Feyenoord has responded to the commotion that has arisen as a result of the partying supporters in the stands last weekend. Several celebrities expressed their incomprehension on social media about the scenes at Ajax and Feyenoord, among others. The situation at Go Ahead Eagles also led to furrowed eyebrows. The club from Deventer, which, like the rest of the Eredivisie, may have filled two thirds of the stadium, decided to close a number of sections and divide the supporters over the other sections.
Last Friday, outgoing Prime Minister Mark Rutte elaborated on the situation in the football stadiums during the corona press conference. Until September 1, clubs are allowed to use 67 percent of the stadium capacity, as they work with a corona ticket and fixed seats. “It is wise if they also spread that a bit through the football stadiums”, Rutte referred to the maximum capacity in the stadiums. “But the agreement is that you can fill two thirds of the places placed. I think the total number of seats decreases if you close a part completely, but I would like to check that again.”
Dutch celebrities full of incomprehension about massively shared images from Johan Cruijff ArenA
Several well-known Dutch people have expressed their incomprehension on social media about partying supporters in the stands last weekend.
Feyenoord denies flouting the rules. The club from Rotterdam has closed the east side of De Kuip due to a summer terrace. The club expects to create more space once the terrace is demolished. According to Feyenoord, the applicable rules are properly taken into account. “Because everyone has been tested, vaccinated, or both, and we only do placed ticket sales,” a spokesperson told the newspaper. General Newspaper. “Then the one and a half meter measure does not apply. The only rule that applies is that the maximum occupancy is two thirds of the capacity.”
The Rotterdammers emphasize that the measures do not impose that the supporters must be spread over the entire stadium. “That is why Feyenoord chooses to place the supporters close to each other, so that the experience is better,” continues the spokesperson. “In addition, the major staff shortages in the catering industry and security also play a role. There are hardly any people available for both the stadium and suppliers, such as the caterer. That is why not all counters and catering outlets are open. We try to limit the inconvenience of this for supporters as much as possible.”
The outgoing cabinet decided last week that from 20 September full stadiums for professional football matches may be allowed again. The two-thirds capacity limit at an open-air event will then be released. However, this relaxation can only continue if the corona infections remain manageable and the vaccination rate continues to rise. A decision will be made on 17 September whether it is responsible to take this step. Until then, anyone who cannot show a vaccination certificate, recovery certificate or negative corona test is not welcome in the stadium.