Dutch giants Ajax had their Eredivisie clash against FC Groningen abandoned on Sunday. Playing at the Johan Cruyff Arena in Amsterdam, the match was halted 5 minutes into the game. The reason? A massive fireworks display.
The Ajax Ultras, seated behind the goal, set off a massive firework display. The enormous flares was in a bid to reportedly honour an ultra who had passed away. After the first set of flares were set off, the referees were quick to stop the game. All attempts to restart the game were met with similar firework displays.
While the players made their way back to the tunnel, the fireworks continued to go off for a few minutes. A decision to abandon the game was made because the referees and officials could not guarantee safety of the players and the people watching.
The match has since been re-scheduled for Tuesday. However, the game then will be played behind closed doors with no fans watching.
“Ajax considers what happened in the stadium this evening to be utterly outrageous. We offer our apologies to everyone who has been affected in any way. The safety of spectators and players has been put at risk. That is unacceptable. We emphatically distance ourselves from this misconduct. Fireworks do not belong in the stadium,” the Amsterdam club said in a statement on its website.
