Ajax’s tumultuous season reached a nadir with a historic 6-0 defeat to rivals Feyenoord in the Eredivisie.
Defending champions Feyenoord unleashed an onslaught with 30 shots compared to Ajax’s lone attempt, securing three goals in each half to clinch a memorable victory in the Dutch ‘Klassieker’.
This loss marks the first time Ajax has suffered a competitive defeat by a six-goal margin. It sees them languishing in sixth place, a daunting 15 points behind the top three, effectively extinguishing their hopes of Champions League qualification with only five matches remaining.
Feyenoord’s wingers Igor Paixao and Yankuba Minteh both netted twice, initiating with Minteh’s swift response to his Brazilian teammate’s 34th-minute opener.
Centre-back David Hancko further solidified the hosts’ dominance before the break. The second half witnessed a flurry of goals, with Gambian striker Minteh, Quinten Timber, and Paixao extending Feyenoord’s lead to 6-0 within 10 minutes after the restart.
Despite Feyenoord having a seventh goal disallowed for offside, the six-goal triumph marked a historic victory margin against their archrivals, surpassing their previous 9-4 triumph in 1964.
Ajax endured their worst-ever start to a Dutch top-flight campaign, briefly plummeting to the bottom of the table. Moreover, fan frustration spilled over, leading to crowd disturbances during September’s 4-0 home loss to Feyenoord.
Adding to the club’s woes, chairman Alex Kroes was suspended on Tuesday amid allegations of insider trading.