Koeman apologises for fan violence

Acuña attacked
Ajax fans invaded the pitch during last Thursday's game at De Toekomst, Ajax's youth-team complex, and attacked Feyenoord players, notably Chilean midfield player Jorge Acuña who required hospital treatment for concussion and bruising.

'Dark cloud'
Koeman made the apology before the start of yesterday's 1-1 home draw with RBC Roosendaal. Flanked by Ajax president John Jaakke and general manager Arie van Eijden, he told the crowd at the Amsterdam Arena: "A football match should be a celebration but today's match has a dark cloud hanging over it.

Disgrace for Ajax
"This is because of the outrageous events surrounding the match between the Ajax and Feyenoord reserve teams. This is a disgrace for Ajax and now is the time to give our apologies to the Feyenoord reserve-team players."

No to violence
Had Ajax won the match, they would have been crowned league champions and Koeman added: "Because of these events our club's possible title success - for the players and the true fans - will have lost some of its shine." He continued: "You and we say no to any kind of violence in football. Because football is supposed to be a feast."

Arrests made
Meanwhile, Amsterdam police have arrested four people suspected of being involved in Thursday night's violence, after Ajax gave them the names of possible suspects. Speaking on Dutch television, Ajax president Jaakke has admitted that, on reflection, the club underestimated the security measures required for the match.

Meeting
He added that he wanted to meet Feyenoord president Jorien van den Herik as soon as possible to help restore good relations between the two clubs.