NEC fans not welcome in derby against Vitesse due to safety concerns | Football

“Although everyone wants nothing more than an atmospheric derby, concerns arose about safety,” Vitesse wrote in a statement on Friday. “This has everything to do with the current situation at Vitesse. These concerns have been shared and discussed in detail with all partners involved.”

Vitesse is in a sporting and administrative crisis. Coach Edward Sturing’s team is seventeenth in the Eredivisie with eight matches to go. In addition, the Arnhem club is in financial problems, which means its professional license is in danger.

The police, municipality, justice and Vitesse regret the measures. “Yet all parties see no other solution. This means that no supporters from Nijmegen will travel and that ticket sales for the match will stop immediately. The last measure is being imposed to prevent tickets from ending up in the wrong hands.”

Vitesse warns that incidents during the coming matches could lead to further restrictions. “We therefore call on everyone to support the team in a positive way, as has often happened this season.”

The NEC supporters association is “severely disappointed” in the decision. “It is a serious distortion of competition for NEC that it is not supported by its loyal supporters, which should not actually be rewarded,” the fan club writes. “NEC must consult with the KNVB to find an alternative.”

In recent years, no away fans were welcome at the derby in Arnhem. Last season, NEC received four hundred tickets for the match, but the supporters thought this was not enough. The supporters decided to boycott the match.