Rock bottom: How did Dutch giants Ajax sink so low?
"Blow after blow after blow", sighed the Ajax supporters' association on its website, after Sunday's "painful" 5-2 defeat to rivals PSV Eindhoven condemned the four-time European Champions to a historic bottom place in the Dutch top flight.
AFP looks at how the Dutch giants, the club of Johan Cruyff, Marco Van Basten and Dennis Bergkamp, have stooped so low and whether anything can be salvaged from their worst ever season so far.
HOW BAD IS IT?
Historically bad. Ajax have just five points from eight Eredivisie games, losing their last five straight matches. A 4-0 home "Klassieker" defeat to Feyenoord, interrupted after crowd violence from Ajax fans, was a particular low point.
Ajax are also struggling in Europe, without a win in the group stage of the Europa League. A toothless 2-0 loss against European debutants Brighton mid-week did little to dispel the gloom – Ajax had one shot on target and one third of possession.
The Dutch media are not mincing their words. The Algemeen Dagblad said: "This is news in Niger and Botswana. Ajax's league position. Eighteenth. And last. Not after a couple of games in August. But at the end of October."
"As a snapshot in time, it's so unique we'll still be talking about it in 30 years. If Andere Tijden Sport (a historical sports show) still exists in 2053, they'll devote an episode to it."
WHAT'S HAPPENING ON THE PITCH?
Many pundits lay the blame on several seasons of bad transfer dealings. Ajax has traditionally sold off home-grown talent for big profits but the recent turnover has been especially high and the replacements have misfired.
This summer, Ajax sold Dutch international defender Jurrien Timber to Premier League giants Arsenal for 42 million euros ($44m), plus Mexican
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