Major blow for Dutch football as Feyenoord-Ajax 'Klassieker' clash cancelled

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The biggest game in Eredivisie will - once again - need rearranging with crowd safety the issue

Ajax
The Klassieker between Feyenoord and Ajax is one of the most fiercely contested games in Europe (Image credit: Getty Images)

Sunday’s planned league fixture between Dutch heavyweights Feyenoord and Ajax has been postponed.

The two sides were set to go head-to-head on Sunday in the first Klassieker of the 2024-25 season.

But ongoing police strikes that are taking place across the country, mean the match will not take place as originally scheduled.

Dutch police are taking industrial action as part of an ongoing campaign related to early retirement regulations – and have confirmed they will not work Sunday’s game.

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The city's mayor, Ahmed Aboutaleb, said: "The safety of the players, but also of the public, cannot be sufficiently guaranteed without the use of the police."

The postponement is the latest blow for one of Europe’s biggest fixtures which has suffered from crowd trouble in recent years.

In the meeting between the two last September there were multiple reports of police officers being injured due to disorder in the stands.

As away side Feyenoord went 3-0 up, Ajax fans threw flares and fireworks on the pitch, with the match abandoned after 56 minutes.

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Ajax's Johann Cruyff arena (Image credit: Adam Davy)

The remainder of the game was played out three days later behind closed doors.

A KNVB Cup semi-final meeting between the two teams the previous season, saw former Everton and Ajax player Davy Klaassen hit with a lighter thrown from the stands.

He had to be substituted due to the resultant head injury, while the match was suspended for 30 minutes.

When will De Klassieker take place?

The fixture is yet to be rescheduled by the league’s organising body the KNVB.

Feyenoord reacted to the postponement by publishing a statement, reading: “Feyenoord finds it very disappointing that Sunday's match can't take place. As indicated earlier, we understand that people are standing up for their cause.

“However, we do regret that, not for the first time, football’s being used to enforce matters in which we are not a party.

“That the mayor considers it irresponsible to allow the match to go ahead without police presence we understand and endorse.”

 

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Jack Lacey-Hatton
Jack Lacey-Hatton
Freelance writer

Jack has worked as a sports reporter full-time since 2021. He previously worked as the Chief Women’s Football Writer at the Mirror, covering the England Women’s national team and the Women’s Super League. Jack has reported on a number of major sporting events in recent years including the 2023 FIFA Women’s World Cup on the ground in Australia. When not writing on football, he can often be spotted playing the game somewhere in west London.