The professional football clubs want spectators to be allowed again at matches on 28 January. The Eredivisie, Kitchen Champion Division and the club will publish a joint statement on Friday, in which they write that ‘the stretch is out’. The stadiums have now been empty for professional football for two months, while it has been demonstrated ‘time and again’ that matches with the public can be organized in a responsible manner. With that knowledge, ‘little or nothing is being done’ in The Hague, according to the submitters of the statement. That is why there is now a threat to open the stadiums demonstratively.
The statement will be released shortly before a new cabinet press conference. “We can no longer play without an audience. Last season this led to a loss of more than 100 million euros for the sector. And the damage in the longer term is serious. Very serious! This affects the quality of our football”, it sounds. “The competition with foreign countries is already very strong. In the rest of Europe the stadiums are open or partially open. While we are dealing with the same omikron variant. That makes the competitive position almost impossible.”
The statement calls football ‘the country’s largest entertainment industry and number one sport’ and wants to keep its own pants up. “We are THE entertainment for eight million Dutch people every week. But that is now virtually impossible for us. At the moment there is not even one hundred percent compensation for all matches that we are forced to play without an audience. NOW and other generic arrangements are not available. adequate. The pace of decision-making in political The Hague is too slow.”
“We can’t wait for that. The demonstrative opening of the stadiums is the inevitable next step. We also owe this to our loyal supporters. Every club discusses this with its mayor. Professional football wants to be heard! always be constructive and be and remain part of the solution. Even now. Also with The Hague and the new minister for sport,” the statement reads. No relaxations are expected to be announced in the press conference on Friday evening regarding the admission of the public.
Jan Willem van Dop, general manager of Go Ahead Eagles, finds the situation ‘unexplainable’. “In England the stadiums are full. In Spain it will be seen as a flu. And we will simply remain completely closed,” he laments in conversation with the General Newspaper. He therefore plans to follow in the footsteps of retail, which will largely be allowed to open from Saturday after a threat of civil disobedience. “Apparently that’s the way.” That won’t happen this weekend, though. “No, not this weekend yet, we are targeting early February. If you increase the pressure, you will apparently be heard.” The 34 Dutch professional clubs will all talk to their own mayor next week.
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