Van Praag: "Ajax wants to buy the ArenA"

08 June: Ajax has the ambition the buy the Amsterdam ArenA in the future. The club wants to be "the boss inside its own house," according to chairman Michael van Praag.

"I expect that it will be possible for Ajax to become the owner in the next ten years. In the current situation, we pay an annual 13 million guilders a year to Stadium Amsterdam Ltd. for playing at the ArenA. The disadvantage of that, is that we have to ask permission for everything."

"The prices for beverages, foods and other products are examples of things we can't control. We would prefer to be in charge ourselves."

Quite surprisingly, Van Praag underscored to newspaper De Telegraaf that Ajax is not planning to ban American football team, the Amsterdam Admirals, from the stadium. The chairman stated that the ArenA will always be happy to host non-football events.

Source: AT5 Text, De Telegraaf