Ajax are crowned Dutch Eredivisie league champions

Ajax celebrated a third successive Dutch league title after a 5-0 thrashing of Willem II Tilburg.

The victory left the Amsterdam outfit four points ahead of nearest challengers PSV Eindhoven with one round of Eredivisie fixtures remaining.

"We deserved this title despite the fact that we dropped points," said Ajax coach Frank de Boer after the club were crowned champions for the 32nd time.

"We showed the most consistency and also played the best football."

Kolbeinn Sigthorsson headed in the first goal in the 12th minute and, when Christian Eriksen scored the second before half-time, Ajax fans began to celebrate in the stands, singing "stand for the champion".

The home side's onslaught continued in the second half, with goals from Viktor Fischer, captain Siem de Jong and Danny Hoesen.

"We felt the pressure of the championship today, we played very nervously in the beginning,'' De Jong said. "I'm glad we finished the game the way we did."

The result means Tilburg will be relegated.

PSV beat NEC Nijmegen 4-2 and look certain to finish runners up and claim a place in the preliminary round of the Champions League.

While third-placed Feyenoord are only three points behind PSV, their goal difference is 37 worse.

Feyenoord will be joined in the Europa League next season by Vitesse Arnhem.

Ajax's latest title triumph means De Boer has become the first player to win the league three times on the trot as a player and then achieve the same feat as head coach.

He also follows Rinus Michels (1966-68) and Louis van Gaal (1994-96) in leading the club to a hat-trick of league titles as manager.

Since World War II, only Guus Hiddink has accomplished the same feat, with PSV in 1987-89.