Rotterdam Mayor Ahmed Aboutaleb announced on Tuesday, August 27, that the highly anticipated football match between Feyenoord and Ajax, scheduled for this weekend, has been canceled due to a police strike. The mayor stated that public safety “cannot adequately be guaranteed” without police presence.
“The safety of players, as well as the public, cannot be ensured without the involvement of the police,” Aboutaleb explained in a statement to AFP.
The cancellation follows an announcement by police unions on Monday, August 26, stating they would not provide security for the game. The match was set to take place at Feyenoord’s De Kuip stadium in Rotterdam on Sunday.
The strike is part of ongoing industrial actions by Dutch police unions, who are protesting the removal of a scheme for early pensions for officers next year.
The intense rivalry between Feyenoord and Ajax often leads to clashes, which have previously resulted in security issues. For instance, last year’s match at Johan Cruijff Arena in Amsterdam was halted when hooligans threw fireworks onto the field, leading to riots, 15 arrests, and injuries to two police officers.
A new date for the rescheduled match has not yet been announced.
