Amsterdam man ,Veldhoven teen detained over fireworks chaos at Ajax–Groningen match

A 30-year-old man from Amsterdam and a 17-year-old boy from Veldhoven have been arrested for their involvement in the fireworks incident at the Eredivisie game between Ajax and FC Groningen. Police said Thursday that the suspects face charges including public violence and trespassing.

The Eredivisie game at the Johan Cruijff ArenA was stopped just five minutes in on Sunday, November 30, after fireworks were ignited by the home team’s hardcore supporters. Police reported that an emergency exit had been opened moments earlier, stewards were sidelined and intimidated, and a group of fans entered the stadium without tickets while carrying fireworks.

Following a suspension of over 40 minutes, fireworks were ignited again when play resumed, prompting the referee to call off the match for good. Supporters from the F-side framed the massive fireworks incident on November 30, 2025, as a tribute to a recently passed prominent member of their hardcore group, nicknamed “Paddy.”

Detectives, led by the Public Prosecution Service, have been investigating people “who played a key and/or coordinating role,” according to police. The probe is ongoing, and authorities say additional arrests remain possible.

Even though the initial arrests came months after the incident, police had earlier stated that 10 to 15 suspects had been singled out through surveillance footage.

Authorities are also investigating whether the suspects played a role in the coordinated storming of the stadium entrances, where stewards were shoved aside to let fireworks in without control, in addition to the charges of public violence and trespassing.

Ajax accepted a settlement from the KNVB in February 2026, stipulating that the sections used by the hooligans (section 410 and the F-side sections 025 to 029, 125 to 129, and 825/829) must be left entirely empty for the next home game, which was against arch-rivals Feyenoord.

Those responsible could be banned from stadiums nationwide for 18 to 60 months and fined at least 450 euros each by the KNVB, on top of any criminal charges. Both the Johan Cruijff ArenA and Ajax plan to recover the financial losses from the abandoned game and missed income from the individuals responsible.

Ajax expressed being “stunned” by the magnitude of the incident, pointing out that extra security measures, including sniffer dog inspections, had been in place to prevent fireworks from entering.