Professional football has called in a joint statement to immediately stop the abuses in Dutch stadiums. In recent weeks things went wrong in several places: players were pelted with beer, chants were heard and violence took place. “Football is the best sport. Now that we can all enjoy this together again, let’s not ruin it by a small group,” according to a statement signed by the KNVB, the Eredivisie CV, the Keuken Kampioen Division, the Supporters collective. and all Dutch professional clubs.
The statement from Dutch professional football comes after a weekend in which the necessary incidents took place around the match between NEC and Vitesse, while it was also restless after FC Twente – Willem II. “Unfortunately, after about ten rounds of play, we have to conclude that supporters are not yet able to behave normally during all matches: players have been pelted with plastic cups of beer, specific people and population groups have been insulted with chants and violence took place outside the stadium in some duels. .”
“It seems to be a social and also international problem that, after the restrictions imposed earlier, people are now letting themselves go without borders,” the statement said. “We see that in football too. Sometimes days in advance a hostile atmosphere is created in which some seem to lose themselves. It often starts with playful actions, but they then turn into matters that no sane person wants anything to do with.”
“Paid football is top sport and top entertainment. Rivalry gives an extra dimension to this, but it does have clear limits,” they continue. “The parties below believe that the recent series of abuses must stop immediately. They will therefore discuss with each other in the coming days how we can turn the tide together. Which solutions can or should we deploy at what time? Football is the most beautiful sport. Now that we can all fully enjoy this again, let’s not ruin it by a small group.”