Feyenoord hooligan sentenced to 4 years in jail for riots, threats and discrimination

The Rotterdam court sentenced Max V. to four years in prison on Thursday, with one year suspended, for threats, discrimination, and involvement in the riots on New Year's Eve in 's-Gravendeel. During these riots, the police were notably attacked with fireworks.

According to police and the Public Prosecution Service, the 30-year-old man was the leader of the Rotterdamse Jongeren Kern (RJK), the youth branch of the Feyenoord hardcore supporters group. He threatened several individuals, including Paul van Dorst, the founder of the Roze Kameraden, the LGBTI supporters' association of the Feyenoord football club, Rotterdam's mayor Ahmed Aboutaleb, and his daughter. According to the court, with his "hurtful and unnecessarily offensive remarks," V. has "crossed many boundaries."

A fire was started at Van Dorst's gym in 2021, and threatening and offensive slogans were written on its walls. In May 2022, in Tirana, the capital of Albania, where Feyenoord played and lost the Conference League final against AS Roma, banners were raised with derogatory and threatening messages, primarily targeting Van Dorst. Earlier this year, seven Feyenoord hooligans were already sentenced by the magistrate to a hundred-hour community service for this act.

V. has a criminal record with a significant number of football-related offenses, such as public violence. The court noted that V. primarily played a leading and directing role. He made a "significant effort" to stay in the background. "You let others do the dirty work." The fact that V. is a graduated lawyer "baffled the court."

After the verdict, Van Dorst stated that he primarily sees a role for football clubs to no longer tolerate such insults and offensive remarks. During the trial, in his statement, he declared he would "never bow to terror."