Vitesse failed to land a remarkable return to the Eredivisie with their final day match against Cambuur abandoned.
The second tier side still could have made the promotion play-offs on the final day, but actions by their fans put those hopes to bed.
Vitesse needed other results to go their way, and when 2-1 down fireworks were thrown from their away end into the home fans.
The match was stopped once, and then definitively before the final whistle.
The Keuken Kampioen Divisie match has now been abandoned and the remaining minutes will not be played.
Reports claim there was then unrest outside the stadium over the abandonment and riot police had to be called in.
Vitesse coach Rüdiger Rehm told ESPN: “This is not nice. We don’t deserve to end the season this way.
“For the rest of the season, our supporters were very good, incredible. They followed us everywhere.
“But we don’t want to lose like this. I tried to resolve it, but that wasn’t possible.”
Cambuur vs Vitesse abandoned
In a statement, the Dutch football association, KNVB, said: “The remaining minutes of the abandoned match between Cambuur and Vitesse in Leeuwarden will not be played at a later date.
“The KNVB announced this on Friday evening. The professional football competition board has determined the final score to be 2-1 in favor of Cambuur.
“The match was stopped for the second time in the 88th minute. After a long, turbulent period, it was decided to abandon the match permanently.
“The KNVB condemned the behaviour of the supporters. This behaviour is not only prohibited and dangerous, but is also diametrically opposed to what football is supposed to stand for.
“Those who are guilty of this do not come for the football or the match. They penalize the real supporters and players who have to wait until football can be played again.
“That is why perpetrators are tracked down and severely punished.
“Fireworks carry a nationwide stadium ban of at least eighteen months and a fine.”
Vitesse have spent the past two years on the brink due to ownership turmoil.
The top two tiers of Dutch football are a closed shop, and the Arnhem side were kicked out last year with a return incredibly unlikely.
However, they were later saved when a court overruled the KNVB’s decision, but remained rooted to the bottom of the league.
Despite missing out on the play-offs, their turnaround has still been remarkable, even with the matter of their exclusion ongoing.
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