A team leading by 9 points with five rounds left — and still couldn’t win the title!
Just a month ago, this scenario was unthinkable. Now, it’s reality. Incredible, shocking — no adjective quite captures it all. Ajax, once 9 points clear with five matches to go, collapsed dramatically, allowing PSV Eindhoven to defend their Eredivisie crown with a stunning late surge.
On the final matchday, PSV sealed the deal with a 3-1 away win against Sparta Rotterdam. Meanwhile, Ajax did win their game, beating FC Twente 2-0, but it wasn’t enough.
PSV finished the season with 79 points from 34 matches, just one ahead of Ajax, who had to settle for second place.
Until April 20, Ajax were cruising — 9 points ahead and needing just 6 points from their last 5 games to reclaim the title. But they couldn’t get the job done. Aside from their final round victory, they failed to win any of the four previous matches — losing two and drawing two.
In their penultimate game, they conceded a heart-breaking equalizer in the 99th minute, drawing 2-2 — a moment that ultimately cost them the league.
According to ESPN Global Research, Ajax have now made unwanted history as the first European team to lose a league title after being 9 points ahead with only five games left.
PSV, on the other hand, started and ended their season with impressive consistency. They won their first 10 matches, stumbled in the middle — especially between rounds 16 and 27, where they only managed four wins out of 12, including two losses to Ajax.
Yet, when it mattered most, PSV came alive — winning all of their last seven games to lift the trophy.
This marks PSV’s 26th Eredivisie title, while Ajax still top the all-time chart with 36 league wins.
