Shortly before the cabinet press conference last Friday, the clubs from the Eredivisie and Keuken Kampioen Division issued a joint statement. “We can no longer play without an audience,” was the message. In the statement, they announce that they will open their stadiums “demonstratively” if the cabinet maintains the ban on the public at sports matches at the next press conference, on January 25.
In the weekend after that press conference, the Eredivisie is suspended due to World Cup qualifiers in South America and Asia. Six matches are scheduled in the Kitchen Champion Division. The home clubs are all preparing to receive an audience.
Derby
“The bet is to play against FC Dordrecht with an audience,” says a spokesperson for VVV-Venlo. The TOP Oss club management will have a meeting with the safety triangle on Wednesday about the home match against FC Den Bosch on January 28. “We really want to play that derby again with the public and sponsors in a full ‘Kuipje’”, said a spokeswoman, referring to the nickname of the Frans Heesen stadium in Oss.
ADO Den Haag will receive De Graafschap on January 30. “Talks with the municipality of The Hague are already underway,” said a spokesperson. “We want to play with the public again, because football has shown that this can be done in a safe way. We still assume that it will be allowed again by then. But if the cabinet sticks to the ban on the public, then we want to open the doors demonstratively. Compare it with the catering and shops in Valkenburg last week. However, we need permission and cooperation from the municipality for this. All clubs are now trying to arrange this locally.”
FC Eindhoven, Excelsior and Almere City FC are also preparing to receive an audience in the home games against MVV, FC Emmen and Telstar respectively. Almere City recently had to deal with Ank Bijleveld as acting mayor in the city. As Minister of Defense in the previous cabinet, she was involved in tackling the corona crisis. The CDA politician was recently appointed in Almere as successor to Franc Weerwind, who became Minister for Legal Protection in the Rutte IV cabinet.