Ajax’s 2000/01 season was one of instability and underachievement, as the club struggled to live up to its historic standards amid a period of transition.
Managed first by Co Adriaanse and later Ronald Koeman, Ajax endured inconsistency in both domestic and European competition. Despite having a talented but youthful squad featuring Zlatan Ibrahimović, Rafael van der Vaart, Andy van der Meyde, John O’Brien, and Tomas Galásek, the team lacked experience and cohesion.
In the Eredivisie, Ajax finished third, behind PSV Eindhoven and Feyenoord, missing out on the league title and Champions League qualification. Their UEFA Cup campaign ended early, eliminated by Lausanne-Sport in the first round.
The 2000/01 season symbolized Ajax’s growing pains — a transitional phase before their resurgence in the early 2000s with the emergence of van der Vaart, Sneijder, and Ibrahimović.