Two Iconic Football Teams With Significant Jewish Roots

Jewish athletes have competed at the highest level in almost every sport imaginable. The likes of A.J. Dillon of the Green Bay Packers, Anthony Firkser of the Atlanta Falcons, and Josh Rosen all frequent the National Football League (NFL). Look down the player listings of any leagues and teams listed at Onlinesportsbetting.net, and you are guaranteed to find some prominent Jewish stars.

It is not uncommon to find sports teams under Jewish ownership. Steve Ballmer owns the NBA’s Los Angeles Clippers, while The Glazer Family owns the NFL’s Tampa Bay Buccaneers and the English Premier League’s Manchester United. However, outside of Israel, it is uncommon to find teams considered Jewish or, at the very least, have significant ties with the Jewish community. That is unless you look at AFC Ajax of the Netherlands and Tottenham Hotspur of the United Kingdom.

AFC Ajax and its Jewish Roots

AFC Ajax, or Ajax Amsterdam or simply Ajax, is one of the most successful football teams in the Netherlands. Founded in 1900, Ajax has won the Netherlands Football League Championship, the Eredivisie as it is called, a record 36 times. Ajax has also won the KNVB Cup a record 20 times and the Johan Cruyff Shield on nine occasions. The club has tasted success in Europe, too. Ajax has won the European Cup/Champions League four times, the European Cup Winners’ Cup, the Uefa Cup, the UEFA Super Cup, and the Intercontinental Cup.

Like almost every football club, Ajax has a few nicknames. Its army of loyal supporters call their beloved club de Godenzonen (Sons of the Gods), Lucky Ajax, and de Joden (the Jews). The club’s fans embrace the club’s Jewish roots with fanatical support. An Israeli flag is often unfurled at matches, while some supporters proudly display Star of David tattoos. But why and how does Ajax have Jewish roots?

In the 1930s, Ajax’s stadium was next to Amsterdam-Oost’s Jewish neighborhood. Ajax fans and supporters of Ajax’s opponents often walked through Nieumark/Waterloopleinbuurt, known locally as de Jodenhoek (the Jews’ corner). Furthermore, Amsterdam has historically been referred to as a Mokum city.

Jewish imagery thus became a central part of Ajax fans’ culture, and fans could download “Hava Nagila” as a ringtone from the club’s store at one stage.

Although the 1980s saw some rivals escalate their antisemitic rhetoric, the Ajax fans have stood their ground and proudly show their affection for the Jewish community.

Tottenham Hotspur and its Proud Jewish Following

Tottenham Hotspur, usually shortened to Tottenham or Spurs, are an English Premier League team based in Tottenham, London, England. Founded in 1882, Tottenham is one of the oldest association football teams globally. Despite the club’s longevity and enormous fanbase, Tottenham’s success on the field has been limited.

Spurs have won the English First Division twice, but not since the 1960-61 season. They have won the FA Cup eight times, the League Cup twice, and have three European trophies in its cabinet. However, its last piece of silverware came during the 2007-08 season.

Despite an apparent lack of success, Spurs has a massive, loyal following and a significant Jewish supporters base. The club is located in an area of North London with a Jewish population above 250,000, and many adopted Tottenham as their club.

It is estimated Spurs’ Jewish fans made up around a third of its supporters in the 1930s, although this number has waned over the years. The club has such strong Jewish roots that all three chairmen of the club since 1984 have been Jewish businessmen with prior history of supporting the club. Current chairman Daniel Levy is one of them.

Tottenham fans found themselves in hot water with the World Jewish Congress and the Board of Deputies of British Jews for creating the nickname “The Yids” and their chant of “Yid Army.” Many Jewish and non-Jewish people rightly find the term derogatory, but a significant section of Spurs’ support argues the term is a badge of pride and helps defuse the word’s power as an insult.