Investigation after Feyenoord fans set off fireworks at Cambuur

The Dutch football association KNVB will review its rules for dealing with disturbances at matches after five supporters were injured when fireworks were set off during Cambuur Leeuwarden’s home game against Feyenoord at the weekend.

Referee Danny Makkelie restarted the match in the De Kooi stadium after a 20-minute break, but questioned afterwards whether the guidelines should be changed.

At least one Cambuur fan suffered an eye injury while others had burns and hearing loss when Feyenoord fans let off a barrage of flares and fireworks in the 12th minute of the game. It is not known how the fireworks got into the stadium.

One firework landed at the feet of Feyenoord’s goalkeeper, Tjark Ernst, but he was unhurt. The current guidelines state that a match should be abandoned if a player is struck by fireworks, but say nothing about supporters.

“I asked the KNVB twice whether supporters being hit counted or not,” Makkelie told ESPN. Acting mayor Foort van Oosten instructed the referee to restart the game after consulting police.

“It’s an agreement made between the clubs, not us,” Makkelie explained. “I don’t know what the reason for it is, because it’s just as bad whether players or supporters are hit.”

Face coverings

Police were unable to arrest the culprits on the spot because the suspects were wearing balaclavas and their faces were obscured in the smoke. Efforts to identify them are continuing.

The KNVB will discuss the incident during its regular review meeting later this week.

When the game finally restarted, Feyenoord put their hosts to the sword, racing to a 4-0 lead by half-time, with Gjivai Zechiel opening the scoring in the 17th minute and Ayase Ueda bagging a penalty just before the break.

Cambuur pulled two goals back after the interval as Feyenoord eased off, before Zechiel’s second condemned the Frisian side to a third successive defeat.

PSV comeback

Groningen, who started the weekend as joint Eredivisie leaders, briefly threatened an upset in Eindhoven when Brynjolfur Willumsson gave them an early lead against PSV.

But the champions hit back, Ruben van Bommel causing mayhem down the left flank as PSV ran out 5-1 winners, with Croatian veteran Ivan Perisic scoring twice.

AZ Alkmaar are the only team with maximum points after three games after beating Fortuna Sittard 2-0 in Limburg.

The home side were reduced to 10 men after just four minutes when Ole Romney was sent off for stamping on Mateo Chávez. AZ struggled to make their advantage count, but Leeroy Echteld’s half-time substitutions proved decisive as Calvin Stengs twice set up Jizz Hornkamp for the goals.

PEC break duck

PEC Zwolle picked up their first points of the season by winning 2-0 at Heerenveen, but ADO Den Haag are still waiting after going down 3-1 at Go Ahead Eagles, who rose to second place in the table.

In Rotterdam, Sparta came back three times against Utrecht to claim a point and leave new manger Anthony Correia still looking for his first win. Defender Nick Verschuren scored the final equaliser in the 96th minute for Sparta.

Ajax, Twente and NEC Nijmegen were all allowed to reschedule their matches because of their European commitments in midweek.

Results

Saturday

Fortuna Sittard 0-2 AZ Alkmaar

Heerenveen 0-2 PEC Zwolle

Sparta Rotterdam 3-3 Utrecht

Sunday

Cambuur Leeuwarden 2-5 Feyenoord

Go Ahead Eagles 3-1 ADO Den Haag

PSV Eindhoven 5-1 Groningen

Postponed: Twente Enschede v Telstar (September 9), Ajax v Willem II Tilburg (September 15), NEC Nijmegen v Excelsior (September 16)