Record winners Ajax Amsterdam failed for the first time in the history of the Dutch Football Cup against an amateur club.
The 20-time title holder lost in the second round to the fourth division team USV Hercules in Utrecht 2:3 (0:1) and ended an already disastrous year with an embarrassment. The Dutch trade magazine “Voetbal International” called the result “the biggest sensation in the history of the competition.”
Ajax equalized a 0-2 deficit with goals in the 83rd and 89th minutes, but had no answer to the 2-3 deficit in the third minute of stoppage time. The game took place in the arena of the first division club FC Utrecht, as the floodlights in the Hercules stadium were not sufficient for a TV broadcast. Amsterdam had a bye in the first round.
In the league, Ajax was at the bottom of the table at times after a weak start to the season, but after catching up, they are now back in fifth place. Ajax coach John van ‘t Schip missed the cup defeat – he traveled to Australia for his son’s wedding.