Dec 21, 2023 at 5:04 AM Update: a day ago
Ajax goalkeeper Regina van Eijk was shocked on Wednesday when her teammates thought the final whistle had already sounded in the Champions League match against Bayern Munich. The players celebrated the victory, but did not realize that the referee had only blown the whistle for offside.
“I almost thought it was over, but the referee blew the whistle for offside. Two girls were already on the ground cheering. I thought: Jesus, get up quickly!”, Van Eijk said laughing after the match.
The 21-year-old goalkeeper could now see the humor in it, as Ajax won the match a few seconds later. Although it didn’t make much difference. Van Eijk had to take action several times due to a final offensive from Bayern and barely kept her goal clean.
“I held my breath for a moment. I only focused on the ball. At one point they had a corner that was dangerous, but luckily a player headed away from us. That was the most exciting for me. But it turned out well.” .”
Van Eijk felt the support of the audience. More than twenty thousand fans made themselves heard. “That gave so much energy, it is indescribable. You could hear the audience cheering from the first pick-up ball. It also felt like it was full, with the atmosphere. Magic can happenespecially in the ArenA.”
Foto: Pro Shots
‘We are still the underdog’
The victory puts Ajax – previously labeled as underdogs – at the top of the Champions League group. “Not many people thought we would be the leader. It is great to go into the winter break like this. And we are still in that underdog position.”
“You see what can happen if you muster the energy, the will and the faith together. We are in a good position now and can make something beautiful out of it, but now we have a nice holiday first.”
That holiday started on Wednesday evening with a good party, including “bad Dutch music” and a polonaise in the dressing room. “We have been so busy, we have only been in bed. Now there is some relief. Maybe we will go into the city for a while,” said Van Eijk.
Ajax continues its Champions League adventure on January 24 against Paris Saint-Germain. The last group match follows a week later, against AS Roma. The best two teams advance to the quarter-finals in March.
Group C
Ajax 4-7 (0) Paris Saint-Germain 4-6 (0) Bayern Munich 4-5 (0) AS Roma 4-4 (0)
