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Photo: Feyenoord Rotterdam v afc Ajax Amsterdam / ANP / IMAGO
The crisis-plagued Dutch football record champions Ajax Amsterdam have followed personnel quarrels at management level with a sporting disaster. Ajax suffered a 0:6 (0:3) defeat at reigning champions Feyenoord Rotterdam in the Dutch “Klassieker” and slipped to sixth place in the table. Igor Paixao (34th minute/66th), Yankuba Minteh (35th/56th), Dávid Hancko (45th+2) and Quinten Timber (62nd) caused Ajax's heaviest defeat in this prestigious duel.
“History,” wrote Rotterdam, currently second in the Eredivisie table behind PSV Eindhoven, on
For Amsterdam it was the second bitter defeat against Feyenoord this season. The first leg was already lost 4-0 in front of the home crowd. Last September, the game in Amsterdam, which was played on a Sunday, was abandoned due to rioting Ajax fans. Visiting fans were not even allowed. The game continued the following Wednesday without spectators.
Problems off the pitch too
Ajax parted ways with coach Maurice Steijn last October after a disastrous start to the season. Interim coach John van't Schip, who led Ajax back to the top, recently announced he would be leaving after the season. Last September, German sports director Sven Mislintat, who, according to media reports, is currently under discussion at Borussia Dortmund, had to leave.
In addition, Ajax separated from its managing director and chairman Alex Kroes on Tuesday after he had been in office for less than a month. The supervisory board accuses Kroes of insider trading in Ajax shares. He had announced that he would defend himself against the allegations.
mlb/dpa