PEC Zwolle steward assaulted during match against Feyenoord; Three arrested

A PEC Zwolle steward was assaulted during the Eredivisie match between the Overijssel club and Feyenoord in Zwolle on Sunday afternoon. The police arrested three men for the assault.

Several Zwolle supporters showed up for the match despite being banned from the stadium over previous transgressions, PEC Zwolle said in a statement on its website. Zwolle stewards addressed them, and all but one left, the club said.

A steward later again addressed the man who refused to leave. Several people then “seriously assaulted” the steward, the club wrote.

The police took over security at the event after the assault and decided to restore public order, PEC Zwolle said. “That led, among other things, to the closure of some exits after the match and large crowds around it.” The club called it “very annoying” that this situation caused by a few affected so many other supporters, causing them to feel unsafe.

PEC Zwolle will “further evaluate and investigate” the “entire situation” in the coming days.

The police arrested three men, aged 29, 59, and 49, on suspicion of involvement in the assault. “Violence against people who are there to ensure a safe match is unacceptable,” the Overijssel police said on X. “The three are in custody, and further investigation into the incident is ongoing.”

In August, NOS reported that the KNVB had imposed 15 fines totaling in 84,000 euros on PEC Zwolle for misbehaving fans since the pandemic. PEC Zwolle had the most fines of all clubs in the Eredivisie.