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AjaxGroningen To Resume Behind Closed Doors After Dangerous Fireworks Force Abandonment

Ajax pledges to identify perpetrators, promising sanctions after the pyrotechnics that halted play.

Overview

  • Referee Bas Nijhuis halted play within six minutes and later abandoned the match, citing player safety, with Amsterdam’s mayor backing the decision following further pyrotechnics.
  • Video from the Johan Cruyff Arena showed fireworks and flares landing on the pitch, briefly igniting patches of grass before the stadium was cleared.
  • The fixture is rescheduled for Tuesday at 14:30 CET without fans, following Ajax’s confirmation that the game would be completed behind closed doors.
  • A one-off exception will allow a terminally ill supporter named Peter to attend the rescheduled game, arranged with the WensenAmbulance Noord-Holland charity.
  • Ajax condemned the display as unacceptable, noted searches and sniffer dogs were deployed but insufficient, and the KNVB opened a disciplinary investigation as those identified face bans and fines.