Foreign media react to Ajax dropping to last place in the Eredivisie
Several foreign media outlets have reported on Ajax's current crisis, as the club dropped to the bottom of the Eredivisie after their loss to PSV Eindhoven on Sunday. This marked the first time in Ajax's history that they have suffered five consecutive Eredivisie defeats. The club is experiencing its worst start to a season ever, and this has not escaped the attention of international media.
“For a moment it seemed as if Ajax would straighten out, but the visit to Eindhoven ultimately became a nightmare,” wrote Belgian newspaper Sporza about the game. “As if the 5-2 wasn't painful enough, number 18 Volendam won 3-1. Because of that double blow, Ajax is now bottom in the Dutch competition," they added.
The Spanish newspaper MARCA described the current situation at Ajax as a “historic drama for a team not at all used to dealing with such situations,” and referred to Ajax’s defeat against PSV as “one of the most painful corrections in recent memory for Ajax” which confirms "the enormous institutional and sporting crisis in which Ajax finds itself." "At the moment, they are already at the bottom, and the specters of relegation are starting to look more real than ever," MARCA continued.
For La Gazzetta dello Sport, "Ajax has hit rock bottom." The Italian newspaper reminded its readers on Monday that "it had never happened in 123 years of history that the Amsterdam club slipped to last place in the Eredivisie."
The news also made it to France. “Every week, Ajax Amsterdam manages to make matters worse. On Sunday, Ajax went ten games without a win, and this time they did it in style. Against Eredivisie leaders PSV Eindhoven, they were crushed after being ahead twice,” the French newspaper L'Équipe wrote on Monday.
"It really happened: Ajax is last in the Eredivisie," read the headline in the Portuguese sports newspaper A Bola on Monday. They expressed notable surprise that the team's last victory dates back to August when they defeated Ludogorets 4-1 in Bulgaria during the first leg of the Europa League group stage qualification. Just a week ago, the newspaper described the team as "the worst Ajax in the modern era."
“Ajax's horrendous season went from bad to worse after a hammering at PSV Eindhoven left them bottom,” the Daily Mirror wrote on Sunday, pointing out the fact that the Amsterdam club finished third last season and, as a result, could not play in the Champions League. “As a result there was a huge turnover of players with the likes of Edson Alvaraz, Jurrien Timber and Mohammed Kudus all departing. While those fees were reinvested, the current crop of stars have massively underwhelmed,” they concluded.
For the Der Spiegel, “the decline of Dutch football record champions Ajax Amsterdam continues unabated.” According to the German magazine, the crisis began at the beginning of 2022, when sports director Marc Overmars had to leave after sending “inappropriate messages” to employees, followed by the departure of successful coach Erik ten Hag to Manchester United in the summer of 2022. “Without Overmars and Ten Hag, not much went together in the previous season, now everything is even worse.”
On Monday, France24 posed the question, “How did Dutch giants Ajax sink so low?” The channel highlighted poor transfer dealings, as well as mismanagement and a lack of internal stability. “Most pundits believe Ajax will finish the season in the top half of the table. Relegation is unthinkable. But even discussing this possibility is extraordinary for one of the world's best-known clubs with a record 36 Dutch titles,” they concluded.
