Sunday's Eredivisie game between Ajax and FC Groningen was suspended after six minutes due to large amounts of fireworks being set off in the stands. The F-Side, the fanatic side of Ajax supporters, had announced they'd set off fireworks in honour of an F-Side member who passed away last week. Seconds after the resumption, the same group of Ajax fans threw fireworks onto the pitch, prompting referee Bas Nijhuis to abandon Sunday's game completely.
Ajax released a statement on Sunday, distancing itself from their fans' actions and promising to pursue the culprits for disciplinary action. The club emphasised that security had been improved after fireworks were also set off during a recent home game against Heerenveen, adding sniffing dogs and extra searches to the security process.
On Monday, however, Ajax CEO Menno Geelen revealed how things had gone so badly wrong on Sunday.
"It looks like an emergency exit was violently forced open from the inside, allowing a large group of people without tickets and with a lot of fireworks to enter the stadium," Geelen said on the club website.
"We are currently trying to identify who they were and how this was allowed to happen so we can act accordingly."
The club will compensate the thousands of other fans who attended Sunday's game.
"It was a pitch black night for everyone who loves football, but especially for the people who love Ajax. We sincerely apologise to everyone, but especially to those who were in the stadium. They were put in danger, and we couldn't give them the evening we wanted to give them," said Geelen.
Ajax-FC Groningen rescheduled
The remaining 84 minutes of the game between Ajax and FC Groningen will be played behind closed doors on Tuesday, December 2nd, at 14.30 CET.