The highly anticipated Dutch football clash between archrivals Feyenoord Rotterdam and Ajax Amsterdam, known as the ‘Klassieker’, has been cancelled due to a planned police strike. The decision was made by the Rotterdam municipality on Tuesday after police announced they would not be working at the high-profile game.
Mayor Ahmed Aboutaleb stated that the safety of both players and the public could not be adequately guaranteed without the presence of police. The police union, as part of a campaign to secure an agreement with the government on early retirement regulations, declared that no members would be at the stadium.
Typically, only Feyenoord home fans are allowed into the De Kuip stadium for the game, a measure implemented for several seasons to mitigate crowd violence between supporters. However, even with this restriction, last September’s match in Rotterdam was halted after fireworks were thrown onto the pitch. Subsequent rioting led to the arrest of 15 individuals and injuries to two police officers.
The Dutch football association (KNVB) expressed concern about the potential for fixture chaos if police continue to use football matches as a platform for their labor disputes. They stated that football should not be used as a means to achieve their demands.
Both clubs have voiced their disappointment at the cancellation.
The Dutch police have been advocating for improved early retirement conditions since May, employing various tactics including reduced fine issuance, closure of police stations to the public, and noisy protests involving sirens.
