Fans burned and blinded as fireworks hurled into stand in the Netherlands

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FT Desk

SC Cambuur said their fans suffered "burns, hearing damage and eye injuries" after Feyenoord supporters threw fireworks during an Eredivisie clash between the two sides on Sunday.

Around the 10-minute mark, the visiting Feyenoord supporters lit fireworks and threw them into the adjacent stands in the Kooi Stadion.

The home fans were targeted, which resulted in the array of injuries suffered.

Feyenoord said it "firmly distances itself from the unacceptable events" and confirmed that head coach Giovanni van Bronckhorst apologised on behalf of the club to SC Cambuur after the match.

"It should be clear that setting off and firing fireworks is completely unacceptable and has no place in a football stadium whatsoever," SC Cambuur said.

Cambuur are working with the police to see if the individual perpetrators can be identified. Feyenoord will assist in the investigation and plans to assess the video footage themselves.

Feyenoord went on to win the game 5-2 but general manager Robert Eenhoorn said he "cannot be happy" with their three points, adding "frustration prevails too much for that".

"This problem obviously does not only affect Feyenoord and is unfortunately something we have been unable to put a stop to for decades," he continued.

"We will therefore have to sit down again with all stakeholders, clubs, the KNVB [Dutch football association], and the authorities to look for a solution together."

Rules determine that a game must be abandoned if a player or official is struck with a flare of firework, but as it was only supporters who were injured, the play recommenced.

"That doesn't feel right," Jan Bluyssen, the KNVB's manager of professional football competition affairs, told Dutch news agency ANP.

"We need to examine whether the protocol is still appropriate and how we might want to adjust it."

In the 2025/26 Eredivisie season, a fixture between Ajax and Groningen was abandoned after fireworks and flares were ignited behind one of the goals at Johan Cruyff Arena in Amsterdam.