The AFC Ajax 1989-91 Away Retro Football Shirt recreates one of Ajax’s most distinctive alternative looks from the turn of the 1990s, covering the 1989/90 and 1990/91 period in which the club returned to the top of Dutch football and a young Dennis Bergkamp developed into its leading attacking star.
The Away design moves dramatically away from Ajax’s traditional red-and-white home identity. The 1989/90 version uses a blue base with fine vertical detailing and a striking red, white and blue geometric graphic across the lower body and sleeves, finished with a contrasting white collar. The 1990/91 variation continued the blue theme with an all-over geometric pattern in different shades of blue and white collar and cuff detailing.
The shirt is associated with an exciting Ajax generation featuring Dennis Bergkamp, Danny Blind, Aron Winter, Frank de Boer, Ronald de Boer, Bryan Roy, Stefan Pettersson, John van ’t Schip, Richard Witschge and Marciano Vink.
Across these two seasons Ajax won the 1989/90 Eredivisie championship, then finished runners-up in 1990/91 as Bergkamp produced his breakthrough 25-goal league campaign.
Please refer to the size guidance on this product page for detailed measurements.
AFC Ajax 1989-91 Away L/S Jersey
Buy 4 selected tops & save 20% · Buy 3 selected Tops & save 15%
Size Guidance (Retro Jersey)
Size Chest (in) Length (in) Rec. Height (ft/in) Rec. Weight (lb) S 39 28 65–67 121–132 M 41 28 67–69 132–154 L 43 29 69–71 154–176 XL 44 30 71–75 176–198 XXL 46 31 75–79 198–220 Note: All sizes are for reference only. Manual measurement may result in an error of ±1 inch.
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TOP FIT
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Season Information
Seasons: 1989/90 – 1990/91
Club: AFC Ajax
Country: Netherlands
Competition: Eredivisie / KNVB Cup / UEFA Cup
Kit Type: Away
Stadium: De Meer Stadion
Head Coach: Leo Beenhakker
1989/90 Eredivisie: Champions
1990/91 Eredivisie: 2nd
1989/90 League Top Scorer for Ajax: Aron Winter – 10 goals
1990/91 League Top Scorer for Ajax: Dennis Bergkamp – 25 goals
Key Players: Dennis Bergkamp, Danny Blind, Aron Winter, Frank de Boer, Bryan Roy, Stefan Pettersson, John van ’t Schip, Jan Wouters, Marciano Vink
Historical Significance: Ajax’s return to the Dutch championship in 1989/90 and Dennis Bergkamp’s transformation into the club’s leading goalscorer the following season1989/90 – Ajax Return to the Top
The first season represented by this Away shirt was a significant one in Ajax history.
Under Leo Beenhakker, Ajax reclaimed the Eredivisie championship in 1989/90, ending a five-season wait for the Dutch league title. The squad combined established senior players with a young generation that would become increasingly important to Ajax during the early 1990s.
Danny Blind was a central figure in defence, while Jan Wouters and Aron Winter provided experience and quality through midfield. Bryan Roy, John van ’t Schip and the Witschge brothers added creativity, while Swedish striker Stefan Pettersson operated as an important centre-forward.
Aron Winter finished as Ajax’s leading Eredivisie scorer with 10 goals, while Bergkamp contributed eight league goals from 25 appearances.
For Bergkamp, this was still a developmental season rather than the finished article that would dominate Dutch football over the next several years.
A Short and Controversial UEFA Cup Campaign
Ajax’s European involvement in 1989/90 ended in unusual circumstances.
The club faced Austria Wien in the first round of the UEFA Cup. After losing the first leg 1–0, Ajax appeared to have forced the return match into extra time in Amsterdam.
During extra time, however, Austria Wien goalkeeper Franz Wohlfahrt was struck by an object thrown from the crowd. The match was abandoned and the consequences extended beyond the immediate tie.
Ajax were eliminated and subsequently received a suspension from European competition. As a result, despite becoming Dutch champions in 1989/90, Ajax did not participate in the 1990/91 European Cup.
This explains why the 1990/91 team—despite being defending Eredivisie champions—has no European campaign attached to the season.
1990/91 – Bergkamp Becomes the Star
Ajax were even stronger statistically in the league during 1990/91, recording 22 wins, nine draws and only three defeats from 34 matches. They scored 75 goals and conceded only 21, but ultimately finished second in the Eredivisie.
The defining individual story was Dennis Bergkamp.
Bergkamp started all 33 of his league appearances and scored an extraordinary 25 Eredivisie goals, compared with eight the previous season.
His 25 goals also placed him level with PSV’s Romário at the top of the Eredivisie scoring standings.
This was the beginning of Bergkamp’s extraordinary run as Ajax’s dominant scorer. He followed his 1990/91 breakthrough by again becoming the club’s leading scorer in both 1991/92 and 1992/93, before leaving Amsterdam in 1993.
A Generation Taking Shape
The 1990/91 squad is particularly interesting when viewed with the benefit of hindsight.
Alongside Bergkamp were Frank de Boer, Ronald de Boer, Wim Jonk and Marciano Vink, while Michael Reiziger was beginning his senior career. Danny Blind remained the experienced defensive leader, with Aron Winter, Bryan Roy and Richard Witschge among the established first-team players.
The season records show Blind making 37 official appearances, Frank de Boer and Bergkamp 36 each, Richard Witschge and John van ’t Schip 35, Winter 34 and Roy 32.
Several of these players would become part of the wider transition toward the Ajax side developed under Louis van Gaal during the early and mid-1990s.
The 1989-91 Away shirt therefore captures Ajax at a fascinating point in its history: Dutch champions in 1989/90, followed immediately by the emergence of Dennis Bergkamp as one of European football’s outstanding young attackers.
Rec. Player Printing Options
Printing Recommendation BERGKAMP 10 The standout overall choice. Bergkamp was part of the 1989/90 championship side before exploding for 25 Eredivisie goals in 1990/91. No.10 best represents the attacking role with which he later became synonymous, although he wore several numbers during this era. PETTERSSON 9 One of the strongest period-accurate striker options. Stefan Pettersson was Ajax’s established centre-forward and is documented wearing No.9 during 1989/90. (Transfermarkt) WINTER 8 An excellent championship-season choice. Aron Winter finished as Ajax’s leading league scorer with 10 goals in 1989/90 and was a major presence in midfield. BLIND 4 A classic Ajax defensive option. Danny Blind was one of the most dependable players across the period and would go on to become one of the defining leaders of Ajax’s next great European side. FRANK DE BOER 3 A strong young-player choice. Frank de Boer was already an important first-team defender during the 1989/90 championship season and became a major Ajax figure throughout the following decade. ROY 11 A distinctive attacking option. Bryan Roy was one of the talented young wide players in Beenhakker’s team and featured regularly across both seasons. VAN ’T SCHIP 7 A classic Ajax winger choice. John van ’t Schip was an established first-team player throughout the period and remained a regular during both campaigns. WOUTERS 6 An excellent experienced midfield option. Jan Wouters provided leadership and defensive strength in the title-winning 1989/90 side before leaving Ajax during the following campaign. BERGKAMP 10 has the strongest overall association with an AFC Ajax 1989-91 Away Retro Football Shirt because this exact period captures the moment his career accelerated dramatically.
In 1989/90, Bergkamp scored eight goals in 25 Eredivisie appearances as Ajax became Dutch champions. One year later he scored 25 goals from 33 league matches, an extraordinary increase that established him as Ajax’s principal attacking star.
There is an important authenticity distinction, however: 10 was not Bergkamp’s permanent squad number during these seasons. Ajax’s own historical account confirms that he wore different numbers, including 7 and 8, before the fixed-number era.
For customers prioritising strict match-era authenticity, number-only printing is therefore the best presentation. For a recognisable player association across the entire 1989-91 period, BERGKAMP 10 remains the clearest modern collector-style choice.
