Feyenoord-Ajax game in Netherlands called off due to police strike

Rotterdam mayor Ahmed Aboutaleb on Tuesday called off this weekend’s football match between arch-rivals Feyenoord and Ajax due to a police strike, saying public safety “cannot adequately be guaranteed”.

The call comes after police unions Monday said they will not be present at the highly-charged game, which was scheduled to be played at Feyenoord’s De Kuip stadium in Rotterdam on Sunday.

“The safety of players, as well as the public cannot be adequately guaranteed without the involvement of the police,” Aboutaleb said in a statement sent to AFP.

“The decision was taken in consultation with safety and security officials and has been communicated to the parties involved,” he said.

A new date for the clash has not yet been set.

Dutch police unions have run industrial actions for several months to protest the dropping of a scheme for early pensions for law officers next year.

Traditional rivalry especially among the hardcore support of both clubs has led to clashes in the past, resulting in a ban on visiting supporters for the fixture, called “De Klassieker” in Dutch.

But even then security was not always guaranteed. Last year the match had to be abandoned at the Johan Cruyff Arena in Amsterdam after hooligans threw fireworks on the field.

Riots broke out after the match in which 15 people were arrested and two police officers were wounded. Feyenoord won 4-0 when the game was completed days later.

In April 2023, a cup game between the two rivals was also stopped after Ajax midfielder Davy Klaassen was hit on the head by a cigarette lighter thrown from the stands.

– ‘Football the victim’ –

Feyenoord on Tuesday said it was “very disappointing” that the match would not go ahead as planned.

“We understand that people have to stand up for their cause,” the club said referring to the police strike.

“But we regret that football, not for the first time, is being used as a tool to enforce something in which we are not involved.”

“We understand and agree that the mayor does not consider it reasonable to allow the match to go ahead without the presence of the police,” Feyenoord added.

Ajax too said they regretted that football “is the victim in this case”.

The Dutch Football Federation (KNVB) warned “should these police actions continue on a weekly basis the playing of competitions could really be jeopardised at some point – or at least affect the way the sport is played.”

The KNVB called on police unions and management to negotiate a solution before the weekend in order for the “Klassieker to simply be played on Sunday”.

After a few years of relative quiet, Dutch authorities have been facing a surge of football hooliganism which also included a shock attack by AZ Alkmaar supporters on West Ham fans last year.

Football violence however is not new to the Netherlands which has experienced incidents as far back as the 1970s.

In one of the worst cases Ajax fan Carlo Picornie was beaten to death in 1997 when hardcore Ajax and Feyenoord football supporters clashed by the side of a motorway, an incident later named the “Battle of Beverwijk.”

AFP