Five of the biggest title collapses in European football as Ajax implode
Five of the biggest title collapses in European football as Ajax implode
Ajax are on the verge of a nightmare title collapse after the Dutch side conceded a 99th-minute equaliser at Groningen on Wednesday night.
Francesco Farioli's side had been cruising towards the Eredivisie title just weeks ago, with only six points required from their final five games. However, Ajax have since gone four without a win, allowing PSV Eindhoven to overtake them heading into the final weekend.
Advertisement
The title is now out of Ajax's hands, with an in-form PSV favourites to defend their title. Following Ajax's implosion, we've remembered five of the biggest title collapses in European football.
Five of the biggest title collapses in European football
Newcastle United – 1995/96 Premier League
Newcastle's collapse during the 1995/96 season is perhaps the title race implosion most remembered in the Premier League.
The Magpies stormed ahead at the top of the division, leading at Christmas and extending that advantage to 12 points by mid-January. Kevin Keegan's entertaining side looked capable of ending a 69-year wait for a top-flight crown, but an unforeseen downturn undid their dream.
Advertisement
Newcastle lost five out of eight games between late February and early April, including a 4-3 defeat at Liverpool in an all-time classic. The imagery of Keegan slumped over the Anfield advertising hoardings is iconic, after Stan Collymore crashed in a last-minute winner for Liverpool.
Manchester United overtook Newcastle and never looked back, as an increasingly animated Keegan delivered his unforgettable 'I will love it if we beat them!' rant in the run-in.
They didn't, as Manchester United were crowned champions. Newcastle finished as runners-up again the following season, but have never since come as close.
Inter Milan – 2001/02 Serie A
Inter Milan's star-studded side looked set to end their Scudetto drought in 2001/02, with a team that included Christian Vieri, Ronaldo and Clarence Seedorf taking charge of the title race.
Advertisement
Though Inter's lead was never comfortable, the Nerazzurri hit the front in March and led heading into the final weekend.
A win would have secured a first Serie A title in 12 years, but Inter could not hold their nerve. Despite twice leading at Lazio, Hector Cuper's side lost 4-2 in the capital. Wins for Juventus and AS Roma saw Inter end the campaign third.
Real Madrid – 2003/04 La Liga
Real Madrid's Galactico side looked on course to defend their La Liga crown in 2003/04, as the Spanish giants galloped away from the chasing pack.
Carlos Queiroz's side were eight points clear with just 12 games to go, inspired by the goals of Ronaldo Nazario and a magic midfield including Zinedine Zidane, Luis Figo and David Beckham.
Advertisement
However, a shock defeat in the Copa del Rey final to Real Zaragoza started a stunning slump. Real exited the Champions League to surprise package Monaco, with the club's on-loan forward Fernando Morientes netting in both legs.
Things soon went from bad to worse. Los Blancos lost all FIVE of their final La Liga fixtures to end the season fourth, seven points behind champions Valencia. It's the club's lowest league finish of the 21st century.
AS Monaco – 2003/04 Ligue 1
AS Monaco looked set for a historic season in 2003/04, as the principality club led Ligue 1 and progressed impressively in Europe. Monaco took the lead in France in September and remained at the summit until mid-March.
Advertisement
However, a memorable Champions League run scuppered their domestic hopes. Alongside wins over Real Madrid and Chelsea in Europe came inconsistent league form. Struggling to deal with the demands of both competitions, Monaco won just three of their last eight league games to end the season third, behind Lyon and Paris Saint-Germain.
To make matters worse, Dider Deschamps' side were thrashed 3-0 by Porto in the Champions League final.
Manchester United – 2011/12 Premier League
The 2011/12 title race in the Premier League is defined by one moment, as Sergio Aguero's last-gasp winner snatched the crown for Manchester City.
Advertisement
Aguero's goal and that final-day drama has somewhat consigned Manchester United's collapse to forgotten status. Sir Alex Ferguson's side were defending champions and looked set to defend their crown heading into the run-in.
The Red Devils were eight points clear at the top with just six games to go, before a shock defeat at Wigan and a chaotic 4-4 draw with Everton allowed City back into the race.
In late April, the title rivals went head-to-head and Vincent Kompany's winner took City top of the table on goal difference. City flirted with their own collapse against QPR on the final day, but Aguero's golden goal sealed the club's first Premier League crown.
Advertisement
Read – Seven football veterans who have defied time this season
See more – Europe's most wanted strikers and where they could end up
Follow The Football Faithful on Social Media:
Facebook | Instagram | Twitter | YouTube | TikTok
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Yahoo
31 minutes ago
- Yahoo
Rangers appoint former Southampton boss Martin as new head coach
Former Southampton boss Russell Martin is the new man in charge at Rangers (Glyn KIRK) Scottish Premiership club Rangers on Thursday confirmed the appointment of former Southampton boss Russell Martin as their new head coach on a three-year deal. The 39-year-old guided Southampton to promotion to the Premier League last year but was sacked in December following one win from their first 16 games. The club were subsequently relegated. Advertisement Rangers finished last season under the caretaker management of former captain Barry Ferguson, having dismissed Philippe Clement in February. Ex-Scotland defender Martin, who had a short loan spell as a player at Rangers in 2018, faces the daunting task of challenging Celtic, who have just won a 13th Scottish title in 14 seasons. "From my time here, I had a taste of how special this club is, the expectation, the passion and the history," he told the club's website. "Now, as I return, I'm determined to bring success back, for the supporters, the players, and everyone inside this club. Advertisement "There's a lot to be done, but the goal is clear -- win matches, win trophies and give Rangers fans a team that they can be proud of." Martin's arrival is the latest in a series of major changes at the club. An American consortium led by Andrew Cavenagh and 49ers Enterprises secured a majority shareholding on Friday, while new sporting director Kevin Thelwell officially began work on Monday. Rangers chief executive Patrick Stewart, who led the recruitment process alongside Thelwell, said: "Our criteria for our next coach were clear: we wanted a coach who will excel in terms of how we want to play, improve our culture, develop our squad, and ultimately win matches. Russell was the standout candidate." jw/lp
Yahoo
36 minutes ago
- Yahoo
Liverpool are BIG admirers of €30m-rated Spanish jewel
Liverpool are facing uncertainty in the centre-back position. Although Virgil van Dijk has been secured to a contract until 2027, his defensive colleagues are not so sure of their futures. Ibrahima Konate is out of contract in 2026 and so far no breakthrough has been reached in talks over a new deal. If sporting director Richard Hughes doesn't succeed in tying him down then the Frenchman could well be sold this summer. Advertisement Also up for debate are Jarell Quansah and Joe Gomez. Quansah, 22, could be sacrificed if the club manage to attract a decent fee while Gomez might well be sold having come close to joining either Aston Villa or Newcastle last year. If any of those three leaves then it opens a vacancy in the centre of Liverpool's defence. We've seen Jorrel Hato linked, along with Jarrad Branthwaite and others but there is another name now on the list and one which will be familiar to incoming Reds goalkeeper Giorgi Mamardashvili. Liverpool like Cristhian Mosquera Cristhian Mosquera, 20, was outstanding for Valencia in LaLiga last season. The Spanish defender played 37 times for Los Che - ranking highly on FOTMOB for tackles won, duels won, interceptions and recoveries. Advertisement Mosquera has a contract which expires at the Mestalla in 2026 and this summer the club could be prepared to listen to transfer offers for their homegrown star. And now according to a new report on Caught Offside, Liverpool are tracking the youngster - although he could end up at RB Leipzig as a stepping stone before going to the Premier League. 'Liverpool are big admirers of Mosquera, who is also on Chelsea's radar and whose asking price would be in the region of €30m,' a report reads. Mosquera likely to go to Leipzig 'Tottenham, Crystal Palace and West Ham have also been monitoring Mosquera, but it's currently felt that he's leaning towards a move to RB Leipzig. Advertisement 'The player and his representatives feel he could be best served by a move to the Bundesliga before perhaps joining a top English club later.' Leipzig have successfully offloaded players like Konate, Naby Keita and Dominik Szoboszlai to the Reds over the years and if Mosquera follows suit then in the years ahead they could be back once again.
Yahoo
an hour ago
- Yahoo
🚨 Rangers confirm new head coach
Rangers have announced the arrival of Russell Martin as the club's new head coach. It marks the first major move following the club's takeover by a US-led consortium, with Martin replacing interim boss Barry Ferguson, who took over from Philippe Clement mid-season. Advertisement Martin, who was last in charge of Premier League strugglers Southampton last season, has signed a three-year deal at Ibrox. He had a brief playing spell with the club in 2018 and has also been in charge of MK Dons and Swansea City during his management career. Davide Ancelotti and Steven Gerrard were among the names who had also been linked with the role. 📸 Dan Istitene - 2024 Getty Images
