Ajax deprives women's team of celebrating Eredivisie title for bizarre reason

The management of Dutch football club Ajax has deprived the women's team of public celebration of the league title. Amsterdam's city council announced on Monday that Monday's celebrations would not take place because the club did not want to cooperate. The Ajax women's team was supposed to be honoured in Leidseplenn, a famous arena in Amsterdam's city centre.

Ajax's men's side are third in the Eredivisie - ahead of a round of the end of the season - which has strained the atmosphere at the club and shown a lack of interest in the women's team's party, according to media reports. Ajax justified the move by asserting that the women's tournament was decided on May 7, and therefore it had been too long since a celebration had been held. Managing director Edwin van der Sar believes few audiences will attend the ceremony. Ajax said in a statement: "This will not be good for the image of the women's team." The club's management has been accused of sexism by women working in politics, journalists and players in the Netherlands. Merrill van Dongen, who played for Ajax until 2018, wrote on Twitter: "With friends like these, you don't need enemies anymore."