Five players who have played for both Chelsea and Ajax

The Champions League group stage draw handed out some very interesting match-ups; one of the most mouth-watering ties that was thrown up was was the one between Ajax and Chelsea.

The first leg of this tie took place in Amsterdam where Chelsea emerged victorious with a late winner scored in the 86th minute by Michy Batshuayi. The match between both the teams certainly lived up to hype that was created when the draw first took place.

Both of these historic clubs have a rich footballing history. One of the biggest clubs in England and the biggest club in Netherlands have a lot of things in common, including players who have represented both the clubs.

Here is a look at five players who donned both the clubs' colors at some stage in their career.

#5 Filipe Luis

Ajax (2004-2005)

Chelsea (2014-2015)

Filipe Luis is a very talented left-back who has represented both Chelsea and Ajax. The Brazilian defender is a versatile player who can play as a central defender too.

Luis moved to Ajax in 2004 and spent one full season with the Ajax reserves. He was called up to the senior squad twice by manager Danny Blind but remained on the bench. At Ajax, he trained with players like Wesley Sneijder and Van der Vaart.

Luis moved to Chelsea from Atletico Madrid in 2014 for a fee in the region of 18 million Pounds. He made his Chelsea debut in the Premier League game vs Everton.

Luis failed to have much of an impact at Chelsea and struggled to break into the first team. He also suffered a lot of injuries in his time at Chelsea. In his only season at the club, Chelsea went on to win the Premier League title under manager Jose Mourinho.

The defender's only goal for Chelsea came through a free kick in league cup game vs Derby County. He went on to make over 20 appearances for the Blues before moving back to Atletico Madrid in 2015.

Also check out:UCL schedule Champions League table Premier League Table

#4 Bertrand Traore

Chelsea (2014-2017)

Ajax (2016-2017) (loan)

On 31 October 2013, Bertrand Traoré officially signed a four-and-half-year contract with Chelsea.He signed a contract for Chelsea's senior team in December 2013, and completed the transfer in the January transfer window.

After getting his work permit in 2015, Traore got the number 14 jersey at Chelsea, previously worn by Andre Schurrle. Traore made his Chelsea debut in a 4-0 victory over Maccabi Tel-Aviv. He made 10 senior appearances for the Blues, scoring 2 goals.

In 2016, Traore signed a new three-year deal with Chelsea and went out on loan to Ajax. He was a key part of Ajax's successful Europa run which ended with a 2-0 defeat against Manchester United in the finals. Primarily a left-winger, Traore scored 4 goals for Ajax in the 2016-2017 Europa Campaign. Ending his loan spell at Ajax, he moved to French club Lyon in 2017.

#3 Mario Melchiot

Ajax (1996-1999)

Chelsea (1999-2004)

Mario Melchiot started his career at the Ajax Youth Academy and played for the first team in the 1996-1997 season. He played a key part in Ajax's famous Champions League run in 1996-1997 season. He went on to make 75 appearances for Ajax and scored one senior goal too. Primarily a right-back, Melchiot had the ability to play anywhere across the back line. His versatile nature as a defender made him even more wanted by the European giants.

In 1999, Mario moved to Chelsea from Ajax but failed to make it to the senior team due to injuries. In 2000, he finally made his first team debut in 1-1 draw vs Midlesborough. Melchiot went on to make more than 130 appearances for Chelsea and proved to be one of the most solid defenders of his era. Gradually, age caught up with Mario and he started to decline as a defender. The Dutch defender moved to Birmingham City in 2004 on a three-year contract.

#2 Winston Bogarde

Ajax (1994-1997)

Chelsea (2000-2004)

Born in Rotterdam, Winston Bogarde started his career at Schiedamse Voetbal Vereniging in the Dutch League. Bogarde signed for country giants AFC Ajax in 1994. After a slow first year, he made nearly 62 appearances for the Dutch side and went on to become of the most solid defenders at the club.

The central defender moved to Chelsea in 2000-2001 season, but due to a change in manager, he struggled to break into the first team for almost four seasons. He trained regularly and was always available for selection but made only 11 appearances for the club in 4 seasons. At the expiry of his Chelsea contract in 2004, Bogarde announced that he will be leaving the London side.

In 2005, Bogarde announced his retirement from professional football after failing to reach an agreement with any club.

#1 Jesper Grønkjær

Ajax (1998-2000)

Chelsea (2000-2004)

Jesper Grønkjær moved from AaB to Ajax for fee of 3.5 million Pounds in October, 1997. With Ajax he won the 1997-1998 KNVB Cup and was named 'Ajax Player of the Year' by the fans in the 1999-2000 season. He went on to make over 60 appearances for the Dutch side. He was one of the most talented young wingers in Europe during his youth years.

In October 2000, Jesper moved to London and joined Chelsea for a fee in the region of 7.8 million Pounds. The transfer made him the then most expensive Danish player at the time. His career at Chelsea lasted four years, although his form during that time was somewhat inconsistent.

Making over 100 appearances in which he scored 10 goals, Jesper's time at Chelsea was hot and cold. He eventually moved on in 2004 and joined Birmingham City.

Edited by S Chowdhury