Dutch derby abandoned after fans block team bus from travelling to match

The Dutch second-tier derby between Vitesse and De Graafschap was called off on Sunday after away supporters blocked their own team from travelling to Arnhem, as reported by Inside World Football.​

The dispute escalated after local authorities reduced De Graafschap’s ticket allocation and subsequently banned away fans entirely when supporters rejected the safety conditions.

In response, fans locked the team’s car park gates on Sunday morning, leaving the squad bus stranded.​

Dutch FA (KNVB) manager of competition affairs Jan Bluyssen criticized the protest, declaring:

“This is truly unacceptable. I have never experienced anything like this, and we never want to experience it again. This is a crazy situation. People can disagree with something, and everyone can express their opinion. But this is really not the right way.”​

De Graafschap expressed shock over the incident, which has now been referred to KNVB disciplinary bodies for potential sanctions and rescheduling.