After stopped NAC-Willem II match: "Hooligans can no longer get away with this kind of action" says mayor

The mayor of Breda, Paul Depla, described it as "deeply sad" that fireworks and objects were thrown from the stands during the match between NAC and Willem II on Friday night. This led to the final abandonment of the match.

In an interview with regional newspaper BN DeStem, Depla commented on the misconduct in the stands. "I hope that the fans realize that this group of hooligans is destroying their football festival," the mayor said in the article, which he posted on Twitter.

Burgemeester Depla: ‘We moeten laten zien dat het stadion niet van de hooligans is, maar van de fans’ https://t.co/3nPNptAANq

— BN DeStem (@BNDeStem) April 15, 2023

The mayor's main message, according to his spokesperson, is that "the hooligans must stop believing that they can get away with such actions. We showed last night that this is how you harm the club and the other fans. They ruin it for everyone else."

Depla, who consulted with the KNVB, police, and the Ministry of Justice and Security on behalf of 31 football communities, called bringing and setting off fireworks during football matches "completely idiotic and ill-considered." A number of fans suffered burns when fireworks were set off under the big screen at the atmosphere event. The fireworks were checked at the entrance and confiscated. "But there were also a lot of fireworks that got through. We need to investigate that."

However, additional checks on fireworks will lead to longer queues, Depla told the newspaper. "But that will have to be enough. There just has to be an end to people cheating the association with this kind of junk. We won't accept that anymore."

NAC knows which supporter threw fireworks on the field during the home game with Willem II. According to a spokesman, the club is still looking for spectators who threw plastic cups of beer at Willem II players later in the game. Video footage may be able to identify the perpetrators. The Breda police have not yet arrested any suspects, a police spokeswoman said.

Apparently, the NAC knows which fan threw fireworks onto the pitch during the home game against Willem II. According to a spokesperson, the football club is still looking for spectators who later in the game threw plastic cups with beer in the direction of Willem II players. Video footage may be able to expose the perpetrators. However, the police in Breda have not yet arrested any suspects, according to a police spokesperson.