The celebrations continue for Liverpool after its Premier League title win — but for two former Reds players, the past few days have been less than jubilant.
A week on Sunday, Virgil van Dijk will join the ranks of the 11 Anfield captains who have hoisted the championship trophy, with Liverpool having already clinched their 20th title with four games to spare.
Van Dijk is following in the footsteps of his ex-teammate Jordan Henderson, who was at the helm when the Reds secured their most recent Premier League title in 2020 under Jurgen Klopp. This was one of seven different trophies he lifted – the highest number by any Liverpool captain.
Just a month ago, it seemed that Henderson was on track to replicate this success at Ajax. After moving to Amsterdam in January 2024 following a brief stint in the Saudi Pro League, his team was nine points clear at the top of the Eredivisie.
However, a downward spiral ensued. After losing only two of their previous 29 league matches, a shocking 4-0 defeat at Utrecht was followed by a 1-1 draw at home against Sparta Rotterdam — a match Henderson missed due to suspension — and a dismal 3-0 home loss to NEC Nijmegen.
The decline culminated on Wednesday when Ajax conceded a goal in the 99th minute to draw 2-2 at Groningen. Meanwhile, its closest rivals PSV Eindhoven were defeating Heracles 4-1 to secure their sixth consecutive victory — a streak ignited by a 2-0 home defeat to their arch-rivals – moving them a point ahead at the top with just one game left.
(Image: Pieter van der Woude/BSR Agency/Getty Images)
Henderson looked visibly frustrated at the final whistle, but he steered clear of the fracas that erupted between players and officials from both teams, following Groningen’s last-gasp equalizer. Ajax is set to wrap up its season at home against sixth-placed Twente this weekend, while PSV will be visiting Sparta Rotterdam, currently sitting in 11th place.
Ajax’s dramatic slip-up has sent shockwaves beyond the Netherlands — it’s been making headlines across Europe, with one Spanish news outlet dramatically stating, “Ajax is definitely descending into hell” — yet a significant setback for one of Henderson’s ex-Liverpool colleagues hasn’t garnered as much attention.
On Sunday, Sampdoria, the once illustrious Italian club who graced the final European Cup in 1992 before its transformation into the Champions League, found itself relegated to Italy’s third division for the first time ever.
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Sampdoria’s fall to Serie C was sealed on Tuesday after a stalemate at Juve Stabia. A win would’ve lifted Sampdoria out of the drop zone and into a playoff spot, especially poignant given the team was competing in Serie A just two seasons ago.
Fabio Borini, now aged 34 and part of the Sampdoria team, has had his season marred by injuries, limiting him to only 11 outings. He was notably absent from the midweek match that confirmed the team’s relegation.
Borini was the inaugural signing of the Brendan Rodgers era, snapped up from Roma in July 2012. But after netting just three goals in 38 appearances, he embarked on a journeyman career that included stints at Sunderland, AC Milan, Verona, and Turkish side Karagumruk before making a return to Sampdoria two years ago under then-manager Andrea Pirlo, who was dismissed following a disappointing start to the season.
With the former Italy international’s contract set to expire in the summer, it could be time for Borini to hang up his boots. Regardless, it’s been a less-than-stellar week for both him and Henderson.
