Six officers, two stewards injured in violent outbursts during football match; ten arrested

Eight people, including six officers and two stewards, were injured when fights among football fans broke out in a match between MVV Maastricht and Roda JC Kerkrade on Friday evening. One officer had to be hospitalized.

The match was initially paused just before half-time when football fans threw fireworks into the playing field. Some football spectators hurled chairs and signs after the security personnel. Maastricht Mayor Annemarie Penn ultimately called off the game and the riot squad and a police arrest unit had to intervene.

Police arrested ten people suspected to be involved in the violence. The charges included assault, public violence and public peeing. Seven of the suspects were still in custody on Saturday at noon.

The suspects included nine men from Maastricht between the ages of 19 to 50 and a 24-year-old from Belgium.

On Friday, Minister of Justice Ferd Grapperhaus will speak again with the football union KNVB about disturbances and aggression during professional football matches. Besides the violence during the match on Friday, Grapphaus also wants to discuss the series of threats forcing the departure of Feyenoord director Mark Koevermans.