It was a terrible campaign for Ajax: a joint-worst points finish since 1963 forced them to appear in the Eredivisie play-offs for a ticket for the UEFA Conference League qualifiers.
The Amsterdam side, then managed by Spaniard Oscar Garcia, survived, beating FC Groningen 2-0 and FC Utrecht on penalties in Volendam, where Ajax were forced to play due to Harry Styles' 10-concert residence in the Johan Cruyff ArenA.
Winning the play-offs earned Ajax, four-time winners of the UEFA Champions League, a place in the second round of the UEFA Conference League qualifying phase. Flashscore maps out Ajax's route to the League Phase.
Ajax's road to the Conference League's league phase
Second qualifying round
In the second round of UEFA Conference League qualifying, Ajax will face Serbian side Vojvodina Novi Sad. Vojvodina Novi Sad finished second in the Championship Group of the Serbian Super Liga, three points ahead of traditional giants Partizan.
In the first qualifying round of the UEFA Europa League, Vojvodina Novi Sad lost 5-1 on aggregate to Hungarian side Ferencvaros.
It's the second time that Ajax face Vojvodina Novi Sad in European qualifying, having faced them in the UEFA Europa League qualifiers in 2024. Ajax beat Vojvodina Novi Sad 4-1 on aggregate in what were Francesco Farioli's first games in charge of the Amsterdam outfit.
Ajax have already equalled that scoreline in the first leg, with Davy Klaassen, Steven Berghuis, Oscar Gloukh, and debutant Mohamed Abdalla earning Ajax a 4-1 win in the first leg in Serbia. Davy Klaassen and an Oscar Gloukh hat trick put the same scoreline on the Johan Cruyff ArenA's scoreboard one week later.
Thursday, July 23rd: Vojvodina Novi Sad (SER) - Ajax (1-4)
Thursday, July 30th: Ajax - Vojvodina Novi Sad (SER) (4-1)
Third qualifying round
If Ajax qualify for the third round of UEFA Conference League qualifying, they would face the winner of the UEFA Conference League qualifying matchup between Shelbourne.
Irish side Shelbourne finished third in the 2025 Irish Premier Division, but are in fifth after 25 rounds of the 2026 season, eight points removed from the European spots and trailing leaders Shamrock Rovers by 16 points.
Thursday, August 6th: Ajax - Shelbourne (IRE) (20.00)
Thursday, August 13th: Shelbourne (IRE) - Ajax (19.00)
Play-offs
If Ajax qualify for the play-offs of the UEFA Conference League, they will know who they'll face after the draw on Monday, August 3rd.
Paul Winters is Flashscore's Netherlands country manager, having previously worked for Flashscore's Netherlands desk. Paul is an expert on the Eredivisie and also specialises in the NFL, as well as a plethora of other sports. Residing in 'sunny' Katwijk, you can follow all of the news from the Netherlands here.
You can find Paul on X and LinkedIn.
