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The National (Scotland)
The National (Scotland)
Sport
Mark Walker

Dutch legend calls for football ban in the Netherlands

Dutch legend Marco van Basten reckons they should ban professional football in the Netherlands after their latest fans shame, just a few days after Celtic played in the country.

The bitter rivalry between Ajax and Feyenoord - who defeated Celtic 2-0 in the Champions League last week - erupted after home fans lobbed flares and fireworks onto the Johan Cruyff Arena pitch with the Amsterdam side trailing 3-0 at the time.

The match was abandoned in the 58th minute and Ajax is set to be hammered for it, with further clashes after the game and the home fans trying to break back into the stadium.

Former Ajax and Netherlands manager and Euro 88 hero van Basten, who also won two European Cups with AC Milan, had a radical solution to the Dutch problems with fans.

He stated: "This is the worst scenario possible. I honestly say we should just quit professional football in the Netherlands. Shut it down.

"It's completely deliberate and I have no idea why. Did they think this would change the outcome of the match?

"If we cannot find a solution, then we just stop playing football. Just say it is not possible because of these people.

"I can't get my head around these idiots. We were all supposed to be happy when Covid was finished and we got full stadiums back again, but then this happens.

"We all knew something like this would happen. It was deliberate. Just stop football."

Meanwhile, Jota's move from Celtic to Saudi Arabia is reportedly set for investigation.

Reports in the Middle East claim that Al-Ittihad will take an internal look into the £25m transfer.

The Portuguese winger moved from the Scottish champions to the Saudi Pro League in June.

The life-changing, mega-money move hasn't worked out for the 24-year-old though. 

He was left out of Al-Ittihad's first-team squad for the domestic campaign ahead and is now stuck with the prospect of sitting on the sidelines, playing no football until January.

It's said that he will consider asking for a mutual termination of his contract as a result of this, and so only played 133 minutes of football for his new team since joining.

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