Ajax’s disappointing campaign reached a new low after they were beaten 6-0 away at rivals Feyenoord on Sunday – their biggest defeat in 97 years.
The hosts took a 3-0 lead in the first half thanks to goals from Igor Paixao, Yankuba Minteh, on loan from Newcastle United, and David Hancko.
Minteh and Paixao also scored in the second half, as did Dutch international Quinten Timber to complete the demolition at De Kuip.
It was Ajax’s eighth defeat this season, leaving the Dutch club in sixth place and seven points off their European qualifying position.
Ajax have had an extremely difficult year, notably with a number of managers, as well as a run of 10 games without a win which left them at the foot of the Eredivisie in November, 25 points behind their rival and championship leader, PSV.
John Heitinga, Maurice Steijn, Hedwiges Maduro and John van’t Schip have all managed the club this season.
They were eliminated from the KNVB Cup by USV Heracles in December and from the Europa Conference League by Aston Villa in March.
Former Liverpool captain Jordan Henderson, who joined Ajax from Al Ettifaq in the Saudi Pro League in January, missed the defeat to Feyenoord.
They will next play against FC Twente on April 14.
GO FURTHER
Failing in every metric imaginable: how Ajax ended up at the bottom of the Eredivisie
‘This is just the start of Ajax’s deep-rooted problems’
Analysis by Jacob Whitehead at De Kuip
The 6-0 defeat to their biggest rivals ended what was one of the worst five days in Ajax’s history. On Tuesday, new CEO Alex Kroes, on the job for just 19 days, was suspended for alleged insider trading.
The club conceded a last-minute equalizer to mid-table Go Ahead Eagles on Thursday. The following day it was revealed that president Michael van Praag, who had sharply criticized Kroes in a press conference, had failed to declare several of his own actions at the club.
Then, on Sunday, this final humiliation took place on the biggest stage, in front of 47,000 supporters of their biggest rivals.
At halftime, Ajax had just 39 percent possession. Johan Cruyff’s famous column from 2010, ‘It’s not Ajax anymore’, was already being dusted off – before things got worse in the second half. Feyenoord managed 29 shots to Ajax’s one.
They are sixth in the Eredivisie and will miss out on the Champions League for a second successive season – but their league position is only the start of their deep-rooted problems.
(ANP via Getty Images)