AMSTERDAM - Utrecht want to take the Dutch football authorities
to court after being denied the chance to compete in European
competition next season.
The Dutch football association (KNVB) decided on Friday that the
season would end and there would be no champions, promotion or
relegation. The decision came after the government said there could
be no professional football before September 1 because of the
coronavirus pandemic.
Ajax lead the Eredivisie on goal difference from AZ Alkmaar and will
enter the Champions League directly, even though they are not
officially champions. The club called the decision "understandable".
Alkmaar can qualify for the Champions League via the play-offs while
Feyenoord, PSV Eindhoven and Willem II Tilburg go into the Europa
League.
But Utrecht, who were sixth in the league just three points behind
Tilburg and were due to play Feyenoord in the Dutch Cup final, are
incensed. They had nine games left in the league campaign.
Club boss Thijs van Es spoke of a "dark day for football" and said
the decisions of the KNVB "lack transparency and objectivity." He now
plans to go to court but a Dutch legal expert said it would do no
good.
"A judge in the Netherlands will hardly take the sporting aspects
into account, but will mainly make a judgement on procedure," Marjan
Olfers told broadcaster NOS.