Beaten 2-1 at Split in the Conference League, Ajax again dropped points. Morocco’s Sofyan Amrabat, a starter, points to his team’s attacking inefficiency and defends defender Jofre Torrents, at fault for the winning goal.
The scenario repeated itself for Ajax Amsterdam, beaten 2-1 by HNK Hajduk Split on the opening matchday of the Conference League league phase, according to TribalFootball. A false start for the Dutch side, who let a clear opportunity slip.
Moroccan midfielder Sofyan Amrabat, a starter who played the entire match, did not hide his frustration speaking to Ziggo Sport. Defender Jofre Torrents, at fault for the winning goal, was however spared by his teammate.
A missed one-on-one before the break
Everything had nevertheless begun with a clear chance for the visitors. In the 7th minute, Nigerian striker Tolu Arokodare, already the scorer of seven goals in all competitions this season, missed a one-on-one, blocked at the last moment by Hadžikadunić.
It was Gambian striker Abdoulie Sanyang who opened the scoring for Split in the 37th minute, with a low right-footed shot from a pass by striker Marin Šotiček. After the break, Amsterdam’s attacking midfielder and captain Davy Klaassen equalised with a shot under the crossbar, set up by Thilo Kehrer.
In the 70th minute, Marin Šotiček restored Hajduk’s lead by pouncing on a misplaced backpass from young Jofre Torrents. A goal that gave the Croatian club victory.
Amrabat refuses to single out Torrents
Speaking to Ziggo Sport, Sofyan Amrabat acknowledged a painful defeat: “Yes, of course, it’s very painful. […] We have a huge chance and we have to put it away. It’s becoming a recurring story for us lately.”
The Moroccan midfielder nevertheless refused to point the finger at his young teammate Jofre Torrents: “It’s hard for the kid. He works very hard, he trains very well. It was his first match, we can’t blame him. We should have stuck together as a team to put things right.”
With those words, Amrabat defended the defender and recalled that the team should have reacted collectively.
End of the drought for Hajduk
This victory ends a 16-year drought without a win for the Croatian club in the main phase of a European cup, the last dating back to 2010, according to TribalFootball. The Croatians were able to take advantage of Amsterdam’s mistakes.
For their part, Ajax must quickly turn the page: the Dutch club travel in the Eredivisie to face Groningen on Sunday 18 October 2026 at 10:45, according to Ziggo Sport.