Supporters of Dutch club SC Cambuur suffered burns, hearing damage and eye injuries when visiting Feyenoord fans threw fireworks during Sunday’s league fixture in Leeuwarden.
Play was suspended for approximately 20 minutes in the first half after the away end lit a large number of red flares and launched pyrotechnics. Several were targeted at sections containing home fans, while one detonated on the pitch just metres from Feyenoord goalkeeper Tjark Ernst.
Feyenoord general manager Robert Eenhoorn described the disruption as “simply terrible”, adding: “Our own goalkeeper had a flare fired at him and only just managed to avoid it.”
In a statement released on Monday, Cambuur confirmed five fans were injured and pledged to work alongside authorities to ensure those responsible are caught.
“It should be clear that setting off and firing fireworks is completely unacceptable and has no place in a football stadium whatsoever,” the club added.
Leeuwarden mayor Foort van Oosten also condemned the incident and promised an investigation, while the Dutch football association confirmed it would review its protocols for crowd disorder.
The match resumed despite the injuries in the stands, though it would have been abandoned had a player or official been struck.
“That doesn’t feel right,” Jan Bluyssen, KNVB manager of professional football competition affairs, told Dutch news agency ANP. “We need to examine whether the protocol is still appropriate and how we might want to adjust it.”
Feyenoord eventually won the game 5-2 to maintain their unbeaten start to the season, while newly promoted Cambuur have lost all three of their opening matches.
Last season, a top-flight Dutch match between Ajax and Groningen was abandoned after fans ignited fireworks and flares behind one of the goalposts, causing the referee to halt play after the first five minutes. The attempts to restart the game were met with similar scenes, and the game was officially abandoned.
“Ajax considers what happened in the stadium this evening to be utterly outrageous,” the Amsterdam club said in a statement on their website shortly after the game was called off.
“We offer our apologies to everyone who has been affected in any way. The safety of spectators and players has been put at risk. That is unacceptable.
“We emphatically distance ourselves from this misconduct. Fireworks do not belong in the stadium.”
