In April 2018, when PSV Eindhoven clinched the Dutch title by beating closest challengers Ajax 3-0, the bus taking Erik ten Hag and his vanquished players back to Amsterdam was ambushed by their own angry fans.
Hakim Ziyech, the Moroccan international who now plays for Chelsea, was physically assaulted. Ten Hag was just four months into the job - and the biggest club in Holland was in crisis.
Instead of running for cover, Ten Hag disembarked from the coach alongside beleaguered chief executive Edwin van der Sar to listen to the grievances of supporters outside the Amsterdam Arena. They spent almost two hours talking to ultras who wanted to know how a club like Ajax could go four years without winning a trophy. It was a pivotal moment.
