Police recorded 39 fireworks incidents inside football stadiums during the 2025/2026 season, compared with 27 the season before. The figures come from the police’s annual statistics on incidents both inside and outside stadiums. Despite this, there was a drop in the number of stadium bans issued.

Police recorded 365 incidents in Dutch professional football during the 2025/2026 season, a slight increase from the 363 reported the season before. This marks a pause in the downward trend, which the police said had previously seen a “significant decline.”

Authorities also reported a slight rise in repeat offenders in Dutch professional football during the 2025/2026 season. Most suspects were aged between 19 and 25.

The police said this requires “continued attention”, including “targeted action against individuals and groups who misbehave”, as well as “greater investment in prevention, appropriate interventions and clubs’ resilience”.

“The impact of football-related violence by a small group remains significant and highly disruptive,” Peter Holla, a member of the Football and Safety steering group, said in a press release. He said fireworks and discriminatory chants, in particular, must continue to be addressed.

“Cooperation between clubs, the Royal Netherlands Football Association (KNVB), municipalities, the police and the Public Prosecution Service (OM) remains crucial,” he said.

The number of nationwide stadium bans imposed by the KNVB dropped from 887 in the 2024/2025 season to 704 in 2025/2026. According to the KNVB, the drop in stadium bans suggests that fewer people are involved in incidents. The football association said the chances of identifying offenders have increased in recent years, partly due to more advanced stadium surveillance systems.

Throwing objects or liquids was the most common reason for a stadium ban, accounting for 100 cases, according to the KNVB. Other leading reasons included public violence (62 cases), shielding offenders or making them harder to identify (61), and possessing or setting off fireworks (54). Stadium bans lasted an average of 24 months.

Three matches out of 975 in Dutch professional football were abandoned due to serious crowd misconduct during the 2025/2026 season. Ajax vs. FC Groningen, SC Cambuur vs. Vitesse, and NAC Breda vs. sc Heerenveen were all permanently stopped following large-scale fireworks incidents.

The KNVB’s Safety Monitor recorded 160 disciplinary investigations into disorder and clubs’ responsibility during the 2025/2026 season, almost unchanged from 161 the previous season. Fireworks were involved in 93 of the cases.

A total of 88 investigations were closed without further action because the prosecutor found that the clubs were not at fault.

“Incidents understandably have a significant impact, but the season’s figures, based on all 975 matches, provide a more nuanced picture,” Marianne van Leeuwen, director of professional football at the KNVB, said in a press release. “Football has made significant progress and continues to look for further improvements.”

“At the same time, wider societal problems are also emerging in and around football. These require national coordination in tackling criminal groups, action against illegal trade, and legislation that reflects the realities on the ground,” Van Leeuwen added.

“Together with the police, the OM municipalities and the government, we are working towards the same goal: enabling millions of people to enjoy football together in the stands,” Van Leeuwen said.