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THE HAGUE, May 23-- With a style that brings back memories of the good old times, Ajax are back at the European forefront again, as the Dutch club are to play their first European final since 1996 on Wednesday against Manchester United in Stockholm. Donny van de Beek, one of the most promising prospects of Dutch football, is eager to show himself in Stockholm, Sweden, as starter or as substitute. "It has been such a long time ago for Ajax since the last final," Van de Beek told Xinhua at the Ajax training center. "I even haven't experienced this as a fan. I notice that this is very special for the people, for the fans. They only talk about one thing: Stockholm." Born in 1997, after the last European final of Ajax, the 20-year-old midfielder is a product of the famous Ajax youth academy, which produced so many big names like Marco van Basten, Frank Rijkaard and the late Johan Cruyff and Piet Keizer. "For a long time people in the Netherlands thought that it was not possible for Dutch clubs to play in European finals, due to the financial differences between Dutch clubs and other countries," Ajax head coach Peter Bosz added during the international press conference in Amsterdam last week. "But we managed it. I have the feeling that everybody in the Netherlands is proud of us. That is important for Dutch football." Every soccer lover knows about the famous Ajax of the beginning of the seventies. Under guidance of master Johan Cruyff the Amsterdam based giants conquered Europe by winning the European Champions Cup three times in a row, in 1971, 1972 and 1973. The attacking style of play was breaking with an international trend of defensive soccer at that time. | 
