UEFA EUROPA LEAGUE - 2016/17 SEASON MATCH PRESS KITS Amsterdam ArenA - Amsterdam Thursday 13 April 2017 21.05CET (21.05 local time) AFC Ajax Quarter-finals, First leg FC Schalke 04 Last updated 12/04/2017 03:52CET

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1 AFC Ajax - FC Schalke 04 Thursday 13 April 2017 - 21.05CET (21.05 local time) Match press kit Amsterdam ArenA, Amsterdam

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Ajax will welcome back a notable name from their past as they take on Schalke in the first leg of their UEFA Europa League quarter-final, eager to maintain a long unbeaten European home record. Previous meetings • The clubs are meeting for the first time in UEFA competition. • Ajax's 32 games against German sides have ended W20 D5 L7 (W13 D1 L1 in Amsterdam). Those matches include the final of the 1987 European Cup Winners' Cup, when they beat Leipzig 1-0 in Athens. • Ajax lost 4-1 to Borussia Dortmund in their most recent encounter with German opponents, in the 2012/13 UEFA Champions League group stage – their first home defeat by a German team. • Schalke's eight games against Dutch sides have ended W3 D1 L4 (W3 D0 L0 at home – W0 D1 L4 in the Netherlands). All three of those home wins were by three-goal margins. Form guide • Ajax are unbeaten in 11 European home games (W6 D5) and have won their last five continental matches at the Amsterdam ArenA. • Schalke have made it to the quarter-finals despite drawing their last three European games. They are unbeaten in Gelsenkirchen in this season's competition (W3 D2). • Ajax have appeared in all eight UEFA Europa League campaigns – the only club to do so – but this is the first time they have reached the quarter-finals. In overcoming København 2-0 at home, they became the first Dutch club to win a UEFA Europa League knockout phase tie after losing the first leg. • Ajax have not reached a major European quarter-final since bowing out to AC Milan in the 2002/03 UEFA Champions League, and last got to a semi-final in the 1996/97 edition of the same competition, succumbing to Juventus. • Schalke lost 6-4 on aggregate to Athletic Club in their most recent quarter-final, in the 2011/12 UEFA Europa League. Links and trivia • The journey from Gelsenkirchen to Amsterdam is around 175km. • This is a meeting of two former winners – Ajax lifted the trophy in 1991/92, Schalke in 1996/97. • Schalke striker Klaas-Jan Huntelaar spent three years at Ajax (January 2006 to January 2009), scoring more than 100 goals. • Huntelaar played under Ajax boss Peter Bosz while on loan at De Graafschap in 2003. • Ajax have a former Schalke man in their ranks: reserve defender Heiko Westermann made 123 appearances in three seasons with the Royal Blues between 2007 and 2010. • Ajax's German winger Amin Younes spent his formative years at Borussia Mönchengladbach, the side Schalke knocked out in the round of 16. • The first leg is taking place on the day of Ajax forward Mateo Cassiera's 20th birthday. The coaches • A Dutch title winner as a midfielder with Feyenoord, Bosz returned from Israel to take charge of Ajax in May 2016. Bosz has managed Heracles and Vitesse in the Netherlands, also briefly coaching Maccabi Tel-Aviv. • Schalke coach Markus Weinzierl progressed to last season's UEFA Europa League round of 32 with Augsburg, whom he had led since 2012. His playing career peaked when he spent a season with the first-team squad at Bayern München in 1998/99, though he never played a senior match.

2 AFC Ajax - FC Schalke 04 Thursday 13 April 2017 - 21.05CET (21.05 local time) Match press kit Amsterdam ArenA, Amsterdam Legend Competitions

Club competitions National team competitions UCL: UEFA Champions League EURO: UEFA European Football Championship ECCC: European Champion Clubs' Cup WC: FIFA World Cup UEL: UEFA Europa League CONFCUP: FIFA Confederations Cup UCUP: UEFA Cup FRIE: Friendly internationals UCWC: UEFA Cup Winners' Cup U21FRIE: Under-21 friendly internationals SCUP: UEFA Super Cup U21: UEFA European Under-21 Championship UIC: UEFA Intertoto Cup U17: UEFA Under-17 Championship ICF: Inter-Cities Fairs Cup U16: UEFA European Under-16 Championship U19: UEFA Under-19 Championship U18: UEFA European Under-18 Championship WWC: FIFA Women's World Cup WEURO: UEFA European Women's Championship Competition stages Other abbreviations F: Final GS: Group stage (aet): After extra time pens: Penalties GS1: First group stage GS2: Second group stage No.: Number og: Own goal 3QR: Third qualifying round R1: First round ag: Match decided on away P: Penalty R2: Second round R3: Third round goals agg: Aggregate R4: Fourth round PR: Preliminary round Pld: Matches played AP: Appearances SF: Semi-finals QF: Quarter-finals Pos.: Position Comp.: Competition R16: round of 16 QR: Qualifying round Pts: Points D: Drawn R32: Round of 32 1QR: First qualifying round R: Sent off (straight red card) DoB: Date of birth 1st: first leg 2QR: Second qualifying Res.: Result ET: Extra Time round sg: Match decided by silver GA: Goals against 2nd: second leg FT: Final tournament goal t: Match decided by toss of a PO: Play-off ELITE: Elite round coin Rep: Replay 3rdPO: Third-place play-off GF: Goals for W: Won PO - FT: Play-off for Final GS-FT: Group stage – final gg: Match decided by golden Y: Booked Tournament tournament goal L: Lost Y/R: Sent off (two yellow Nat.: Nationality cards) N/A: Not applicable f: Match forfeited Statistics -: Denotes player substituted +: Denotes player introduced *: Denotes player sent off +/-: Denotes player introduced and substituted Squad list D: Disciplinary *: Misses next match if booked S: Suspended QUAL: All UEFA qualifiers UEL: Current season total UEFA Europa League appearances from the group stage onwards prior to the current matchday UEL: Total appearances in the UEFA Europa League, group stage to final only UEFA: All-time total appearances in UEFA club competition including qualifying Disclaimer: Although UEFA has taken all reasonable care that the information contained within this document is accurate at the time of publication, no representation or guarantee (including liability towards third parties), expressed or implied, is made as to its accuracy, reliability or completeness. Therefore, UEFA assumes no liability for the use or interpretation of information contained herein. More information can be found in the competition regulations available on UEFA.com.

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