Polish and Dutch PM's discuss Legia Warsaw arrests in Alkmaar, clashes with police

Polish Prime Minister Mateusz Morawiecki is concerned by reports that the Dutch police arrested two footballers from Legia Warsaw after the match against AZ in Alkmaar on Thursday. Among those injured in the unrest on Thursday night was a man working as the security coordinator on behalf of the Alkmaar team, who was hospitalized, according to NOS.

The football players arrested were identified by various media outlets as Portuguese midfielder Josué Pesqueira, and Serbian defender Radovan Pankov. Dutch police would not confirm the names of the players, but did confirm the arrests of a 33-year-old Portuguese man and a 28-year-old Serbian man. They were being held for assault. Video footage shared online seems to show riot police officers clashing with Legia Warsaw representatives at their bus.

Morawiecki, who is in the middle of a grueling election campaign, raised the matter with Dutch Prime Minister Mark Rutte at an informal meeting of the 27 EU member states in Granada on Friday. The Dutch Prime Minister made clear that the matter is the responsibility of the police, prosecutor, and mayor, a spokesperson for Rutte told ANP.

“Very disturbing messages from Alkmaar,” Morawiecki wrote on social media on Friday morning, De Telegraaf reported. “I have urged our Ministry of Foreign Affairs to make diplomatic efforts to verify last night’s events. Polish players and fans must be treated in accordance with the law. The law cannot be broken.”

Justice Minister Dilan Yeşilgöz also commented on the incidents around the football match, calling it disgraceful. She waved away Morawiecki's criticism of the Alkmaar police and said that "he should first look at his own club," according to ANP. Her "first concern" is for the riot police officer who got hurt on Thursday, and the rest is up to the authorities to investigate.

There were also clashes between the riot police and Legia supporters before the match. According to the police, the supporters stormed the entrance of the AFAS stadium in Alkmaar and knocked a riot police officer unconscious. The police said that the supporters did not follow the agreements to collect their tickets at the ADO stadium in The Hague and then come to Alkmaar with the specially arranged buses; instead, they showed up at the Alkmaar stadium and forced their way in without tickets.