Ajax Amsterdam, or AFC, is among the most successful teams in Dutch and European history. Ajax is one of the most successful clubs in the Netherlands, with 36 Eredivisie titles and 20 KNVB cups, but just Like every other football team, Ajax has had its share of victories and losses over the years. 

The following are Ajax’s biggest losses in the club’s history.

Ajax 1-6 Napoli (2022)

Ajax lost to Napoli in the Champions League group stage, their worst defeat in a European matchup. On October 5, 2022, the game was held at Johan Cruyff Arena. Any game against Napoli was always going to be difficult for any team.

With four goals in both halves, Napoli dominated the game from the outset. Ajax was well outplayed, as the Napoli team had 26 shots to Ajax’s eight. Ajax was outclassed and outplayed by the Italian side, who showed no mercy at the Johan Cruyff Arena.

Ajax 4-9 Feyenoord (1964)

Ajax’s second-worst defeat was a 9-4 loss to Feyenoord in the Eredivisie on November 29, 1964. This was also the highest-scoring match in the history of the Dutch top flight.

Feyenoord was led by legendary striker Coen Moulijn, who scored four goals in the match. Ajax had some star players, such as Johan Cruyff and Piet Keizer, but they could not prevent their arch-rivals from rioting at De Kuip.

Ajax 2-6 Feyenoord (2019)

Ajax was severely defeated by Feyenoord in a league game, dropping the score to 2-6. The game was played on January 27, 2019, at De Kuip Stadium.

Gaston Pereiro scored a hat-trick for Feyenoord, who controlled the match from the first until the finish. Feyenoord outplayed Ajax’s players in every facet of the pitch, as they could not create many chances.

Ajax, who had hoped to contend for the Eredivisie championship that season, suffered a significant blow due to the defeat.

Ajax 0-4 Vitesse (2014)

Vitesse defeated Ajax in the KNVB Cup game. On Dec 19, 2014, the game was held at Johan Cruyff Arena. With goals from Bertrand Traore and Zakaria Labyad in the first half and one more Valeri Qazaishvili in the second, Vitesse controlled the game from the first to the conclusion.

The players for Ajax struggled to create many chances and were utterly outplayed by Vitesse throughout the game. Ajax was incredibly disappointed with the outcome as they had hoped to win their round of 16 matches against an opponent like Vitesse.

Ajax 0-4 Real Madrid (2010)

Ajax played Real Madrid in the Champions League group stage on November 23, 2010. Real Madrid won the match with a record-breaking score of 0-4, the biggest away victory for any team in Champions League history at that point.

Real Madrid’s Karim Benzema and Cristiano Ronaldo scored, while Mesut Özil and Ángel Di María scored for the Spanish side.

Ajax was reduced to ten men in the second half when Jan Vertonghen was sent off for a foul on Ronaldo. Real Madrid topped the group with a perfect record of six wins out of six, while Ajax finished third and qualified for the Europa League.

Wrapping up

Having won multiple national and international championships, Ajax Amsterdam is undoubtedly among the most successful football clubs in Dutch and European history.

They have, however, sustained several significant setbacks throughout history, as we have seen. For the club, these defeats have been setbacks. But in a game like football, you either win or lose matches, so losing and winning are just part and parcel of the game.

What matters is who was the better team on the pitch that day!