Youthful Ajax lose 2-0 to Manchester United in Europa League final
Some 3.6 million people in the Netherlands watched Ajax lose the Europa League final to Manchester United 2-0 on television, broadcaster NOS said.
Goals from Paul Pogba and Henrikh Mkhitaryan overpowered the youthful Ajax team in Stockholm, dashing the club’s hopes of winning their first European title since 1995.
Ajax coach Peter Bosz told Uefa television after the match: ‘We’re obviously disappointed. I didn’t see the Ajax team I’m used to, pressing and competing for first balls. We weren’t good enough. Often, to win finals you must first lose them. It’s all new for all my team. They will learn a lot from it and if we keep the squad together they will be strInsert Banneronger for it.’
The average age of the Ajax team was 22, and defender Mathijs de Ligt is just 17. He became the youngest player ever to take part in a European final.
The defeat means Ajax will not qualify directly for next season’s Champions League competition and will have to take part in the qualifying rounds. Feyenoord, as Eredivisie champions, do qualify.
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