Driessen tears into Feyenoord fans who threw fireworks with one word

Valentijn Driessen has nothing good to say about the Feyenoord fans who set off fireworks at SC Cambuur's stadium on Sunday. The De Telegraaf football editor believes away supporters should be banned anyway.

The match in Leeuwarden was halted after 12 minutes when large quantities of fireworks were set off from the away end in the South Stand. Cambuur say it did not stop there, because fireworks were also fired towards the pitch and the surrounding stands.

Those consequences now appear more serious than first reported. In an official statement, Cambuur speak of five injured supporters, who are in a bad way. They are suffering mainly from burns, hearing damage and eye injuries. ''It goes without saying that all care and attention are focused on these injured supporters and everyone at the club is hugely affected,'' the club write.

Calling out the Feyenoord fans who set off the fireworks and caused huge consternation, Driessen said: ''They are simply criminals, of course. It was an organised action. I happened to have contact with someone, and he said it was for fun. If this is what you get your enjoyment from, you're not right in the head.''

Now he wants the KNVB to crack down hard at last. ''I argue it every time: stop away supporters. Then you get rid of a whole lot of trouble. Feyenoord v Ajax is being played on a Saturday evening. And that is possible, because there are no Ajax supporters. Lovely, isn't it?''

What also leaves Driessen stunned is how the Feyenoord following managed to bring so many fireworks and flares into the Cambuur stadium. ''If you then clear the place out, you might be bringing a lot of misery on yourself. The mayor will of course have taken that into consideration. Because it would have been very normal to clear that section out.''

He also believes Feyenoord need to examine closely who was in that end. ''But I think Feyenoord really need to take a close look at who was there. Normally that is not a problem, because you have Gold Club Card holders or something like that. This away end was packed. So I think a great many slipped through the net. Those were the troublemakers responsible for those appalling scenes,'' Driessen said.