At the end of September Ajax faced Feyenoord in the first Klassieker of the season. Ajax had not started the season well and were in poor form while Feyenoord were in quite the opposite form, going 3-0 up within the first half of the match. To no surprise the Ajax supporters were not happy with their teams performance which led to them voicing their discontent in the stands, however their actions went too far and the game had to be abandoned as a result. On Wednesday, Ajax issued a statement on the club website which addressed the outcome of a KNVB investigation.
During the game, fireworks were set off in the South stand of the Johan Cruyff Arena. The game was briefly halted in order to follow KNVB protocol and remove the supporter who was responsible for the disruption on the field. However the discontent from the Ajax supporters did not stop there, and the game had to be discontinued. Following the postponement of the game, several riots also occurred around the stadium in which police were injured and significant damage was done to various areas of the Johan Cruyff Arena.
As a result of the disturbances the KNVB opened a preliminary investigation into the incident and a settlement proposal was agreed by Ajax. The settlement indicates that the South stand of the Johan Cruyff Arena should remain empty during the Ajax’s game against Vitesse on the 25th of November and those who have season tickets in this stand should not be able to access the venue for the game. In addition, Ajax will also be fined €25,000 by the KNVB.
Ajax say they have ‘succeeded in identifying and punishing more than fifty people involved in the aforementioned incidents. The policy to recover fines and damages from those responsible will now also be the starting point. The supporters for whom this sanction has direct consequences will receive further notice from the club.’
GBeNeFN | Max Mumford | Hugo Hargreaves
