Europe after all
Ajax beat FC Utrecht 1–1 (4–3 on penalties) in the play-off final to snatch a Conference League qualifying spot. Your 35-year streak of European football lives on, barely. The alternative doesn't bear thinking about. (1) (3) (4) (14)
Paes the penalty hero
Maarten Paes saved two penalties in the shootout, silencing critics who had hammered him all season. From scapegoat to cult hero in one night. (1) (9) (10)
Klaassen says goodbye
Davy Klaassen fought back tears after the final whistle and made it plain: "I think it's over for me in Amsterdam." The penalty-shootout coin-toss chaos with referee Allard Lindhout, where Klaassen snapped "We're not amateurs, are we?", summed up the madness of this Ajax season. One painful word was all it took. (6) (7) (8)
García: "We were scared"
Óscar García didn't hide from the truth. He admitted the squad feared missing Europe entirely. "We were afraid Ajax would not be playing European football." He also got emotional post-match, saying changing the team's mentality in limited time was brutal, and that he trusted penalty-takers' instincts over drilling spot-kicks. (8) (10) (11) (12)
Board has a plan, says García
García says the board has "a clear idea" of what needs to change this summer. Meanwhile, Willem van Hanegem warns against settling for an "average" coach, a clear dig at the interim boss staying on permanently. Kenneth Perez also weighed in, urging Mika Godts to stay one more year rather than chasing a move too soon. (2) (3) (4) (5)
