Meet the Kuhn and Cerny you don't know – Ajax pride explodes as mentor ranks and rates Celtic and Rangers' star men
It's football's ultimate finishing school. Imposter syndrome is an affliction unbecoming to the stars trying to ace the test.
An academy without equal, a place where the finest talents on the planet either thrive playing the Ajax way or survive and forge a new path after their Amsterdam adventure ends. And for the two right-sided wingers who will face off at Hampden – following the Johan Cruff blueprint was a shared experience.
Nicolas Kuhn and Vaclav Cerny are talismanic figures for Celtic and Rangers but their story goes back a number of years. The pair were plucked from Germany and the Czech Republic to earn the right to compete with elite talent. And that's not hyperbole, at a time Erik Ten-Hag's homegrown heroes were seconds away from the Champions League Final, the stars of tomorrow, Jong Ajax as they are known, were also packed future superstars. Jurrien Timber, Noa Lang, Sven Botman and Ryan Gravenberch were their peers. It's a youth team with a current market value of in excess of £250m.
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But the friends turned rivals have never been far from the thoughts of their former coach Rene Stam – an Ajax lifer steeped in the values and traditions of the club he adores. And seeing both thrive operating under Glasgow rules for Celtic and Rangers has been a source of pride and excitement over what comes next.
Speaking exclusively to Record Sport, Stam said: "Vaclav joined us when he was 14, a few times, and he signed a contract when he was 16. Nicolas had some injuries, he wasn't a great success at Ajax. Vaclav, he followed our academy, he was a real Ajax player. He was used to playing our system, with the 4-3-3, with the three forwards, as a winger. Nicolas, came out of a system, which was more of a 4-4-2, as one of the two strikers. It was a little bit difficult for him to adapt. He had some hamstring problems in the beginning.
"Both players were very skillful, but completely different. Vaclav can play in a smaller space, Nicolas needs a little bit more, he is a running forward. Vaclav, I think, is technically better. But that also has to do with how he was developed at the Ajax academy. They are both skilful players, nice guys, and they are performing well. I am really happy for them. Ajax youth is a starting point of a career, to the first team, or another big club. If you have Ajax in your CV they normally will join a big club. I am really happy for them, especially with this Celtic vs Rangers game, it's the biggest game of the year."
Their success is no surprise to Stam, of course. and was delighted to hear their brilliance is being noticed. Rangers boss Philippe Clement admitted last week that it is currently unlikely he will be able to sign Cerny permanently – the Wolfsburg star commands a fee of £8m and such an outlay would be inside the top 10 deals in Ibrox history. Kuhn's red-hot form has been so eye-catching that reports in his homeland suggest he is on a trajectory to unseat Matt O'Riley's current Scottish Premiership record sale of £25m and rising.
Stam added: "Wow, that's a lot of money. They came through the academy, developed themselves well and played good games for the academy. It's always interesting to see what will happen next, what the next step is. I am so happy for them, they deserve it."
Stam worked closely with both and was happy to divulge the strengths of both players. The experienced coach was full of praise of Kuhn, however, his deep-rooted affection for Cerny is apparent. A player steeped in Ajax traditions and who enjoyed multiple years with Jong Ajax which were intertwined with eye-catching first-team chances – including a winner to condemn Ronny Deila's Celtic to defeat in the Europa League on home turf.
The Dutchman, delving deeper on what made the duo tick, said: "I have to be honest, Nicolas really surprised me. He came from Germany, he wasn't used to playing our system. At Ajax we play with a classic 4-3-3, with one or two holding midfielders. He was not used to playing this system. He was very good on the counter-attack, with two strikers, he is a running striker. Vaclav can be a left or right winger, easily, and because he is more natural, and Nicolas, he has to work hard for it. That's what I see when I watch them both play.
"I am not surprised that Vaclav is doing well, to be honest, I am a little disappointed it didn't work out at Wolfsburg and he is on loan now. I am really surprised it didn't work out in Germany. Vaclav was in the academy for six years, I really like him as a person. He came as a youngster, I also like him as a football player. Nicolas is also a good guy, he deserves the best, Ajax was not his best period as he struggled with injuries."
Now old pals turned city heroes on the opposite will fight for silverware. Danilo is also another graduate and their former coach will watch on with pride at the success of his former charges as they make a telling impact beyond their spiritual home.
