The heated closing stages of the match between AFC Ajax and PSV, featuring a brutal tackle by Ruben van Bommel on Aaron Bouwman, have drawn international attention. The subsequent mass confrontation was widely covered in foreign media, which also scrutinized Ajax's defensive issues. The events were reported this week by Voetbal International.
This defeat against their arch-rival has left Ajax six points behind leaders PSV in the Eredivisie. The Amsterdam side currently sits fifth with seven points from four matches, resulting from two wins, one draw, and one loss. Their recent form is LWDW. The team has scored nine goals and conceded five, giving them a goal difference of plus four.
What exactly happened on the pitch?
In the dying minutes of the match, PSV midfielder Ruben van Bommel committed a harsh tackle on Ajax defender Aaron Bouwman. The Portuguese newspaper Record described the action as a 'brute overtreding' (brutal foul) that caused high tension and led to a mass confrontation between players. The Spanish newspaper AS also covered the incident extensively, writing that Van Bommel 'torpedoed' Bouwman. According to AS, that action caused an altercation on the pitch and on the bench.
Reactions in the ESPN studio were severe. Analyst Hugo Borst called the tackle "een moordaanslag" (a murder attempt). Fellow analysts Marciano Vink and Arnold Bruggink also believed Van Bommel should have been shown a red card for his challenge. Ajax captain Davy Klaassen agreed, stating after the match that "de PSV'er van het veld gestuurd had moeten worden" (the PSV player should have been sent off).
How did the foreign press assess Ajax?
Beyond reporting on the incident itself, foreign media used the opportunity to analyze the state of the Ajax squad. Spanish outlet AS pointed out the team's defensive weaknesses, despite significant investments in the squad this summer. The paper concluded that manager Míchel still has "veel werk te doen" (a lot of work to do) to sort out the defense.
The Belgian newspaper Het Laatste Nieuws referred to Van Bommel's 'bizarre overtreding' (bizarre foul) and cited the strong reactions from the Dutch studio. This international attention shows the importance of the classic but also the underlying problems Ajax is currently facing. Full squad details and individual statistics are available on our squad page.
What does this mean for the upcoming fixtures?
The immediate focus for the team is now on recovery and preparation for the next league match. Ajax travels to face Fortuna Sittard, currently seventh, on September 12th. It's a important opportunity to get back to winning ways and close the gap to the top.
The current Eredivisie standings, where Ajax is fifth, can always be followed on our standings page. The coming weeks feature more vital matches, the schedule for which is visible in the fixtures. The match against Fortuna Sittard on September 12th is the next chance for three points.
