In mid-April, Amsterdam was ready for a championship celebration, for the return of the title to the "Johan Cruyff Arena" after a difficult season... Ajax was nine points ahead of PSV Eindhoven at the top.
Through the last five rounds of the Eredivisie, he only needed two more wins to put the trophy in the hands of captain Jordan Henderson - hardly anyone would have thought at that moment that someone else would be the Dutch champion.
However, Francesco Farioli's men made the impossible possible - with one round left in the championship, the standings now show PSV in first place with 76 points, and Ajax in second place with 75.
"Football teaches us that anything is possible," Farioli said.
What happened to the already-observed champion is hard to explain, only the "Philips team" from Eindhoven did what they could, winning in a row and taking advantage of the unreal mistakes of their great rival.
From the moment they needed six points for the title, Ajax players have won only two, recorded two losses and a draw, and they surrendered the lead last night, in the 99th minute, when they conceded a goal from Groningen, who were playing with ten players (2:2).
A shock for all Ajax fans and an unprecedented celebration for PSV Eindhoven fans.
"The goal in the final moments brought us a lot of joy earlier this season, but now it brings us tears," added Farioli.
The club from the "Philips Arena" will most likely defend the title, as they need a win against Sparta Rotterdam in the last round. Ajax can only hope that fate will turn on their side this time - that they will first knock out Twente and that news will come from the famous port that PSV has screwed up.
However, the question is whether this Ajax is more capable of doing what is up to them, which is to win in the final round.
"It's not over yet, we have another game to play," Farioli believes, believing that the question of the champion has not been resolved.
Ajax entered the new season after their worst run since 1965. Not everything started out perfectly with Farioli either, and the "spearmen" were minus nine against PSV in December. With a super series, they managed to turn everything around and have plus nine with five rounds remaining.
However, even that wasn't enough for the Dutch giant to secure its first title since 2022 in time.
Sunday at 14.30:XNUMX p.m. will be the moment of decision, although it seems like everything has already been resolved.
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