Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has directed two rescue planes be sent to Amsterdam following “a very violent incident” targeting Israelis citizens after a football match, his office has said.

Israeli citizens in the Dutch city have also been told to stay in their hotel rooms following the attacks, the prime minister’s office said in a second statement.

Tel Aviv Maccabi fans were in Amsterdam for a Europa Cup fixture against Dutch side Ajax, but violence has marred the match in what Israeli Ambassador to the United Nations Danny Danon described as a “pogrom.”

“Fans who went to see a football game, encountered anti-Semitism and were attacked with unimaginable cruelty just because of their Jewishness and Israeliness,” Israeli Security Minister Itamar Ben-Gvir said in a post on X.

Local police said 57 people had been held after the game as pro-Palestinian demonstrators tried to reach the Johan Cruyff stadium, even though the city had forbidden them to protest there.

Police said fans had left the stadium without incidents, but during the night various clashes in the city centre were reported.

Confrontations between Tel Aviv Maccabi fans and pro-Palestinian supporters have resulted in multiple injuries, with social media videos showing Israeli fans being chased, assaulted and forced to say, “free Palestine”.

Videos have also been shared on social media showing men climbing onto buildings to remove Palestinian flags, singing songs that mocked Palestinian deaths in Gaza, and attacking a taxi.

None of the videos have been independently verified.

Dutch police confirmed they “prevented a confrontation between a group of taxi drivers and a group of visitors who came from the adjacent casino” on Wednesday night, the police said in a statement on X.

Dick Schoof, Dutch Prime Minister, said he had spoken to Mr Netanyahu and assured him the perpetrators would be found and prosecuted.

“Have been following the news from Amsterdam and am horrified by the anti-Semitic attacks on Israeli citizens,” Mr Schoof posted on X.

“This is completely unacceptable.”

He added in the post on Friday morning that the situation in Amsterdam was “calm once more”.

Israeli foreign minister Gideon Sa’ar said 10 Israeli citizens were injured, and he has advised Israelis in Amsterdam to stay in their hotels.

“The harsh pictures of the assault on our citizens in Amsterdam will not be overlooked,” Netanyahu’s office stated.

“Prime Minister Netanyahu views the horrifying incident with utmost gravity and demands that the Dutch government and security forces take vigorous and swift action against the rioters, and ensure the safety of our citizens.”

IDF International Spokesperson Lieutenant Colonel Nadav Shoshani called the assaults “targeted attacks against Jews and Israelis”.

“The images of the violence toward Jewish people in Europe are a painful reminder of our history. The IDF has an historic duty of protecting our people, wherever they are. We are preparing to deploy a mission to rescue Israelis from Amsterdam,” Shoshani said.

The clashes erupted despite a ban on a pro-Palestinian demonstration imposed by Amsterdam Mayor Femke Halsema, who had feared clashes would break out between protesters and supporters of the Israeli soccer club.

Ajax won the match against Tel Aviv Maccabi 5-0.

Former Everton winger Andy van der Meyde has opened up on his catastrophic four years at the club.
Andy van der Meyde has admitted that he ‘ruined’ his career at Everton.

The former winger has candidly opened up about his catastrophic four years at Goodison Park which he confessed was self-inflicted. Van der Meyde joined the Toffees from Inter Milan in August 2005. He’d previously been one of the most brightest young prospects in Europe having come through Ajax’s famed academy and winning two Dutch titled.

But after not fulfilling his potential at Inter, Van der Meyde hit a downward spiral following his £2 million move to Everton. He made a total of just 24 appearances. He was sent off in a Merseyside derby against Liverpool, endured injury and fitness issues and partied consistently, which led to being hit with club fines.After his release at the end of the 2008-09 season, he turned to taking cocaine while still living in Liverpool. Following one drug-fuelled binge, Van der Meyde called his agent to make plans for him to leave the city.

His career would never recover as he went on to represent PSV Eindhoven before retiring from professional football at age 31. And reflecting on his playing days, the 17-cap Holland international believes he could have gone down in the history books had he not strayed from his duties. Via FC Inter News, Van der Meyde said: “I ruined everything. My football career was almost over when I went to England, it all ended because I did a lot of stupid things, I was young and with a lot of money, and I had a double life. I cheated on my ex-wife, she didn’t deserve all this, she was a good woman. I gave up my children for someone else. I will never forgive myself for this. Only my fault, I can’t blame anyone else for this.

“I lived in Liverpool, and we went out on Thursday, Friday, Saturday and Sunday. We drank a lot, and the satisfaction was never enough. When alcohol wasn’t enough for me anymore, I started with drugs, cocaine. I wasn’t myself anymore.

“There were problems with the coach, my private life was complicated. The little princess spent the first three years of her life in hospital. It was all a mix of problems. That’s why everything started to go wrong.

“Then I understood. After two nights in which I was full of cocaine. I called my agent, and I told him I had to go: ‘I want to get out of Liverpool otherwise I’ll end up killing myself’. My wife, she saved me. If I had had her with me when I was a footballer, I would have been one of the best wingers ever.”

By Kola Daniel

The newly appointed chairman of the National Sports Commission (NSC), Shehu Dikko, paid a courtesy visit on Monday to the Honourable Minister of Finance and Coordinating Minister of the Economy, Mr. Wale Edun.

During the meeting, Dikko and Edun discussed a range of initiatives focused on developing a sustainable sports economy in Nigeria, aligning with the strategic reform objectives of the NSC as directed by President Bola Ahmed Tinubu.

Dikko emphasized the importance of sports as a viable economic driver and explored how to better harness Nigeria’s vast potential in the sector.

“We aim to transform Nigerian sports into a sustainable economic force,” he stated, adding that initiatives are in place to bring Nigerian sports up to international standards and attract greater investment.

The discussions are part of Dikko’s ongoing efforts to lay a solid foundation for Nigeria’s sports economy, leveraging partnerships with key government agencies and stakeholders.