AZ will not sell tickets for the away match against Legia Warsaw on December 14. The club reports this on their own website. After consultation, it was decided that the safety of supporters cannot be guaranteed.
On October 5, AZ hosted the Polish club in Alkmaar, which got completely out of hand. Due to unrest outside the stadium, the Polish team and their staff were kept in the stadium for some time after the match. That didn’t go down well with the Legia players and staff. During a disturbance that arose there, two players from the Polish team allegedly assaulted an AZ employee.
The Polish reading of the event is very different. They indicate that excessive force was used against both the players and officials of the club, by AZ security staff and by the Dutch police.
Smear campaign
The two players were arrested in the Netherlands, but are now free again. The conflict became heated: so high that there was talk of it a smear campaign against Alkmaar entrepreneurs.
In addition to the investigation into the mistreatment of AZ staff, there is also an investigation into whether or not the Dutch police used excessive force against Polish supporters prior to the match.
‘Do not travel’
According to AZ, consultations have taken place about the situation, and it emerged that the safety of supporters during the away match in December cannot be guaranteed. The club then decided not to sell tickets. They also advise supporters not to go to the match on their own.