After the Europa League game between Ajax Amsterdam and Maccabi Tel Aviv, violence broke out against fans of the Israeli club. Several supporters were injured.
From a sporting point of view, the Europa League game between Ajax Amsterdam and Maccabi Tel Aviv was a one-sided affair. The Dutch team won the game 5:0.
However, the result and the course of the game have since become a minor matter. The reason for this are violent attacks on fans of the Israeli club after the game. According to official figures, up to 30 people have been injured, five of whom had to be treated in hospital. Three people who were previously missing have now been reached by the Israeli Foreign Ministry.
Pro-Palestinian demonstrators are said to be responsible for the attacks. Authorities initially reported almost 60 arrests, and now ten people are still in custody, including two minors. The attacks occurred in several places in Amsterdam, and videos of the chase are circulating on social media. “Fans were besieged, abused and pelted with fireworks in several places in the city,” said Mayor Femke Halsema. She condemned this “antisemitic behavior”. In a press conference she later spoke of a “dark night”.
Meanwhile, it is known that a group of about 200 people tried to get close to the stadium before the game. Previously, the authorities had banned a rally in front of the venue and moved it to another location. The investigation of the further events is ongoing.
Police pointed out that there had already been clashes the night before. Tel Aviv fans had also rioted and provoked. They had burned Palestinian flags and torn them from the walls of houses, shouting abusive slogans. However, this was in no way an excuse for the anti-Semitic attacks, the mayor emphasized.
Free return flights for Maccabi fans
Dutch Prime Minister Dick Schoof condemned these “unacceptable anti-Semitic attacks on Israelis” on X. He said he had since spoken to Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on the phone and promised the country all the support it needed.
German EU Commission President Ursula von der Leyen wrote in a statement that she was “outraged” by the “heinous attacks on Israeli citizens in Amsterdam. Anti-Semitism has absolutely no place in Europe.” Germany’s Foreign Minister Annalena Baerbock also reacted: “The images from Amsterdam are terrible and deeply shameful for us in Europe,” she said. “The outbreak of such violence against Jews crosses all borders. Jews must be safe in Europe.”
Ajax condemns violence – UEFA investigation open
Israel, meanwhile, reacted, according to the AFP news agency, and sent planes to Amsterdam to bring several hundred Maccabi fans directly, free of charge and without complications back home. According to the airline El Al, the first flight should take off at 2 p.m. Furthermore, the Israeli Foreign Ministry advises citizens in the country not to show or wear Jewish or Israeli symbols. They should also only leave their accommodation to leave. Maccabi is also involved in coordination and communication, keeping its fans up to date via social networks.
In addition to the investigation by the local security authorities, the incidents could also result in an investigation by UEFA. Ajax Amsterdam condemned the violence “in the strongest possible terms” in a statement on Friday afternoon. The statement said: “After a sporting football match in a good atmosphere in our stadium – for which we thank everyone involved for their cooperation – we were horrified to learn what happened in the center of Amsterdam last night.”
