Get all your news in one place.
100's of premium titles.
One app.
Start reading
Evening Standard
Evening Standard
National
Jacob Jarvis

Ajax fans in raucous scenes in Leicester Square ahead of Champions League clash with Tottenham Hotspur

Ajax fans sparked raucous scenes as they descended upon Leicester Square ahead of tonight’s Champions League fixture against Tottenham Hotspur.

The Dutch side take on the north London club in a semi-final clash this evening and their support seemed in high spirits ahead of the match.

One shirtless fan even climbed scaffolding and raised his arms aloft as he cheered for the crowd around him.

He cracked open a drink and waved it over his head as he led the fans in a bout of chanting.

Large crowds gathered in the area (REUTERS)

The shouting could be heard reverberating around the tourist hotspot as hundreds congregated.

An Ajax fan launches a flare across Leicester Square (PA)

Clouds of red smoke were also seen in the area as fans let it off into the sky with Ajax's main colours being red and white.

Ajax face Spurs in the Champions league

Police were seen in the vicinity of the area and the Standard has contacted Scotland Yard to ask if it has made any interventions at this point.

The Dutch side, who had to come through qualification for the Champions League, have surprised many by reaching this stage.

Their opponents in the knockout stages have been Real Madrid and Juventus.

Speaking ahead of the game, Ajax manager Erik ten Hag said: "We want to continue this curve. It's amazing that we are in the Champions League semi-finals. Nobody could have predicted at the beginning of the season that a Dutch team would end up in the Champions League semi-finals."

The first-leg match is also a momentous occasion for Spurs, being their first European Cup semi-final in 57 years.

Ajax will be looking for their first win over Tottenham, having lost both legs of their European Cup Winners' Cup tie in 1981.

Sign up to read this article
Read news from 100's of titles, curated specifically for you.
Already a member? Sign in here
Related Stories
Top stories on inkl right now
One subscription that gives you access to news from hundreds of sites
Already a member? Sign in here
Our Picks
Fourteen days free
Download the app
One app. One membership.
100+ trusted global sources.