Established in 1967, AZ Alkmaar is a relatively young team in regards to other Dutch clubs (some from the country date back to the late 1800’s). The original club name was AZ ’67 and it arose from the ashes of two other clubs FC Zaanstreek and Alkmaar ’54. Since the merger, the club has won the top-flight Eredivisie title two times, once in 1981 and again in 2008. AZ Alkmaar has also won the Eerste Divisie three times, the KNVB Cup four times and played in the UEFA Cup final during its miraculous run of ’81. The ‘Cheese Farmers’ as they are commonly known, take the pitch at the AFAS Stadion which holds a capacity of 17,023.
