A spokesperson for Ajax confirmed today that the club submitted a request for a postponement to the KNVB last Friday, but that it did not want to go along with it.
KNVB response
“First and foremost, it is terrible that Mark Verkuijl’s girlfriend died in an accident,” a spokesperson for the football association now said in a response. “Our thoughts go out to Jong Ajax player Mark Verkuijl, his family and in-laws, friends and relatives and to his teammates and staff.”
The spokesperson speaks of an ‘extremely difficult decision’: “We understand that such decisions raise questions and discussion, because they inevitably affect emotions, circumstances and people.”
“We have a policy in which matches are in principle only postponed when there is the death of a player or staff member. That does not alter the fact that this remains a difficult choice and does not detract from the seriousness of what happened, this is a very drastic and sad event.”
Young Ajax lost the match 2-0 and remains last in the first division.