A third-tier football match in the Netherlands was abandoned Saturday after a player sustained serious injuries during a brawl in the tunnel. The incident occurred during a game between IJsselmeervogels and GVVV.
Quiermo Dumay, a 25-year-old player for IJsselmeervogels, was reportedly attacked, resulting in the loss of three teeth and a bloodied kit. The altercation escalated to involve fans and players from both clubs, necessitating intervention by police. The match, which had been 2-0 to GVVV at halftime, did not resume.
Reports indicate that players from IJsselmeervogels refused to continue the game following the incident, and the club is expected to file a police report. Police secured the tunnel area. A member of GVVV's coaching staff is alleged to have struck Dumay, according to statements from IJsselmeervogels.
"What happened this afternoon is a shame it went this way and that is putting it mildly, bizarre and unprecedented," said the GVVV club secretary. "We really need to investigate this thoroughly of course. What I understand is that the cause was an assistant coach of GVVV struck one of our players and he was 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."
Fan confrontations were also reported in the stands prior to the tunnel incident, leading to concerns about wider crowd disturbances. Fans were escorted from the stadium as a precautionary measure. The motive behind the initial assault on Dumay remains unclear, though the intense reaction stemmed from the visible injuries sustained by the player.