Ajax have been handed a major advantage ahead of their UEFA Champions League semi-final meeting with Tottenham Hotspur after the Eredivisie postponed a full round of fixtures to give them more time to prepare for the clash.
The title-chasing Amsterdam club were scheduled to face relegation-threatened De Graafschap on April 28, just two days before their trip to North London.
However, the Dutch KNVB have stepped in to allow their side to have the best chance of success against Spurs.
When Spurs' match at Bournemouth could potentially be rearranged for ahead of Ajax second leg
In a bid to maintain the integrity of the league, and the title race, the league has cancelled all the games in the weekend leading up to the first leg. Ajax are level on points with PSV Eindhoven at the top of the division, with only goal difference keeping Erik ten Hag’s side ahead of their rivals.
As a result, the Dutch season has been extended, with those scheduled matches now taking place on Wednesday, May 15.
The switch has angered some clubs but KNVB president Eric Gudde said: “We have looked at all kinds of ways to move games with Ajax progressing so far in the Champions League.
“It is not ideal for everyone, I appreciate that, but this is not just helping Ajax. It is being done to help Dutch football as a whole because it means so much to be successful in Europe.”
This once again brings the Premier League’s hectic schedule into the spotlight. It’s simply unimaginable to comprehend the top flight accommodating Spurs in the same way, despite multiple complaints from high-profile personnel.
Pep Guardiola, Ole Gunnar Solskjaer, Jurgen Klopp and Mauricio Pochettino have all questioned why the Premier League has been unwilling to help English clubs competing in Europe by being more creative with fixture scheduling.
Yet, it seems the Premier League are more than happy to see Tottenham disadvantaged, with Pochettino’s side set to play seven games in just 21 days.
Spurs will take on West Ham and Bournemouth between their fixtures with Ajax, as well as playing Manchester City and Brighton within four days this week.
With Tottenham’s spot in the top four far from guaranteed, it will be interesting to see how the Argentine chief manages his squad, which is already reeling from the loss of top-scorer Harry Kane.
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