Ajax suffered one of the worst defeats in their history as they were eliminated from the KNVB Cup by fourth-tier Dutch club Hercules.
Ajax have won the competition a record 20 times but were stunned by the amateur side — who are 10th in the fourth division of Dutch football — in the last 32 stage of the competition.
Tim Pieters netted twice for the home side in Utrecht to put them on course for a stunning victory, but quickfire goals from Brian Brobbey and Chuba Akpom in the 83rd and 89th minutes had appeared to save Ajax from a humiliating exit.
However, Mats Grotenberg scored in the third minute of stoppage time to seal an extraordinary victory for the home side.
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Ajax boss John van ‘t Schip was not present at the match as he travelled to Australia to attend his son’s wedding.
“This should not have happened,” Ajax assistant coach Michael Valkanis, who was deputising in van ‘t Schip’s absence, said about the defeat.
“We are having a very difficult season, but we have to continue and get everything on track.”
This was the 30th occasion when Ajax had played an amateur side in the KNVB Cup but this was their first defeat, with each of the previous 29 matches seeing them score four goals or more in each.
Ajax had partially recovered from a disastrous start to the Eredivisie which saw them languish in the relegation zone, after winning just one of their opening eight league games and losing five in succession.
The four-time European champions went 10 matches without a win in all competitions at one stage, their longest-ever run without a victory.
The Amsterdam giants have picked up 20 points in a subsequent eight-match unbeaten run to see them rise to fifth in the standings, but they remain 23 points behind league leaders PSV Eindhoven.
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(ANP via Getty Images)
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Ajax stunned by amateur team Hercules in shock Dutch Cup exit - The Athletic
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