Belgian team Union Saint Gilloise ordered to find alternative location for Ajax match
Ajax’s UEFA Europa League match against Belgian team Union Saint Gilloise on Thursday will likely not be played at the Koning Boudewijnstadion, as was previously scheduled. Ajax announced on X that due to the poor condition of the pitch, the European Football Association, UEFA, has told the Belgian team to search for an alternative location. What this means for the match will become clear in the coming days.
It had been reported by Het Laatste Nieuws on Tuesday that the pitch was struggling due to the rain and snow in the Brussels region over the last couple of days.
Union still has hope that the match can be played in the Koning Boudewijnstadion as planned, which is not their usual home stadium. The Belgian team was ordered to play their matches here because their actual home stadium, the Joseph Marienstadion, does not meet UEFA's requirements.
Belgian media outlets have reported that there is a chance that the match will be played without away fans or not even played at all due to this development. Ajax have promised their fans to keep them up to date with the latest developments. The match is just over 200 kilometers away from the Amsterdam club’s home ground, making the event a likely draw for hundreds, if not thousands of Ajax supporters.
The match between Union Saint Gilloise and Ajax is the first leg of the UEFA Europa League play-off round. It is scheduled to be played at 6:45 p.m. on Thursday. The second leg will be played the following week at the Johan Cruijff ArenA.
