KNVB imposed nearly €1 mil. in fines on football clubs since pandemic

In the two complete football seasons since the coronavirus pandemic, the Dutch football association KNVB imposed 167 penalties on clubs for incidents with and by supporters, totaling in 919,875 euros in fines. In the two seasons before the pandemic, the KNVB published only 29 sanctions, though settlements were not published at the time, NOS reports based on its own research.

Penalties in the past two seasons were for things like setting off fireworks, throwing objects onto the field, harassing players and referees, arson, vandalism, chants, banners, storming the field, and clashing with the riot police.

Incidents involving fireworks were by far the most common, with fireworks playing a role in 118 penalties. Fifty sanctions were for throwing objects, including beer. Twenty were for storming the playing field. Remarkably, the KNVB imposed only two penalties for racist chants - against PSV and FC Utrecht supporters, respectively, for making jungle noises and shouting discriminatory remarks at Ajax players.

Football players and referees were often the target of supporters’ wrath, getting pelted with beer, objects, and fireworks. Excluding the lighter incident with Davy Klaassen, 32 football players, referees, and assistants got stuff thrown at them in the past two seasons.

Two-thirds of the offenses were committed by the home crowd, the other third by the visitors. In 23 cases, arbiters stopped a match due to incidents.

Strikingly, relatively small clubs got the most penalties. The KNVB sanctioned PEC Zwolle 15 times and De Graafschap and MVV 11 times each. Of the big three clubs, only PSV is in the top 10 of fines and sanctions received.

NOS called Feyenoord’s situation remarkable. UEFA has penalized the Rotterdam club 18 times for disorderly conduct in European matches in the past two seasons, fining Feyenoord 800,625 euros in total No club in Europe was sanctioned more heavily. In the same period, the kNVB imposed only five sanctions, totaling 32,500 euros, on Feyenoord.

The KNVB imposed 696,500 unconditional fines in the past two seasons. On top of that, the association imposed 223,375 euros in conditional fines, banned all supporters from matches 12 times, and conditionally banned supporters 15 times. The KNVB also ordered more clubs to draw up plans for preventing disorder in the future.

Seven clubs did not receive any fines in the past two seasons - Almere City FC, AZ, SC Cambuur, FC Dordrecht, Excelsior, Go Ahead Eagles, and Sparta.