No supporters are welcome at football matches for the next three weeks, outgoing Prime Minister Mark Rutte announced on Friday evening during the corona press conference. Simultaneously with the press conference of Rutte and Health Minister Hugo de Jonge, the press conference of the Dutch national team also took place, where Louis van Gaal and Davy Klaassen spoke about the new measures.
Events may continue until 6 p.m. A permanent seat and a check of the corona ticket are also mandatory. A maximum of 1250 people are allowed in a room. “All sports competitions can continue, but there will be a ban on public competitions and training sessions. Both indoors and outdoors, in amateur sports and professional sports. Both during the day and in the evening. So, no matter how painful. The Netherlands – Norway will be without an audience played,” said the outgoing prime minister.
Davy Klaassen thinks it is a shame that the the Dutch squad plays without an audience on Tuesday evening. “It’s a shame”, the midfielder responds Friday evening at the press conference for the game against Montenegro. “We would have liked to have played with an audience, especially in such a great game. I hope it will not affect the result. We are used to it, because we already played without an audience last year. It will take some getting used to with the warm up when no one is sitting, but I don’t think it will be a problem.”
National coach Louis van Gaal ‘fully’ supports the statement issued by the KNVB about the measure. “It emphasizes that a lot of money has been invested in the corona check, which the government had to do. RIVM has checked all of this. It has resulted in few corona infections, but we are now going to play without an audience. I understand that corona is much more important than football, but it is not logical thinking. If you make that mandatory first, and it goes very well, then I don’t understand this measure.”
Football clubs demand full stadiums; stopping competition is an option
The Dutch professional clubs do not resign themselves without a fight to the cabinet decision to no longer allow spectators in the stadiums.
“What is? I’m not an expert,” said Van Gaal. “If you take a measure, you have to monitor and enforce it. That did not happen in the Netherlands. I live in Portugal and that’s where it happened. 98 percent are vaccinated and the hospital beds are minimally occupied. That has to do with leadership. I think Mr. Rutte is the leader of this people, isn’t it? You may also like that. What do I think of that? I have clearly defined that.”
Van Gaal sees the Dutch as a connecting factor for the people, but thinks that the absence of the public can affect this. “There is a great chance that the solidarity of the Dutch people – if the the Dutch win – will now be lost, because the stadium is empty,” he indicates. “The players are used to this, I don’t think the influence is as big as we all think. But with the support of the public you can always do that little bit more.”