male voices. All Wednesday, Rotterdam is filled with male voices. In the afternoon there are tufts of whoops that swell and ebb here and there in the city. Just before the game, a constant cheer is heard, it waves over the rooftops far beyond the center.
Only when Feyenoord has lost 1-0 in the Conference League final against AS Roma in Tirana by eleven o’clock in the evening, does the screaming die down. Here and there there is cursing and yelling. “Cunt competition”, half-drunk supporters shout on the Coolsingel. But most of all there is silence.
The police have gathered in front of the town hall – on foot and on horseback. ME vans are ready, the water thrower is waiting around the corner. As a large stream of supporters march over a carpet of plastic beer glasses towards the station, the rioters begin to chain. They had been hanging out on the Coolsingel for half an hour and they are looking forward to it. The well-known pattern: hooded cap, scarf in front of the face, throwing (heavy) fireworks. They breed each other. The ME charges, the water launcher is deployed, dozens of people are arrested.
Screens everywhere
Coach Arne Slot’s Feyenoord started the match at nine o’clock in the evening in the Air Albania Stadium in Tirana. About 15,000 to 20,000 supporters have traveled to Albania. The supporters who stayed in the Netherlands watch as much as possible in Rotterdam. That’s why screens were put up all over the city in recent days to watch the match. In several cafes, supporters can watch for free, as long as they are willing to order a beer. The famous Witte de With nightlife street is packed with partying men in jeans and Feyenoord shirts under their warm coats all evening – it’s cool. Beer in plastic cup in hand. There are also some women.
Also read the report from Tirana: Romans, Rotterdammers and Tiranese in one square – this final is ‘the best thing that happened to Albania’
In most places, real festival grounds were even created, with fences and entrance fees. Such as next to the Erasmus Bridge, on the Noordplein and in the Old Port. 5,000 people could go to the Stadhuisplein. All tickets are sold out everywhere. The 48,000 places in the Kuip, where four giant screens have been placed on a cube in the center spot, were also immediately gone. The stadium was already full an hour before the game. Sophie (20) – also present – then reports that she is among a lot of excited nervous men, but that the atmosphere is excellent.
Photos Folkert Koelewijn
Jens de Kruijter (21) from Zwijndrecht is on his way to the site next to the Erasmus Bridge with a group of friends. They have cards and have to run. They should have waited 45 minutes for their burger that’s why they delayed. At eight o’clock the gate closes and they can’t get in again. If Feyenoord wins, Jens will enter the Hofplein fountain, he says. “Probably.” All’s well, grins his friends. As long as they catch the last train back to Zwijndrecht at 1 o’clock.
Not everyone has maps for a terrain. Two men from Drachten say after the game that they only found out in Rotterdam that they should have ordered better tickets. Now they’ve had to watch the match awkwardly, peeking over a fence – the taller of the two managed better than the shorter.
Some supporters took a dip in the Hofplein fountain even before the match started. That is not prohibited, said Rotterdam mayor Aboutaleb earlier from Tirana, but he is not in favor of it. Because supporters can fall on the edge and then have to go to the hospital. After the lost game, the fountain is green lit and empty. The city center was quickly swept empty.