Five SC Cambuur supporters were left with burns, hearing damage and eye injuries after Feyenoord fans set off and threw fireworks from the away section at the Kooi Stadion on Sunday, forcing referee Danny Makkelie to take both teams off the pitch after 12 minutes of an Eredivisie fixture Feyenoord went on to win 5-2.
The trouble began with a countdown from the visiting end on the south side of the Leeuwarden ground. When it reached zero, flares and heavy fireworks were lit and hurled — some onto the pitch, some into neighbouring stands occupied by home supporters, including families. One firework exploded close to Feyenoord goalkeeper Tjark Ernst, who was unhurt. Makkelie stopped play immediately and sent the players down the tunnel; the interruption lasted more than 20 minutes while the referee consulted police and acting mayor Foort van Oosten before restarting.
Cambuur’s statement afterwards was blunt: setting off and firing fireworks is “absolutely unacceptable and in no way belongs in a football stadium”, the club said, adding that “all care and attention goes out to these injured supporters”. The club has said the five are in a bad way.
Twelve minutes that emptied a stand
Police were unable to make arrests at the scene. The smoke was thick enough to obscure the away end and those throwing the fireworks wore balaclavas. Identification work is continuing using stadium camera footage, with Cambuur pledging to work with the authorities to trace those responsible.
Feyenoord distanced themselves from the incident within hours. General director Robert Eenhoorn, speaking to ESPN, called the events “worthless” and “just terrible”, said the injuries to Cambuur fans were the worst of it, and noted that his own goalkeeper had narrowly escaped being struck. “Normally you hear something in advance,” he said of organised supporter actions, before adding: “I hope those guys are a bit ashamed of themselves.”
Feyenoord midfielder Luciano Valente, who scored on the night, described being “scared stiff” when the first bangs went off. “At first I thought it would just stay in the stand,” he said. “That has no place in football. I think a lot of people will agree with that.” Valente believed the display had been intended as a tribute to someone, though he was unsure of the details — a common trigger for organised pyrotechnics in Dutch stadiums, and one that has never before produced injuries on this scale in the Eredivisie this season.
A rulebook that does not count supporters
The most uncomfortable detail to emerge is procedural. Under KNVB protocol, a match must be abandoned if players, coaching staff or match officials are struck by objects. There is no equivalent trigger for supporters being hit — which is why a game in which five fans suffered burns, hearing damage and eye injuries was restarted and played to a finish.
Makkelie made clear he had queried it in real time. “I asked the KNVB twice whether supporters being hit counted or not,” the referee said. “It’s just as bad whether players or supporters are hit.” The Dutch federation has confirmed it will review the incident and its own rules at a scheduled evaluation meeting this week.
The KNVB’s disciplinary line on the perpetrators is firmer. Setting off fireworks inside a stadium is “forbidden, unhealthy and dangerous”, the federation said, and those identified can expect a national stadium ban — current guidelines carry a minimum 18-month exclusion plus a substantial fine. The prosecutor for professional football is preparing sanctions against Feyenoord as a club, which in Dutch practice can range from fines to away-support restrictions or a closed away section.
What it means from here
Three questions now sit in front of Dutch football:
- Whether the KNVB amends its abandonment protocol so injured spectators carry the same weight as injured players — the change Makkelie has effectively called for in public.
- Whether Feyenoord’s away allocation survives the disciplinary process intact, with the club’s own directors already conceding the behaviour was indefensible.
- How fireworks capable of causing eye and hearing damage passed through searches at a top-flight ground.
The football itself became almost incidental. Gjivai Zechiël struck on 17 minutes and again on 83, Valente added a second on 26, Thijs Jansen turned into his own net on 41 and Ayase Ueda converted a penalty on the stroke of half-time. Rafik El Arguioui’s double on 70 and 80 minutes gave Cambuur the scoreline’s only comfort. Feyenoord climbed to fourth; Cambuur are still without a win after three matches. Neither line in the table will be what this fixture is remembered for.
Sources: [NL Times](https://nltimes.nl/2026/08/24/burns-eye-injuries-hearing-damage-5-sc-cambuur-fans-hurt-feyenoord-fans-fireworks), [DutchNews.nl](https://www.dutchnews.nl/2026/08/investigation-after-feyenoord-fans-set-off-fireworks-at-cambuur/), [NOS](https://nos.nl/artikel/2628043-feyenoord-na-vuurwerkstaking-snel-klaar-met-zwak-cambuur), [Voetbalzone](https://www.voetbalzone.nl/nieuws/woedend-cambuur-maakt-keihard-statement-gewonden-zijn-er-slecht-aan-toe/blt8eb9192e648ac489), [Goal.com](https://www.goal.com/en/news/luciano-valente-reveals-reason-for-disgraceful-fireworks-act-by-feyenoord-fans/bltd2b6a22739523e57), [FOX Sports](https://www.foxsports.com/soccer/eredivisie-cambuur-vs-feyenoord-aug-23-2026-game-boxscore-878254)
**Editor’s note:** ~750 words. Two facts worth flagging — sources differ on the exact stoppage length (NOS and DutchNews say “over 20 minutes”, some Dutch outlets say half an hour; I used “more than 20 minutes”), and on Valente’s goal time (26′ per FOX/1908, 20′ per NOS). Valente’s stated motive for the pyro display is his own speculation, and is attributed as such.
Sports journalist and editor at SportsPortal.net. Covers cricket, football, Formula 1, tennis, and basketball with a focus on how global sports connect with Pakistani audiences. Follows the PSL, Pakistan national cricket team, Premier League, and major international tournaments. Has reported on sports for digital audiences since 2021.
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