Ajax match abandoned after 5 minutes as players escorted down tunnel | Football | Sport

Ajax’s match with Groningen on Sunday evening was called off after just five minutes when supporters ignited a fireworks spectacle inside the Johan Cruyff Arena. The fixture had barely got underway when proceedings were forced to halt, with the official ultimately having no option but to abandon the match entirely.

Groningen held possession in the fifth minute when pyrotechnics began detonating above the terrace behind the Ajax goal. Players ceased play and moved in the opposite direction from the massive fireworks exhibition before being guided back down the tunnel. Explosions persisted with no players remaining on the field for over a minute.

The pyrotechnic display was reportedly conducted as a tribute to honour a supporter who had died.

Officials ultimately called off the fixture as they could not ensure player safety, escorting both sets of players down the tunnel, leaving Ajax incensed and issuing a statement vowing to identify the culprits.

It stated: “Ajax finds what happened in the stadium tonight utterly scandalous. We apologise to everyone affected in any way. The safety of spectators and players has been jeopardised. This is unacceptable. We emphatically distance ourselves from this misconduct. Fireworks have no place in the stadium.

“Spectators in the affected section of the stadium were frisked. Dogs were also deployed to detect fireworks, both inside the stadium before it opened and as spectators entered. Other preventative measures were also implemented. Despite this, we were unable to prevent this situation.

“We will, of course, review the camera footage to try to identify the perpetrators and investigate in other ways who is responsible. If this leads to the identification of perpetrators, we will take appropriate action.”

Ajax currently sit sixth in the Eredivisie, trailing 16 points behind table-toppers PSV.

The Amsterdam side entered Sunday’s clash without a victory since late October and had suffered defeats in their previous two matches, with Excelsior having recently visited the capital and departed with maximum points.