Ajax suffered the heaviest defeat in their Eredivisie history on Sunday as they were thrashed 6-0 by fierce rivals Feyenoord, a result boss John van ‘t Schip described as “beyond embarrassing”.
Ajax approached the latest edition of De Klassieker unbeaten in five Eredivisie matches as they look to salvage a top-five finish at the end of a dismal season.
However, they were torn apart by Arne Slot’s team at De Kuip, with goals from Igor Paixao, Yankuba Minteh and David Hancko giving the hosts a 3-0 half-time lead.
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Things got worse for Ajax after the break as Igor Paixao and Minteh both made it a brace, with Quinten Timber also on target as Feyenoord ran riot.
The defeat was Ajax’s worst ever in the Eredivisie, surpassing a 9-4 loss to De Kuip in 1964, with Feyenoord firing off 30 shots to their one on a chastening afternoon.
SIX – NIL 🤯 pic.twitter.com/2uNnDrePtT
— Eredivisie (English) (@EredivisieEN) April 7, 2024
Van ‘t Schip, who will leave his role as head coach to take up a backroom position next season, said of the defeat: “We have really been outdone on all sides, on a physical and mental level and also in terms of intensity.
“If you make so many individual mistakes, it will be very difficult at De Kuip. At half-time, we said to each other that we had to dare to play football. But that didn’t happen.
“Ajax is in a phase where things are going badly but this was men against boys or even pupils. We have failed together. Me too, because I am responsible.
“This was beyond embarrassing. From all of us, the staff and the players. It is very shameful. We have to give everything in the next games to turn this around.”
Former Tottenham forward Steven Bergwijn echoed his head coach’s criticism, adding: “The fact that we are putting this up is scandalous.
“Losing can always happen, but not like this. It is always a highly charged match. If you concede such childish goals, it becomes very difficult.
“We just helped Feyenoord score goals. It is painful to say, but Feyenoord were much better, that’s just how it was.”
Ajax sit sixth in the Eredivisie standings with five games remaining, some 33 points adrift of runaway leaders PSV and 24 behind second-placed Feyenoord.
— AFC Ajax (@AFCAjax) April 7, 2024
