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The National (Scotland)
The National (Scotland)
Sport
Mark Walker

Ajax boss eyes Rangers Europa League battle as he admits 'we are not good enough'

AJAX boss Alfred Schreuder has accepted they are battling it out with Rangers for a Europa League spot after admitting Napoli and Liverpool are on a different level to them.

The Dutch champions suffered their biggest ever home European defeat when they were crushed 6-1 at home by the Italian side in Rangers' Champions League group.

They are three points ahead of Rangers - who they hammered 4-0 in the opening game in the group, but they still have to go to Ibrox for the final game in the section next month.

And the Amsterdam club's manager reckons it's almost impossible to compete with both the Italians and Anfield giants - echoing what Rangers boss Giovanni van Bronckhorst said about playing in the Champions League after that opening game defeat in the Netherlands.

After the game, Schreuder told Dutch TV: "If you look at Napoli and Liverpool, you see that they are clubs who are too much for us.

"We are not good enough as a team at the moment. We have a lot of good players, but we are not good enough as a team. I can point to the players sold, but that doesn't matter now.

"The only thing I said before the game is that we had to be very brave on the ball. We weren't. We were not good on the ball and then you get into trouble against Napoli when you do that.

"If we are realistic, it is very hard for us to qualify now from this group. We have to go to Napoli next week and win.

"We will have to take a completely different approach because this result is unworthy of Ajax. We cannot accept that. We have to analyse this and look at what is best for Ajax."

And Ajax star Steven Berghuis admitted they had no answer to the Serie A leaders.

He said: "Napoli have outclassed us, this result is unacceptable for Ajax.

"We have to raise the level and Napoli have made it clear to us that we are a long way from what is required.

"I am convinced that our team has the qualities to do it, but we have not shown it here. It is disappointing and frustrating because losing 6-1 is unacceptable for us."

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