AJAX: Ajax work on conditioning in De Lutte
Ajax, Netherlands
July 19 2005
As they had done many years before, Ajax went to De Lutte, a small
village in the East of Holland, for a training camp. This year, they
team worked very hard on their conditioning and the side played four
matches against amateur clubs.
Every day the squad ran a few kilometres in the woods before
breakfast. And around mid-morning, Ajax started a hard training
session, which usually lasted more than two hours.
Ajax were still without Hatem Trabelsi, Angelos Charisteas, Hedwiges
Maduro, Ryan Babel, Urby Emanuelson and Kenneth Vermeer, who were
all given extra time off because they played on longer in the summer
break with their national teams.
The three new signings, Markus Rosenberg, Olaf Lindenbergh and Edgar
Manucharyan took part in all the activities Danny Blind and his staff
had put on the schedule. Manucharyan had a difficult time keeping up,
but the young Armenian pulled through. When he left on Thursday to join
his national team to take part in the European Championship Under 19,
he was given a warm send-off by his new teammates.
After a day of working on stamina and strength, it wasn’t always
easy for the Ajax players to find their rythm in the friendly matches
against some of the top amateur sides in the country. Ajax narrowly
escaped an embarrassing draw against WHC in Wezep when Nourdin
Boukhari made it 4-3 in the final minute on Monday. The other goal
scorers were Yannis Anastasiou, Rasmus Lindgren and Tom de Mul.
On Tuesday, Ajax kept Quick’20 in Oldenzaal from scoring. The team
from Amsterdam again scored four times. Boukhari, Nicolae Mitea,
Nigel de Jong and Zdenek Grygera all found the net.
The team had no match scheduled for Wednesday. Thursday saw Ajax
facing HHC in Hardenberg. For the first time Ajax went into the
dressing room at halftime facing a deficit: 1-0. In the second half,
the professionals restored the order. Markus Rosenberg made his first
goal for Ajax and through goals by Tomas Galasek, Daniël de Ridder,
De Jong and Mitea, Ajax won 5-1.
Blind gave his players Friday afternoon and evening off. ,,We have
worked really hard this week”, said the coach. Ajax left De Lutte
on Saturday morning and travelled to Rjinsburg.
This time, there had been no early-morning training sessions and
runs through the woods. And Rijnsburgse Boys refused to play an
ultra-defensive style. The result was the first real football
demonstration of the season: 0-12. Rosenberg scored three goals,
Julien Escude, who has been named captain by Blind, converted two
penalty kicks, De Ridder scored twice as did De Jong, and Lindgren,
Boukhari and Anastasiou all chipped in one goal apiece. Mauro Rosales
made his first minutes after his ankle operation.
The second training camp starts Wednesday, when Ajax travel to
Germany. The team will play test matches against Fortuna Sittard and
Arminia Bielenfeld.
July 19 2005
Azeri officials in north, but no sign of direct flight By Jean Christou
A GROUP of eight Azeri officials arrived in the north at the weekend
but an expected flight from Azerbaijan yesterday failed to materialise.
The delegation, consisting of eight parliamentarians, arrived on
Sunday in the north via Istanbul, in order to attend the celebrations
of the Turkish invasion, due to he held tomorrow.
Hadi Recep, a deputy in the delegation, in a statement in Turkey said
that it was the first time that a delegation from Azerbaijan visited
the ‘TRNC’ and added that it was an important step for them.
Two more delegations from Azerbaijan are expected to visit the north.
The first of these two visits is being organised by the Azeri Ministry
of Economic Development between July 22 and 27. The second will be
a group of businessmen, members of the Union of Azerbaijan-Turkey
Businessmen, due to visit the north between July 28 and 31 to assess
the possibility of investment as well as the bilateral trade.
Reports in the Turkish pres yesterday also referred to the direct
flight that was to be operated between Azerbaijan and the north by
private airline IM-AIR. Sources in the north said the flight that
had been due in yesterday would not be flying in after all.
Referring to the current visit by the Azeri delegation, Turkish Prime
Minister Tayyip Erdogan said it was the first step on the road to
recognition. “I believe that more visits will be paid in the future,”
he said. “We have heard about this first step they are taking. We
are happy about that. We thank our Azerbaijani brothers very much.”
Turkish Cypriot leader Mehmet Ali Talat said the Greek Cypriot side
was rumoured to have threatened retaliation by organising flights to
Nagorno-Karabakh. “But they will fail,” he said.
Talat said this was just the beginning and that he expected the US to
be next to take the step. “After the Azeri, next in line is America,”
Talat said.
“This will happen eventually. The Greek Cypriot side is so tough,
it does not pay any attention to the world. With EU membership,
it acquired an advantage and it thinks that it can hold on this
advantage without making any opening. Not only the USA, but Israel,
Iran and the EU member countries will start direct flights.”
–Boundary_(ID_Om72+7LLn5tZO5oSwAw4JQ)–