Real Madrid defender Dani Carvajal said he had never felt so awful after the triple Champions League holders were booted out of the competition on Tuesday.
The Spanish giants, who had won four of the last five editions of the competition, are almost certain to end the campaign empty-handed, having been knocked out of the Copa del Rey in the semi-finals by Barcelona and having fallen 12 points behind the Catalans in La Liga.
“I think I have never felt this awful, I do not know how to explain it,” Carvajal said after Ajax Amsterdam completed a 5-3 aggregate victory.
“This week everything has gone against us. Tonight we cannot look for excuses. Our opponents were better and they deserved to go through. We have to show our faces and not hide, our season has been a piece of s***.”
Meanwhile, Ajax captain Matthijs de Ligt is confident his side can go on to cause more Champions League mayhem after booking a surprise quarterfinal place with a stunning upset victory over the defending champions.
GUTTED: Real Madrid season was s***. PHOTO: Dani Carvajal/REUTERS
Four-times European champions Ajax overcame a 2-1 first-leg deficit, triumphing 4-1 at the Santiago Bernabeu to advance 5-3 on aggregate.
Hakim Ziyech and David Neres put them two up at halftime, and Dusan Tadic made it three, before Marco Asensio gave Madrid hope.
It lasted two minutes, as Lasse Schone sent a freekick into the top corner before Nacho was sent off late on.
“We will see how far we go but we are certainly not finished yet,” the teenage defender told Dutch reporters.
“It was no surprise to us. Real give a lot of room away and if you are prepared to play football, you know you can make it very difficult for them.”
De Ligt said Ajax were more clinical in Madrid than they had been during their narrow home defeat in the first leg.