Vitesse are unhappy following the decision by the KNVB to move their match with Ajax to accommodate the Eredivisie champions, with some of their fans boycotting the game as a result.
The two clubs were originally meant to play one another on Saturday October 29, but Ajax asked for the game to be moved so that they’d have more time off before their final Champions League group stage match with Rangers.
The KNVB did as they asked, rescheduling it for Wednesday November 9 at 20:00, and Vitesse aren’t best pleased with that decision, while some of their fans have announced they’ll boycott the match.
“It is not the first time this season that a Vitesse match has been moved to an unfavourable time, especially for the supporters,” a club statement reads.
“Although all Dutch clubs have agreed at an earlier stage to help all participants in European club tournaments, Vitesse is very unhappy that this once again turns out to be a late evening match. That said, Vitesse benefited from these mutual agreements last season. Now the club is getting to know the other side of the coin.
“If you look at the Vitesse program in the first half of the season, you will notice that the number of (late) evening games is remarkably high. In fact: towards the World Cup break, only one game will kick off at the end of the afternoon; the other five competition matches start at 8 p.m. (three matches, of which two on Sunday) or 9 p.m. (two matches).
“Vitesse has already expressed its dissatisfaction with the KNVB about this because, despite the above agreements, it feels like a disproportionate disadvantage. We were asked if there were other options, but unfortunately, they were not feasible.
“Vitesse can therefore understand the supporters who have announced to boycott the away match against Ajax. After all, football should be accessible to everyone. That has often proved impossible in the first half of the season, especially for families with (young) children.”
