The match between FC Groningen and Ajax has been definitively stopped after ten minutes this afternoon. Things went wrong after six minutes when fireworks were thrown on the field and a ‘fan’ stormed the field. After the interruption, there was a short game and it went wrong again.
Supporters of the home club threw fireworks bombs on the field for the second time. The protocol of the KNVB prescribes that a match will be permanently stopped if objects are thrown on the field twice.
It also went wrong yesterday at FC Volendam – Sparta Rotterdam, after Xavier Mbuyamba made the 1-1. Beer was thrown on the field in celebration of the goal. In that duel, FC Volendam immediately hung up nets, after which the match could be played.
Referee Jeroen Manschot told ESPN that he was not surprised by what happened. “There were signals that things could go wrong, out of dissatisfaction with the club. This happened deliberately, there is no other way.” Manschot indicated that he acted according to the protocols, but that the last word was with the security triangle. “They look at security in and outside the stadium and make the decision.”
After the stadium had largely emptied, the Ajax players returned to the field to thank the away side for coming to Groningen.
The KNVB will have to consider how to proceed with this prematurely stopped game.