Ajax loses 2-1 at Hajduk Split in Conference League opener after Torrents errors
Hajduk Split beat Ajax 2-1 on Thursday, 15 October, with debutant left-back Jofre Torrents involved in both goals. The match followed attacks on Ajax supporters and 57 arrests in Split in the days before kickoff.
Attacks and arrests before kickoff
Tension between the two fan groups built up in the days before the match. Many Ajax supporters arrived in Split on Tuesday, 13 October. According to Supportersvereniging Ajax, five visiting supporters were attacked by men in balaclavas as they stepped out of a taxi outside their Airbnb. That evening police detained 18 Ajax supporters for illegal weapons possession, as Croatian media reported. Around 1,650 Ajax fans had travelled to Split, and the supporters' association advised them to stay in their hotel rooms and to avoid wearing Ajax shirts or scarves in the street.
On Wednesday night, 14 October, hundreds of hooligans threatened to clash. Police deployed 600 officers and arrested 57 people, which prevented a confrontation. Croatian media showed dozens of men dressed in black marching through the centre with flares, presumably members of Torcida, the hard core of Hajduk supporters. Torcida has a record of violence, including a 2022 episode in which Croatian police fired at members who had blocked a motorway after a lost match in Zagreb.
Two early errors and a Hajduk lead
Ajax lost 2-1 in Split on Thursday, 15 October, in its first Conference League match. It was Hajduk's first win in a European main tournament in 16 years. Abdoulie Sanyang, the Gambian winger known as 'Bamba', opened the scoring by placing the ball out of reach of the goalkeeper in the far corner. The move started with a loose pass from Torrents, which Marin Šotiček intercepted before setting Sanyang up. Tolu Arokodare had been clean through in the seventh minute but hesitated, and Dennis Hadžikadunić recovered to stop him.
Davy Klaassen equalised after a delivery from Thilo Kehrer, striking into the top corner after a fine first touch. After the break, an impossible pass from Torrents caught Youri Baas out, and Šotiček scored the second Hajduk goal three minutes after Klaassen's equaliser. In the closing stages, fireworks from the home fans stopped play for several minutes.
- Five Ajax supporters attacked by masked men after leaving a taxi at their Airbnb, per Supportersvereniging Ajax
- Police detain 18 Ajax supporters for illegal weapons possession, per Croatian media
- Night of Wednesday: police prevent a clash between hundreds of hooligans and arrest 57 people
- Hajduk Split beat Ajax 2-1 in the Conference League opener
Torrents' debut and Ajax's form
Míchel Sánchez named Torrents, a 19-year-old who arrived this summer from FC Barcelona, to start at left-back ahead of Owen Wijndal, who was on the bench. Aaron Bouwman returned to centre-back, which allowed Kehrer to move to right-back, so Torrents and Kehrer played together for the first time. Kehrer was often exposed when he pushed forward, and Torrents frequently lost the ball when he attacked.
Ajax remain fifth in the league, the same place they finished last season. Under Míchel Sánchez, Ajax took one point fewer in its first eight league matches than under John Heitinga, who was dismissed in November. Ajax fans have also seen the team struggle at home in the Johan Cruijff Arena, despite the presence of Julian Brandt and Tolu Arokodare.
What comes next
Atalanta visit the Johan Cruijff Arena in the week of 19 October. Like Ajax, Atalanta was seen before the competition as a contender for the title. Ajax then face FC Midtjylland, Sint-Truiden and Getafe.
The two clubs have met before. In 1993 Hajduk won 1-0 in Ljubljana in the Europa Cup II, when the Croatian side was besieged by the Yugoslav army. In 1995 Hajduk held Ajax to a 0-0 draw at home in the Champions League quarter-finals. Ajax overturned both results in the return legs, the second time on its way to winning the Champions League.
