Soccer-Another Ajax game called off because of police strike

AFC Ajax NV

09/09/2024 20:32

AMSTERDAM, Sept 9 (Reuters) - A second Dutch league
match involving Ajax Amsterdam has been called off because of
threatened strike action by police in the Netherlands, the club
said on Monday.
    Sunday’s Eredivisie match between Ajax and Utrecht in the
Johan Cruyff Arena will not take place because of safety
concerns, city authorities decided on Monday. 
    "The safety of the players, supporters and public order in
the city cannot be guaranteed without the important efforts of
the police", the Amsterdam municipality said. 
    The option of playing behind close doors had also been
discussed. "But even then, the risk of unrest and unsafe
situations is too great and irresponsible to take without
possible police deployment," the statement from the city added.
    Ajax said they were disappointed, because they felt match
could also have gone ahead without the police "with additional
measures and good agreements between both clubs and supporters".
    Ajax’s Dutch ‘Klassieker’ away at Feyenoord Rotterdam on
Sept. 1 was forbidden by the Rotterdam municipality because of a
planned police strike.
    Dutch police have been campaigning for better early
retirement conditions since May, by issuing fewer fines, closing
police stations to the public and organising noisy protests with
their sirens.
    They announced that there would be no police presence at 
Ajax-Utrecht match, which last season featured clashes between
rival supporters.
    The police union said that the strikes would continue if
there was insufficient prospect of a breakthrough in the dispute
about early retirement. 

 (Writing by Mark Gleeson in Cape Town)
 ((mark.gleeson@thomsonreuters.com; +27828257807; Reuters
Messaging: mark.gleeson.thomsonreuters.com@reuters.net))