Willem van Hanegem is incensed about the incident with the lighter that was thrown on the back of Davy Klaassen’s head during the cup clash between Feyenoord and Ajax on Wednesday evening. The former player and trainer of the Rotterdam club believes that people who do such a thing should not call themselves supporters of Feyenoord. The police have now arrested the suspected perpetrator of the incident. It concerns a 32-year-old man from Roelofarendsveen.
“You cannot love this club, as so many millions of people do, and then ruin it for the club every time”, Van Hanegem sighs the day after De Classic in the Willem & Wessel podcast of the General Journal. “They don’t realize that this will screw up your club at some point.” The analyst emphasizes that not every Feyenoord fan shows such behavior. “I can’t imagine that there are thousands of people like this in De Kuip. There are a number of people who are always out for trouble, and a number of them go along with it.”
For Van Hanegem it is very simple: just hand out a lifelong stadium ban to the perpetrator. “You’re coming here because you like football, not to harm the club?”, asks The Curve wonders aloud. Van Hanegem would understand if the nets return, such as during the Classic in January. “It is of course too crazy for words that it has to be done, but then just hang up those nets. I could see it on television with those nets.”
Finally, Van Hanegem emphasizes once again that Feyenoord also has a lot of decent supporters. On Wednesday, he saw a number of enthusiastic fans with scarves from their club heading towards De Kuip from his car. “That’s how it should be. And don’t come here to mess things up, then you’re better off on thunder.” More than 25 people have now been identified and/or arrested for misconduct during Wednesday’s semi-cup final, Feyenoord announced on Wednesday.