Ajax woes continue with humbling 6-0 defeat to Feyenoord

Apr 7, 2024, 12:59 pm
Igor Paixão (center) bagged a brace for Feyenoord against Ajax on Sunday.
Getty

Ajax's dismal season took a further turn for the worse on Sunday after they were thrashed 6-0 by rivals Feyenoord in what was their biggest ever Eredivisie defeat.

The clash between these two sides, dubbed De Klassieker (The Classic), is the standout fixture of the Dutch league but Ajax's implosion this season meant Feyenoord comfortably swept aside their rivals.

- Stream on ESPN+: LaLiga, Bundesliga, more (U.S.)

Feyenoord found themselves three goals up at half-time courtesy of strikes from Igor Paixão, Yankuba Minteh and David Hancko. Three goals in a nine-minute spell in the second-half saw the hosts double their lead, with Minteh and Paixão both adding to their tally either side of Quinten Timber's strike.

"In the break we told each other that we had to dare to play football. But that didn't happen. It was just men against pupils today," Ajax boss John van't Schip said after the game.

"We were trounced on all fronts today. Physicality, speed in the duels. We got four goals from personal mistakes. That's because of the pressure Feyenoord are putting on.

"This was more than embarrassing. All of us. The staff and players."

The result leaves Ajax in sixth place on 45 points, a staggering 24 points behind second-placed Feyenoord. Their loss on Sunday was their eighth in the league this season.

The Amsterdam side, who went into the game looking for revenge following their 4-0 defeat to Feyenoord in the reverse fixture, fielded a weakened side with Jordan Henderson, Steven Berghuis, Diant Ramaj and Brian Brobbey all missing through injury. They proved no match for a rampant Feyenoord side, who allowed Ajax just a solitary shot on goal, while taking 29 of their own.

The defeat marks the end to a dire week for Ajax, who on Tuesday suspended their chief executive Alex Kroes just two weeks into his tenure for suspected insider dealing.