Ajax and their 'self-destructive' journey in the 2024-2025 season.

On the evening of May 18th, the Dutch national championship officially concluded with PSV winning the title after a 3-1 victory over Sparta Rotterdam. Ajax only have themselves to blame for losing the opportunity to secure the championship, despite having a significant advantage.

Ajax could only finish in second place this season - Screenshot

Before round 29, it seemed as though the Eredivisie championship was firmly in Ajax's hands as they were 9 points ahead of PSV. However, disaster struck at the Johan Cruyff Arena when Ajax unexpectedly faltered in 4 consecutive rounds with 2 draws and 2 losses.

But that wasn't all; in the penultimate match, Ajax faced a Groningen team that had lost all motivation. Despite leading 2-1 until the very last seconds of injury time and even playing with ten men, Ajax still allowed Groningen to equalize 2-2 in the 90+9th minute – an "unacceptable" result for both the team and the fans.

This defeat was a turning point that changed the course of the championship race. PSV took full advantage of this "golden opportunity" as they easily crushed Heracles 4-1 to take the lead in the table with one point more.

In the final matchday, PSV made no mistakes to secure 3 points and win the Eredivisie title, despite Ajax's tremendous effort to win 2-0 against Twente.

Having lost the championship, Ajax only have themselves to blame for their complacency and unstable mentality.

The crux of the matter probably came in round 31, when Ajax suffered a humiliating 0-4 defeat at Stadion Galgenwaard. The entire Ajax team, including the players and coaching staff, seemed shocked and unable to recover. Among the stars at Ajax, the player expected to be a source of moral support for the team turned out to be the biggest disappointment: Jordan Henderson.

Perhaps the best qualities of the Ajax Amsterdam captain remained at Anfield. A leader with outstanding performances is no longer seen in the Ajax shirt.

The rumors about Henderson potentially leaving in the middle of the season exposed a sad truth: he never truly integrated himself and focused on contributing to Ajax.

Henderson's verbal sparring with the Dutch media further highlighted his distractions. Instead of focusing on the title race, he wasted energy on pointless controversies. While PSV quietly pulled ahead, Ajax and their captain lost focus at a crucial moment.

Furthermore, conceding goals in injury time shows Ajax's lack of character and fighting spirit. Losing a goal in the 90+5th minute against Sparta Rotterdam could be considered a setback, but when the painful scenario repeated itself with a goal conceded in the 90+9th minute against Groningen in round 33, it highlighted Ajax's psychological weakness.

Having missed out on the championship, Ajax has a lot of work to do to aim for higher goals next year.

TUAN LONG

Source: https://tuoitre.vn/ajax-va-hanh-trinh-tu-huy-o-mua-giai-2024-2025-2025051915590716.htm