Incredible cheering scenes from Holland
New league leaders – after that, an entire stadium turns through
Updated on May 15th, 2025 – 11:33 a.m.Reading time: 2 min.
Ajax Amsterdam had already felt the 37th championship title in the club’s history. But the sheet has turned dramatically within a very short time.
The Dutch Eredivisie is heading for a heartbeat final next weekend, with which hardly anyone would have expected a few weeks ago. Record champion Ajax Amsterdam threatens to gamble the championship, which was already believed to be safely believed, after a 2-2 on Wednesday evening. A game day before the end of the season, the team of coach Francesco Farioli gave the table lead through the draw, which they have held continuously since the beginning of February.
The new leader is defending champion PSV Eindhoven. The club around the ex-Bayern professional Ivan Perišić and Malik Tillman won 4-1 in the parallel game against Heracles Almelo. Tillman contributed two goals. In doing so, incredible scenes played among the PSV fans when they noticed that they are now in first place. In a video at X (below) you can see and, above all, hear how the fans can hardly believe their happiness. A fan has to run out of his luck, sprints back and forth between the spectator benches.
In the table, PSV is now a counter in front of Ajax, so the renewed championship will have the next Sunday at Sparta Rotterdam in its own hands. Ajax has to play his home game against Twente Enschede at the same time and hope for a slip of the competitor.
There had been no signs for an exciting championship race in mid -April. Five game days before the end, Ajax was a whopping nine points ahead of Eindhoven in the tableau. But while the PSV subsequently won all its games, the engine at Ajax stuttered. A 0: 4 pack in Utrecht followed a 1-1 at home against Sparta Rotterdam. The following home game against NEC Nijmegen became a debacle. The table-13. won 3-0 in the Johan-Cruyff-Arena.
The subsequent 2: 2 at FC Groningen on Wednesday came about in a particularly dramatic way. Ajax already led 2-1 with a hit by Anton Gaaei (27th minute) and Wout Weghorst (68th). For Groningen, Thom van Bergen had in the meantime compensated for (52nd).
The home team then had to cope with a setback shortly before the end. Midfielder Luciano Valente saw the red card (90. +3 minute) after an overturning against an opponent. But Groningen shocked the guests at the last second. After a free kick, defender Thijmen Blokzijl poked the ball over the line: the renewed equalization that Ajax should probably cost the championship.
Ajax coach Farioli was still combative after the game. “It is never easy to speak after a goal at the last minute,” he said. But: “It is not over yet. We still have a game ahead of us: Let’s go,” said the Italian.