Amsterdam football club Ajax were held to a 0-0 draw by Italian club AC Milan in their Champion’s League tie on Wednesday evening, meaning Ajax will not go through to the knock-out round.

‘Anti-football won,’ Ajax coach Frank de Boer is quoted by news agency ANP as saying after the game. ‘Milan dragged out the time in an unbelievable way. Even the ball boys cooperated,’ he said.

‘We did all we could. We played well and we had opportunities but luck was not on our side.’

As third in the group, Ajax will now move down into the Europa League knock-out round. It is the seventh year in a row Ajax has failed to progress beyond the group stage.