In December 2000, Real Madrid were named the greatest club of the 20th century by FIFA. Founded on 6 March 1902 as Madrid Football Club, the club only assumed the name by which they are known today after King Afonso XIII gave them permission to include the word ‘Real’ (which means ‘Royal’) in their title.

In the 1931/32, Real Madrid won the first of their Liga titles. However the Civil War (1936-39), left their Chamartin stadium lays in ruins, their squad scattered around the country, and some irreplaceable trophies stolen. On the 29 April 1939 a new board, under the presidency of Adolfo Meléndez, pledged to help the club rise phoenix-like from the ashes.

Champions of Europe
In addition to sharing domestic supremacy with rivals Barcelona, and clocking up a total of 30 Primera Liga titles to date, they have been champions of Europe no less than nine times, more than any other team in the history of the European Cup/Champions League. Their former president, Santiago Bernabéu Yeste, after whom their stadium is named, was, in fact, one of the driving forces behind the creation of the European Cup, back in 1955.

Between 1956 and 1960 they won five consecutive European Cup titles, as the Bernabéu regularly played host to the world’s first truly international team of stars. Hungary’s Ferenc Puskas, Francisco Gento, Didi, Evaristo de Macedo, and the Argentinian-born great Alfredo Di Stefano – now honorary Real Madrid president - were part of one the greatest club sides the world has ever seen. The 1960 European Cup final – in which Di Stefano and Co conquered Eintracht Frankurt 7-3 in Glasgow is possibly the most exciting climax that the tournament has ever seen.

The biggest support
More recently, during the so-called ‘Galactico’ era, the team has boasted the likes of Roberto Carlos, Ronaldo, Luis Figo, Zinedine Zidane and David Beckham. Recent years have seen them add two more European titles to the roll of honours.

According to research conducted by Harvard University in 2007, Real Madrid enjoy the biggest support base in the world. Able to wield huge financial muscle and a globally recognised brand, Real’s kit sponsorship deal with adidas – worth 120 million Euros – is the biggest in sporting history.

Over the last two years, Real Madrid have boasted a bigger turnover than any other club worldwide, and are now worth an estimated US$2 billion. The club’s financial prowess enables it to provide the team with the best of everything. Players benefit from facilities that are second to none, including a state-of-the-art class training complex and even a private plane, La Saeta, to take them to away matches.

Wesleys career statistics Real Madrid

	League	Spanish Cup	Europe
2007-08:	30/9	2/0	5/0
2008-09:	22/2	1/0	4/0
Total	52/11	3/0	9/0

Founded on 18 March 1900, Ajax Amsterdam are one of the three giants of Dutch football, together with PSV Eindhoven and Feyenoord.

The club has been in the top flight ever since first gaining promotion to the Eredivisie in 1917. To date, they have won four European Cups/Champions League titles – including a ‘hat-trick’ of titles between 1971 and 1973, when the generation of Johan Cruyff, Rudi Krol and Johan Neeskens thrilled the world with ‘total football’.

On the domestic front they have won the Dutch championship 29 times, to go with 16 KNVB Cup titles. The club has also won one UEFA Cup (1992), three European Super Cups (1973, 1974, 1996), and two Club World Cup titles (1972, 1995).

The Ajax academy is famous throughout the world for produce homegrown talent. Among the many players to come through its ranks, are Marco van Basten, Dennis Bergkamp, Frank Rijkaard, Clarence Seedorf and of course the generation that includes the likes of Wesley Sneijder, Rafael van der Vaart and John Heitinga.

Website: www.ajax.nl

Wesleys career statistics Ajax

	League	Dutch Cup	Europe
2002-03:	17/4	3/1	3/0
2003-04:	30/9	1/0	7/1
2004-05:	30/7	4/2	7/0
2005-06:	19/5	3/2	7/4
2006-07:	30/18	4/1	9/1
Total	126/43	15/6	33/6