The Dutch safety board is investigating the partial collapse of the roof of Alkmaar football club AZ’s stadium.

A large part of the roof collapsed in strong winds on Saturday when the stadium was empty.

‘I don’t want to speak out of turn, but no matches are going to be played here until the situation is completely safe and there is no question of that at the moment,’ director Robert Eenhoorn told broadcaster NOS.

📢 UPDATE:

Geen gewonden bij instorten dak AFAS Stadion.

🔜 Meer info volgt.#AZ pic.twitter.com/mVqBtHMu5h

— AZ (@AZAlkmaar) August 10, 2019

The stadium was built in 2006. Fire and building expert Ynso Suurenbroek told the AD that he had drawn up a report about the construction on behalf of the fire brigade that year but that his concerns had been set aside.

The current building does not meet fire or building regulations and had been made too light to save on costs, he said.

The solar panels added a few years ago added extra weight to the roof and made it more vulnerable. ‘But you would only get problems if the original construction was too weak,’ he said.

Questions

Meanwhile VVD parliamentarian Daniel Koerhuis has called for a debate on the situation. ‘Dozens of people could have been killed,’ he told local broadcaster NH Nieuws.

The collapse also has implications for the club’s schedule, both in the premier league and in Europa League qualifiers. AZ is due to play FC Marioepol at home on Thursday.