- Ajax won only one match in the Eredivisie this season under Maurice Steijn
- The De Klassieker match with Feyenoord was resumed on Wednesday after four days
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Ajax chief Pier Eringa has resigned from his position and announced the news a few hours before the resumption of De Klassieker against Feyenoord on Wednesday.
Ajax are currently in the midst of an early-season crisis, having won just one Eredivisie match at the start of the 2023/24 season under manager Maurice Steijn.
To make matters worse, their recent match against arch-rivals Feyenoord was stopped not once but twice in the Johan Cruijff Arena on Sunday when the match was finally abandoned in the 56th minute with a 3-0 lead for the visitors.
Despite claims from the record winners that the match could not be rescheduled until November at the earliest, the game resumed behind closed doors on Wednesday, with Feyenoord completing the defeat with a fourth goal.
Eringa’s resignation comes after just six months in his position, having started his term as member and chairman of the Supervisory Board of AFC Ajax on March 14.
Ajax CEO Pier Eringa (center) stepped down as chairman of the club’s Supervisory Board on Wednesday
Eringa took office on March 14 – just over six months ago – and will formally leave on October 2.
The Godenzons resume their De Klassieker duel with rival Feyenoord behind closed doors
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“Especially when things aren’t going well, I think you should be there as a supervisor,” says Eringa.
‘But I am not deaf to criticism and I am not blind to the situation in which Ajax now finds itself. For that reason I have decided to make room for a new chairman.
‘I fought hard for the club. I will continue to follow Ajax as a fan and hope that Ajax’s sporting successes will soon return to the desired level.’
He will formally end his stay on October 2, with his responsibilities being transferred in the meantime.
The Dutch giants also do not have Champions League football and last season finished outside the top two in the top flight for the first time since 2008-09.
Sunday’s abandoned match marked what Steijn called ‘a black day’ in Ajax’s history
Some supporters tried to break back into the stadium after the match was suspended, causing damage to the ground as they began vandalizing their own stadium.
Police then used tear gas to disperse the crowd that had gathered outside the Johan Cruijff Arena. Videos appeared online showing some fans trying to break into the stadium.
Ajax distanced itself from the behavior of the fans involved in the disorder and offered ‘sincere apologies’ to the supporters involved in the chaos.
Ajax have made a miserable start to the new Eredivisie season, winning just once while sitting 14th in the table
Dutch police were seen using tear gas to disperse crowds gathered outside the stadium after the match was suspended
Ajax’s suspended match against Feyenoord was played on Wednesday afternoon after crowd problems on Sunday