In the first match of the Champions League season, Ajax suffered a 0-2 defeat against Inter Milan at the Johan Cruijff Arena. Despite the defeat, Stéfan de Vrij achieved a good performance, although Marcus Thuram was the key player with two shots set in corner kicks. De Vrij praised Thuram’s strength and improvement, particularly with regard to his lead shots. De Vrij expressed a positive feeling after the game, pointing out that the team had been balanced and that they had taken opportunities, although they started the competition difficult.

The defeat aroused the anger of Ajax fans, who pointed the finger at Alex Kroes and John Heitinga, the technical director and the coach, respectively. A former Kroes video clip, dating back to March 2024, resurfaced, criticizing the acquisition of players by a coach if he did not align them. This criticism seems particularly relevant given the costly transfers of Kroes during the summer, which were largely ignored by Heitinga in the match against Inter. The supporters express their frustration at what they perceive as a failure of Kroes’ recruitment strategy.

Kaspar Dolberg returned to the Ajax team after six years of absence, replacing Woout Weghorst after an hour of play. Although his entry was acclaimed by the supporters, he could not prevent defeat. The Dutch media described his second match with Ajax as “unbright,” pointing out that he could not make a difference against the Inter’s strength. Some observers noted that Weghorst had played well before being replaced by Dolberg, and found this decision “surprising”.