European football: 'utterly outrageous' fireworks cause Ajax abandonment

A chaotic scene unfolded at the Johan Cruyff Arena yesterday as Ajax's Eredivisie match against Groningen descended into utter chaos. The game was abandoned after just five minutes, with referee Bas Nijhuis taking the players off the field due to an "utterly outrageous" fireworks display behind one of the goals.

The pyrotechnics caused a thick cloud of smoke that filled the stadium, prompting repeated attempts to restart the match ultimately ending in failure. The situation was met with frustration and anger from the Ajax players, who felt their safety was at risk.

Ajax's reaction to the incident has been scathing, calling it "utterly outrageous" and condemning the use of fireworks within the stadium. The Dutch club are adamant that such displays have no place in football.

In other news from across Europe, Real Madrid fought out a hard-fought 1-1 draw against Girona in La Liga. Kylian Mbappé's penalty midway through the second half cancelled out Azzedine Ounahi's opener, extending Real's winless run to three matches and leaving them level on points with Barcelona.

Meanwhile, Villarreal climbed to third place after a dramatic comeback from 2-0 down against Real Sociedad. Goals from Carlos Soler and Ander Barrenetxea secured a 3-3 draw for the visitors, while Inter won their Serie A match at Pisa despite struggling to create chances. Lautaro Martínez scored twice in the second half to give Inter all three points.

In Norway, Viking edged out Vålerenga to win the Eliteserien title after a thrilling 5-1 victory at home. The Norwegian league has been dominated by Bodø/Glimt this season, but Stavanger's five-point advantage over their rivals meant that they would take the crown on the final day of the campaign.

ugh its just so crazy how some people think fireworks are a good idea at a football match. like what even is wrong with these ppl its not safe for anyone involved, and to see those players walk off the field in distress must've been really tough for them i feel like the referees need to be way more strict on this kinda stuff too - 5 minutes is NOTHING, can't we just have a clear plan in place for emergencies? anyway, glad to see some teams getting the win & making it an exciting final day of the season ️

Ugh, can you believe what happened at the Johan Cruyff Arena yesterday? I mean, fireworks in a stadium with players and fans around? It's just not right. I'm all for a good celebration after a win, but not when it puts people's lives at risk. And what really gets my goat is that someone thought it was a good idea to do this in the first place . The fact that Ajax had to call off the match because of it just shows how reckless it was. I hope they catch whoever did this and make an example out of them... maybe then we'll see some sense in these pyrotechnic enthusiasts .

can't believe what happened at ajax game those fireworks are just insane how can someone be so reckless and put everyone's safety at risk? the fact that it got abandoned like that is crazy, imagine being 5 mins into a match and having to leave the field i get why ajax is all over this, no pyros in the stadium should be a hard rule to enforce... hopefully, some serious consequences come out of this for whoever did it

omg can't believe what happened at the Johan Cruyff Arena fireworks are literally never acceptable in a football stadium it's so reckless and puts players' safety first & foremost - totally get why Ajax is calling out this behavior i'm surprised the authorities didn't step in sooner, but at least they took the game off the field to prioritize player well-being anyways, congrats to Viking on winning that Eliteserien title

omg what a crazy scene at the Johan Cruyff Arena yesterday!! like literally abandoned in 5 mins due to some dude lighting up fireworks behind one of the goals... total safety risk, what's wrong with people?? i'm so glad ajax spoke out about this, gotta keep the stadium safe for everyone involved. btw real madrid's winless streak is getting me and villarreal's comeback from 2-0 down was insane!

OMG, can you even imagine playing football in a stadium with fireworks going off everywhere?! It's like, super not safe for the players! I'm with Ajax 100% - no fireworks means everyone gets to go home safely . The pyro displays are just reckless and thoughtless... how hard is it to keep 'em under wraps during a match? Anyways, it's all good that they're getting some attention for their concerns. On the football side of things, love the comeback from Villarreal - what a thrill ride! And congrats to Viking on winning Eliteserien... that's gotta be an amazing feeling .

I'm telling ya, fireworks in stadiums are like, totally a thing of the past (literally). I mean, what was Ajax thinking? The smoke was already causing problems before it even started - that's just crazy talk! You can't blame them for wanting to get outta there ASAP. It's not safe for the players or anyone else in the stands.

But, on a more positive note, those Norwegian guys at Viking must've been having some serious fun to come back from 2-0 down and win it all like that! 5-1 is nothing to sneeze at, especially with Vålerenga being the favorites. It's gonna be tough for them to defend their title next season, but we'll see how they do.

And Real Sociedad getting destroyed by Villarreal? Talk about a comeback story - those guys have gotta be one of the greatest teams in recent history! Carlos Soler and Ander Barrenetxea are like the dynamic duo of football... anyway, it's all good to see some drama unfold on the pitch.

Ugh, can you even believe the absolute recklessness of some people?! I mean, I get it, someone lit up fireworks behind a goal and caused a massive delay in the game... but do we really need to resort to such blatant disregard for safety?! The players were literally worried they'd be injured by the smoke and ash! And what's with the fireworks in the first place?! It's like people think it's some kind of cool party trick or something

And meanwhile, all that drama is being made over just one little incident. Like, who cares about a 1-1 draw between Real Madrid and Girona? Can't we focus on the real issues for once?! And what's wrong with teams coming back from behind like Villarreal did against Real Sociedad? It's all part of the beautiful game, right?

But nope, people are just too caught up in their own drama to notice anything else. Like Stavanger taking the Eliteserien title and nobody giving it a second thought... meanwhile, Viking is basking in the glory of their championship win

OMG u gotta be kiddin me!!! fireworks in a stadium during a football match? what kinda crazy ppl do dat?? it's not even safe for the players, let alone the fans! i mean i get that some people might think it's cool or fun, but come on, prioritize safety first!!! and now ajax is all upset, like who can blame them? Groningen should've known better than to pull a stunt like that...