrong\u003ecollector football shirts\u003c\/strong\u003e means you hold in your hands what the players wore on the pitch, or at least its exact commercial equivalent sold at the time.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003cp style=\"line-height:1.8;margin-bottom:20px;\"\u003eThis shirt displays an \u003cstrong\u003e8\/10\u003c\/strong\u003e condition with some small pulls and slight wear on the flocking — exactly what you expect from a piece that has lived. This is not a defect; it is proof of authenticity. An \u003cstrong\u003eUmbro Ajax 1997-98 shirt\u003c\/strong\u003e in perfect condition, straight out of its original packaging, hardly exists anymore — and if it does, the price rarely matches reality.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003ch2 style=\"font-size:1.4em;font-weight:bold;margin-top:28px;margin-bottom:12px;\"\u003eVintage Size Guide\u003c\/h2\u003e\n\n\u003cp style=\"line-height:1.8;margin-bottom:14px;\"\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eVintage sizes from the 90s\u003c\/strong\u003e are consistently smaller than modern sizes. A 1997 M does not correspond to a 2024 M — far from it. Umbro in particular cut quite tightly during this period, with fitted cuts designed for the pitch rather than for the comfort of a fan in the stands. Anticipate one size above your usual size if you are between two sizes.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003cp style=\"line-height:1.8;margin-bottom:20px;\"\u003eBefore confirming your order, take the time to measure: shoulder-to-shoulder width, chest circumference, and back length. Compare with the actual measurements of the shirt if they are available rather than relying solely on the label. A \u003cstrong\u003ecollector's shirt\u003c\/strong\u003e worn with the right measurements is incomparably better than a too-small shirt stored at the back of a shelf.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003ch2 style=\"font-size:1.4em;font-weight:bold;margin-top:28px;margin-bottom:12px;\"\u003eWhy have it in your collection\u003c\/h2\u003e\n\n\u003cp style=\"line-height:1.8;margin-bottom:14px;\"\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eAjax Amsterdam of the late 90s\u003c\/strong\u003e remains one of the most fascinating periods in European football — not necessarily for its results that specific season, but for what it symbolizes in the club's history. It is the transition between a legendary generation and a reconstruction. \u003cstrong\u003eUmbro shirts from this era\u003c\/strong\u003e are increasingly difficult to find in good condition, and flocked examples with Brazilian first names like ALEX add an extra collector's dimension that generic shirts lack.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003cp style=\"line-height:1.8;margin-bottom:20px;\"\u003eA vintage \u003cstrong\u003eAjax shirt\u003c\/strong\u003e in 8\/10 condition with original flocking is a tangible rarity. There are not many in this condition on the market — most comparable pieces show either much more pronounced wear, or half-peeled flocking, or worse, redone flocking that completely distorts the authenticity of the piece. Here, you know exactly what you are buying: an honest, living piece, with its history intact.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003ch2 style=\"font-size:1.4em;font-weight:bold;margin-top:28px;margin-bottom:12px;\"\u003eTo go further\u003c\/h2\u003e\n\u003cul style=\"line-height:2.2;margin-bottom:16px;\"\u003e\n\n\u003cli\u003e\u003ca href=\"https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/AFC_Ajax\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\"\u003eAjax Amsterdam — Wikipedia\u003c\/a\u003e\u003c\/li\u003e\n\n\u003cli\u003e\u003ca href=\"https:\/\/www.footballkitarchive.com\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\"\u003eFootball Kit Archive — History of shirts\u003c\/a\u003e\u003c\/li\u003e\n\n\u003cli\u003e\u003ca href=\"https:\/\/www.uefa.com\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\"\u003eUEFA — European Football\u003c\/a\u003e\u003c\/li\u003e\n\n\n\u003c\/ul\u003e\n\n\u003cp style=\"font-style:italic;line-height:1.8;\"\u003eIf you're a fan of Ajax, the Umbro era, or just pieces that have something to tell — this shirt ticks all the boxes. It's up to you to see if you're ready to give it a good home.\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"Ajax","offers":[{"title":"M","offer_id":54007724572947,"sku":"309892","price":99.99,"currency_code":"EUR","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0949\/4839\/3235\/files\/eng_pm_1997-98-AJAX-AMSTERDAM-ALEX-SHIRT-M-309892_1.jpg?v=1775279814","url":"https:\/\/supporterid.com\/en\/products\/1997-98-ajax-amsterdam-alex-shirt","provider":"SUPPORTER ID®","version":"1.0","type":"link"}