Ajax Amsterdam found itself in the midst of a contentious situation following a chaotic disruption during the Ajax-Feyenoord match last Sunday. However, a recent turn of events has seen the club transition from disagreement to agreement with the Dutch Football Federation, KNVB.
On Sunday, September 24, the highly anticipated clash between Ajax Amsterdam and Feyenoord Rotterdam took a tumultuous turn. After just 37 minutes of play, exasperated Ajax fans, frustrated by the club’s season’s start and the 3-0 deficit, threw smoke bombs onto the field and caused damage to the Johan-Cruyff Arena. The match was promptly suspended, leaving fans and officials puzzled.
The Dutch press soon announced a decision to reschedule the game for Wednesday at 2 p.m., with one significant caveat – it would be played behind closed doors, devoid of any audience. This decision by KNVB didn’t sit well with Ajax Amsterdam, which swiftly expressed its dissatisfaction in a press release shared on social media.
In their statement, Ajax stated, “The KNVB wants the remainder of the Klassieker, originally canceled on Sunday, September 24, to occur without spectators on Wednesday, September 27, at 2 p.m. As a result, our scheduled home match against FC Volendam on Wednesday evening would be postponed. Ajax initially disagreed with this arrangement. We proposed an alternative, suggesting that, due to our domestic and international commitments, the Ajax-Feyenoord match could be rescheduled for the first week of November, coinciding with a cup round in which both Ajax and Feyenoord are not participants, but FC Volendam is. Negotiations appeared to reach an impasse, with the possibility of severe sanctions looming.”
However, as of Tuesday morning, Ajax has had a change of heart. In a new press release, the club revealed, “Ajax has decided not to pursue legal action against the KNVB. Consequently, the remaining Ajax-Feyenoord match will take place on Wednesday, September 27, at 2:00 PM, without a live audience.”
