Warsaw summoned the Dutch ambassador on Saturday to express its dissatisfaction after the arrest of Legia Warsaw players on Thursday, during clashes at the end of a European Football Cup match, denouncing “prejudices » towards the Poles.
At the end of this Europa Conference League match played on the AZ Alkmaar pitch, “unacceptable situations occurred during which Polish spectators, supporters, officials and players of the Legia Warsaw club were subjected to physical and verbal violence,” said the Polish Ministry of Foreign Affairs.
“It is clear from the testimonies of the victims that the actions of the mayor of Alkmaar and the local police in particular can be interpreted as being characterized by a national prejudice,” continues this ministry in a press release published after the morning summons of the Dutch ambassador Daphne Bergsma.
Two Legia players, the Portuguese Josué and the Serbian Radovan Pankov, were arrested Thursday evening in their team bus after the 1-0 defeat against AZ Alkmaar (1-0), in circumstances that are still unclear.
Released on Friday but under investigation, they are suspected of having attacked two staff members of the Dutch club requiring “medical attention”, according to the Dutch police.
In Warsaw, the arrest provoked reactions at the highest level, with Prime Minister Mateusz Morawiecki, in the middle of the electoral campaign, saying he was “scandalized”. “I expect a very clear report from the Netherlands,” he said on Friday.
According to Polish journalists present at the match, the incidents began when Dutch police and security services decided to detain the Legia players’ bus inside the stadium after the match, citing fear for their safety. The tone rose, with verbal altercations and shoving, the police eventually intervening inside the vehicle.
The owner and president of Legia Dariusz Mioduski was pushed around by the police. “What happened is a real scandal,” he reacted. “This is a global precedent. The team was shocked by what happened.”
The Dutch police, for their part, denounced violence committed by Polish supporters even before the start of the match. A police officer lost consciousness and security forces had to use tear gas, according to the same source.
The Dutch authorities had asked Polish supporters not to travel, as other events planned for the same evening in the city mobilized the police.
The Polish Football Federation (PZPN) said it had requested explanations from the Dutch Federation and UEFA.