A third-tier football match in the Netherlands was abandoned on Saturday after IJsselmeervogels player Quiermo Dumay lost three teeth in a brawl in the stadium tunnel, forcing police to intervene.
The 25-year-old was left with a blood-stained kit following what appeared to be an attack during the game between IJsselmeervogels and GVVV. The match did not resume after half-time, with GVVV leading 2-0 at the time it was called off.
Reports in the Netherlands said IJsselmeervogels players refused to continue the game and that the club planned to file a report with police. It was reported that a member of GVVV's coaching staff struck Dumay.
IJsselmeervogels and GVVV both play in the Tweede Divisie, the third tier of Dutch football. IJsselmeervogels are based in Bunschoten, where Saturday's match was held, while GVVV are based in nearby Veenendaal.
Police step in as fans clash
Police moved to surround the tunnel, restricting who could enter, as fans and players from both clubs became embroiled in the brawl. Officials said there had already been confrontations between fans in the stands before the larger incident broke out.
Fans were escorted out of the stadium in Bunschoten amid concerns that violence could break out following the game.
Club describes 'bizarre' scenes
IJsselmeervogels' club secretary said in a statement after the match: "What happened this afternoon is a shame it went this way and that is putting it mildly, bizarre and unprecedented. We really need to investigate this thoroughly of course."
He said his understanding was that the trouble began when an assistant coach of GVVV struck one of the IJsselmeervogels players, who was left on the ground for a while. "This is what I have been told and then it escalated massively because when something like that happens and a player is lying bleeding on the ground in the tunnel that leads to a lot of trouble," he said.
He added that staff had called for help for both the injured player and the man who struck him. "What the motive was I don't know any of that, other than a player was knocked down with teeth out of his mouth and bleeding," he said. "And then you see it escalating because the scene is so incredibly intense that has everything to do with it."
