Johan Cruyff Shield
In 1996 the format was changed to the current set-up and played in the Amsterdam Arena under the name Johan Cruyff Schaal (Dutch for Johan Cruyff Shield).[4][2][3]
In 2003, the supporters of both teams, namely FC Utrecht and PSV Eindhoven, were unhappy with the set-up and stayed away from the stadium. The Utrecht fans complained about protocols concerning their travel to Amsterdam (strict rules imposed for the threat of hooliganism) and the PSV fans were dissatisfied with the seats assigned to them. Only 700 of the 13,000 available tickets were sold. The prize money in 2003 amounted to €135,000.
The contestants in 2004 were Ajax and FC Utrecht. Utrecht won with a final score of 4–2 after trailing 1–2 up until the 85th minute of the match. Thirty-three thousand spectators witnessed the most remarkable comeback in the trophy's history.
Because PSV won both the national championship and the cup in 2005, Ajax (who had finished second in the league) formed the opposition and won 2–1.
Starting from 2017, the match is played in the stadium of the Eredivisie champions.[3]
In 2020, the match for the Johan Cruijff Schaal was cancelled due to the worldwide COVID-19 pandemic.[2][3]
