Disaster at Ajax! There are no champions after more than a decade

Historic Ajax is in danger of being left out of the Champions League next season, after 13 consecutive appearances, as a result of clear defeat received on Sunday in the classic against PSV (3-0). A debacle that has relegated them to third place in the Eredivisie with just four games to play, as Feyenoord chase the title.

Ajax have finished champions seven times and runners-up four times in the last 12 seasons and are in danger of falling out of the top two positions at the end of the Dutch championship since falling behind title winners Twente in 2009 and AZ Alkmaar. . In 2020 the Eredivisie was not completed as it was suspended due to the Covid-19 pandemic.

The situation of Ajax, who will play in the final of the Dutch Cup against PSV on Sunday, could worsen if the next day they lose at home against AZ on May 6, fifth with two points below, and overtake them on the board.

In any case, if they don’t finish second, Ajax will be out of the Champions League after 13 consecutive appearances and will have to earn a place in the Europa League in a playoff to be played after the Eredivisie finishes.

victim of his success

Ajax is paying the price for its own success after winning the last three Eredivisie (with the aforementioned bracket in 2020) and its memorable run in the 2018-2019 Champions League, when it reached the semifinals.

Accustomed to selling its stars, Ajax moved on all the young talents who had shocked Europe during Erik ten Hag, the architect of that feat, took to the Manchester United bench last summer.

More than 200 million in transfers

Ajax, four-time European champions, took in 216.2 million euros in transfers at the end of last season, including 152 million paid by Manchester United Brazilian winger Antony (95) and Argentine defender Lisandro Martínez (57).

Despite the abundant income, Ajax is in a transition phase waiting to recover the lost talent and rebuild, as many times in its past, a champion team.

Captain Dusan Tadic He admitted on Sunday, after the bump in Eindhoven against PSV, a drop in level in training and in games. “We have won an important one throughout the season,” said the Serbian striker in reference to 1-2 win on April 5 in the Cup semifinals against Feyenoord in Rotterdam. “We need more quality in the squad,” he said.

Ajax were beaten in the Champions League group stage by Naples at the Johan Cruyff Arena (1-6) and Liverpool at Anfield (3-0) and in January he sacked the coach Alfred Schreuderwhich is second to ronald koeman at Barça, after almost half a season on the bench.

John Heitinga, His replacement, could not be eliminated in the Europa League playoff against Union Berlin. His analysis of the situation was blunt: “We have to be realistic, a lot of quality has been lost and a completely new team has to take shape. That takes time. We have to take this person as it is, but look very critical next season. It’s a sabbatical, but we can’t have too many sabbaticals at Ajax.”