Chelsea defender Jorrel Hato faced the nervy moment of approaching the Ajax fans after they had just been beaten 5-1 in the Champions League at Stamford Bridge.
The Dutchman had been handed a rare start for the Blues to face his former side in the group stages of the competition, as Marc Cucurella was given a complete rest.
Enzo Maresca’s decision to make a number of changes to the starting side paid off when they secured a 5-1 win against the Dutch side, who had gone down to 10 men very early on in proceedings.
Chelsea helped break a number of records during the game, including having three teenagers score in the same match. Marc Guiu, Estevao Willian and Tyrique George all found the net.
Jorrel Hato applauds the fans after Chelsea vs Ajax
Photo by ANP via Getty Images
Ajax fans sing for Jorrel Hato at full-time of Chelsea’s 5-1 win
After the game, Hato wandered over towards his former supporters sat in the away end of Stamford Bridge to applaud them.
Journalist Mike Verweij stated that the Ajax fans sung to Hato, with the defender being missed by a club in a tough moment right now.
He said: “Jorrel Hato is being sung to by the fans of Ajax despite their club’s 5-1 defeat. The defender, who made the move to London last summer for 44 million euros, is missed.”
Chelsea fans made sure to poke fun at the struggling Dutch side throughout the game. Wout Weghorst saw himself compared to Andy Carroll by the buoyant Stamford Bridge crowd.
Jorrel Hato and Kian Fitz-Jim embrace after Chelsea vs Ajax
Photo by Joris Verwijst/BSR Agency/Getty Images
Ajax really struggling without Hato
Since leaving the club for Chelsea in the summer, Ajax’s win rate without Hato has fallen off a cliff in the 2025/26 campaign.
They remain without a single point in the Champions League this season, putting them in a precarious position already when it comes to trying to advance to the next round.
Hato has shown great improvement in his more recent Chelsea performances as he continues to adapt to life playing for a side in the Premier League.
John Heitinga has admitted they miss Hato, however the Blues are the benefactors after securing the services of one of the top young defenders in world football.