The incidents in the Dutch Cup semi-final between Feyenoord and Ajax, where midfielder Davy Klaassen was injured in the head after being hit with a lighter, generated numerous reactions condemning the violence.
“If it continues like this, we will find ourselves in the situation of banning even the home fans”, lamented the Minister of Justice, Dilan Yesilgoz, quoted by the agency. ANP.
An investigation will be carried out “at the highest level”, he warned. Together with Sports Minister Conny Helder, they plan to meet representatives of the Dutch Football Association (KNVB), the two clubs, the Rotterdam municipal government and the police to discuss Wednesday’s events.
In the 63rd minute, the semi-final was interrupted for half an hour by referee Allard Lindhout when a lighter thrown from the stands hit Ajax and Netherlands player Davy Klaassen in the head, causing him to bleed.
Ajax were leading 2-1, which turned out to be the final result of the match, and qualified for the final against PSV Eindhoven.
Klaassen, scorer of his team’s second goal at the start of the second half (51′), tried to stay on the field but had to leave a few minutes after the game restarted, with his hand on his head.
“Dutch football has fallen further,” the Dutch FA said in a statement.
“Thousands of people go to the stadium to watch the players play football. It’s crazy that they are not visibly safe on the pitch,” the KNVB added.
“No room for violence”
In a country that already has experience with fan incidents, especially involving Feyenoord Rotterdam, “clubs and organizers must take precautions”, says the federation, “but that starts with the perpetrators. If you don’t come to the stadium to watch football but to incidents, stay at home. Football, clubs, real fans and players will be better off without you”.
“How long will this last?”, asks the tabloid De Telegraaf on its front page, for whom “once again something went wrong in the derby (of Dutch football), for which visiting fans were not authorized”.
The start of the match had already been delayed due to smoke in the stands. “The match was interrupted due to various incidents, and came to a head when Davy Klaassen was hit on the head with a lighter,” says the newspaper.
For the Dutch police union, the referee should have stopped the game. “Such behavior should not be encouraged,” a police unionist told the daily Algemeen Dagblad.
“There is no place for violence in football,” wrote FIFA president Gianni Infantino. “These events have no place in our sport or in society”, lamented the manager. “All players must be safe to play football, and I appeal to the competent authorities to ensure that this is the case.”
Feyenoord announced that the part of the stands (2,000 seats) from which the lighter was thrown will be closed on April 13, against Roma, in the Europa League quarter-finals.
“Feyenoord feel obliged to make this decision after what happened,” the club said in a statement.
According to the Rotterdam team, “so far, more than 25 people have been identified and/or arrested” for what happened.
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Source: Gazetaesportiva
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