Rotterdam (AP) – Mario Götze shouted out his joy with the silver winner’s cup in his hand. And the outgoing coach Roger Schmidt went to his knees with clenched fists and euphoric jubilation after winning the cup with PSV Eindhoven.
“I’m very proud to be the coach of this team. What I saw today is incredible,” said Schmidt. On Easter Sunday, former world champion Götze and his team won 2-1 (0-1) against Ajax Amsterdam in a gripping final and triumphed for the tenth time in the Dutch Soccer Cup.
For PSV it was the first title in this competition since 2012, while Ajax lost their third win in a row and the chance of the double.
From in Europe follows the cup victory
“I like this team and what they showed today,” said Schmidt after his side were knocked out by Leicester City in Thursday’s Conference League quarter-finals. “To pull yourself together like this is really phenomenal,” said the 55-year-old, who is leaving PSV at the end of the season. According to media reports, the former Leverkusen Bundesliga coach is about to be involved with Benfica Lisbon.
Ajax, on the other hand, is fighting for at least one more title this season. In the championship, the club is four points ahead of Eindhoven with five games to go. Ajax was eliminated in the round of 16 in the Champions League, before the season the club had already lost the Supercup game against PSV and Schmidt.
Dutchman Ryan Gravenberch gave Ajax the lead after a one-two with former Bremen player Davy Klaassen (23rd minute). PSV turned the game around after the break with a double from Erick Gutierrez (48′) and Cody Gakpo (50′).
According to the police, 22 people were arrested around the game, including for fighting and throwing fireworks. Three people were injured. After PSV took the lead, there were brief clashes between fans in the stadium, but these were quickly brought under control. In addition, four buses with around 200 Ajax fans were stopped on a motorway before the game, and half of the fans were sent back to Amsterdam because of deliberate control evasion and drug possession.