Ajax battered by Feyenoord behind closed doors after fan chaos
Jurgen Klopp reviews Ajax rout
Ajax took a heavy beating at home to Feyenoord as Der Klassieker was forced to resume behind closed doors on Wednesday. The match was initially abandoned at the weekend when Ajax fans threw flares and fireworks onto the pitch at 3-0 down, and Feyenoord added a fourth once the match got back underway to clinch a sweet-tasting victory.
Amsterdam-based Ajax attempted to draw a line under last season’s third-place finish by bringing in new manager Maurice Steijn. But things have only got worse, beginning the new campaign with just one win in their first five matches to leave them a lowly 14th.
Bitter rivals Feyenoord, meanwhile, are flying with 23 goals scored in six games. Four of those came in De Klassieker, as they completed their win over Ajax on Wednesday afternoon, when the contest resumed behind closed doors.
Santiago Gimenez picked up where he left off on Sunday, bagging his hat-trick just over two minutes after play got back underway and completing the 4-0 rout.
The Mexican international restarted the clash full of confidence after scoring twice in the first 18 minutes at the weekend. When Igor Paixao added a third for the visitors, Ajax fans had seen enough, and the referee led both sets of players off the pitch as projectiles were launched onto the pitch.
Local authorities were then called into action when furious Ajax supporters attempt to storm the stadium after the game, with viral social media footage appearing to show a group attempting to break their way into the Johan Cruyff Arena.
Ajax have now gone four Eredivisie games without a win, with Steijn’s only victory coming on the opening weekend against Heracles. Since then, the Dutch giants have drawn against Exelsior and Fortuna Sittard, while falling to defeats against Twente and Feyenoord.
By comparison, they have suffered no such troubles in Europe. Over the past weeks, Ajax battled their way through a two-legged Europa League play-off tie against Ludogorets and kicked off the group stage proper with a draw against Marseille.
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