Community service for man who hit Ajacied Davy Klaassen with lighter
NOS News––Customized
The man who threw a lighter at the pitch during the Feyenoord-Ajax cup match on April 5 has been sentenced to 60 hours of community service, including 30 hours of probation. The lighter hit Ajax player Davy Klaassen on the back of the head and caused a head injury. The match was temporarily halted and Feyenoord decided to put high nets around the pitch for the rest of the season to prevent such incidents.
According to the police judge, the sentence is lower because the man and those around him were severely threatened after the lighter incident, including through social media. “But it should be clear that this is not acceptable.”
This footage from April 5 shows Klaassen getting the lighter on his head:
During the semi-final for the Cup, Ajax midfielder Davy Klaassen received a lighter on his head
After the incident in De Kuip, the KNVB has tightened the rules for disturbances. From now on, a soccer match will be stopped if, for example, a cup is thrown onto the pitch. If this happens again after the match has resumed, it will be stopped permanently. The match will be stopped immediately if a player is hit by an object.
The new protocol does not yet seem to be a deterrent. In recent weeks, several matches have been halted or suspended. Just yesterday, the players of Groningen and Ajax were allowed to retire for good after Groningen supporters threw fireworks on the field twice. The Groningen game, which was called off after nine minutes, will be played tomorrow, without an audience.
