Ajax player Davy Klaassen with blood on his head after being struck by an object thrown from the stands.
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CNN
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Ajax midfielder Davy Klaassen suffered a head injury after being hit by an object thrown from the crowd during his team’s 2-1 win over Feyenoord on Wednesday.
The 30-year-old had put his side ahead in the second half but was struck by an object after he had tried to calm down an altercation between both sets of players.
Blood could be seen on the back of Klaassen’s head and the game was temporarily suspended for almost 30 minutes as both sets of players left the pitch at the Feyenoord’s De Kuip stadium.
Before the game restarted, Feyenoord’s assistant coach John de Wolf addressed the crowd via the public address system.
MANCHESTER, ENGLAND – MARCH 19: Aleksandar Mitrovic of Fulham receives a red card from Referee Chris Kavanagh during the Emirates FA Cup Quarter Final match between Manchester United and Fulham at Old Trafford on March 19, 2023 in Manchester, England. (Photo by Matthew Ashton – AMA/Getty Images)
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“Use your common sense,” he told fans, according to Reuters.
Shortly after the restart, Klaassen was substituted, appearing to suffer from dizziness.
“I had a throbbing feeling around the wound and I also had trouble focusing, so I could have stayed on the pitch but that wasn’t going to help me nor the team,” Klaassen told the club website, adding that he was initially angry after being hit.
“It was hard [to leave the pitch.] You don’t want to let it get to you, but sometimes, you have to put your pride aside.”
Rotterdam Police later confirmed that a 32-year-old man was arrested.
“What happened tonight, you do not want to see on a football pitch,” Feyenoord’s manager Arne Slot told the club website after the match.
“90% of our fans always support us in a positive way, but what happened tonight doesn’t help us, the opposite actually. It’s terrible”
CNN has reached out to Ajax and Feyenoord for further comment on the incident.
CNN has also reached out to the Dutch FA for comment on any possible sanctions.
Ajax’s win secured its place in the Dutch Cup final where it will face PSV on April 30.