With Ajax on the verge of a first appearance in the Champions League final since 1996, Goal looks back at some other remarkable success stories
Getty ImagesMuhammad Ali's 'Rumble in the Jungle'
After serving a three-year ban and being stripped of his heavyweight boxing title for refusing to serve in the Vietnam War, Muhammad Ali made history by regaining his belt in 1974 at the age of 32 by upsetting previously undefeated champion George Foreman in an epic fight in Zaire that became known as 'The Rumble in the Jungle'.
Ali cemented his status as 'The Greatest' by successfully implementing a bold and dangerous 'rope-a-dope' strategy, which essentially involved allowing Foreman to unload on him. When Foreman tired, Ali knocked him out in the eighth round, sparking scenes of pure pandemonium in the ring, outside it and all over the world.
Foreman later stated, "Ali is the greatest man I've ever known. Not the greatest boxer; that's too small for him. He had a gift. He's not pretty, he's beautiful. Everything America should be, Muhammad Ali is."
AdvertisementGettyBoris Becker at Wimbledon
The 17-year-old Boris Becker was a relative unknown going into the Wimbledon championship of 1985 and had only just claimed his first tournament win shortly beforehand, at Queen's Club.
However, the German sensation went on to beat Kevin Curren in the final to become the youngest ever player to lift the trophy and the first non-seed to do so.
"The plan from my parents for me was to finish school, go to university, get a proper degree and learn something respectful," he later explained. "The last thing on everyone's mind was me becoming a tennis professional."
Instead, Wimbledon proved the first of six major titles.
GettyJohn Daly's US PGA title
Finishing at 12-under, three shots better than second-placed Bruce Lietzke, John Daly incredibly claimed US PGA Championship glory in 1991 having only qualified for the tournament as the ninth alternate.
The colourful American with the 'grip it and rip it' approach to golf didn't even have his own caddie and had driven halfway across the country the night before the opening round just to play.
However, the then 25-year-old went on to shoot a final-day 71 to win the first of his two major titles against all odds.
GettyDenmark winning Euro '92
Denmark were given a little over a week's notice to participate in Euro 1992, after Yugoslavia were removed due to the country being in a state of civil war.
The Danes, who had finished as runners-up to the Balkan nation in qualifying, reached the knockout stage by upsetting heavily fancied France in their final group game before eliminating the title holders, Netherlands, on penalties in the semi-final.
Even then, few gave Denmark much chance of beating Germany in the final but the Scandinavians triumphed 2-0, with the goals coming courtesy of John Jensen and Kim Vilfort, whose daughter was sadly fighting a losing battle with leukemia at the time.
"We didn't have the best players, but we had the best team," Vilfort subsequently stated.