When Will Ajax vs Groningen Match Start Again?

The Eredivisie game between Ajax and FC Groningen has been rescheduled after it was halted dramatically a few minutes into the game. Fans wanting to know when the Ajax vs Groningen new match date can be happy, as it has been announced by the board with the understanding that it will be played under unprecedented circumstances with a cloud of controversy hanging over the fixture.

This decisive match was set for November 30. It quickly turned to chaos and was thus abandoned, reigniting a league-wide debate about fan misconduct and stadium security. The initial score was 0-0 at the time the incidents occurred. Taking quick action, the Royal Dutch Football Association (KNVB) issued an order for the scheduling of the remaining minutes of this game to ensure the integrity of the competition.

What Actually Happened?

The Sunday, November 30, 2025, league fixture between Ajax vs Groningen at the Johan Cruyff Arena was abandoned after just five minutes of play. The disruption was caused by a massive display of fireworks and flares ignited by a section of the home supporters, later identified as members of the F-Side ultras group. Reports indicated the pyrotechnics were set off in a pre-planned tribute to a recently deceased fan.

As soon as the thick smoke cloud spread onto the ground, referee Bas Nijhuis immediately took the players off the pitch because it was impossible to continue playing due to the danger of flares and fireworks landing on the grass. It was even shown in some clips that the grass briefly caught fire. After a long wait of about 45 minutes, the match was restarted. But the disorder continued unabated with several other fireworks, which meant the referee had no alternative but to abandon the game completely after five minutes of play with the score still 0-0 for both sides, citing that he could "no longer guarantee the safety of the players".

Ajax's Strong Statement on the Incident

Ajax called the incident "utterly outrageous" and "unacceptable". The club apologised publicly to those affected and underlined that the safety of spectators and players was in jeopardy. They explicitly disassociated themselves from the misconduct by declaring that "Fireworks do not belong in the stadium."

Ajax pointed out that despite having taken precautionary measures, including searching spectators in the relevant section and deploying detection dogs, they had been unable to prevent what happened. More importantly, Ajax stated that it would scrutinise camera footage for the culprits and vowed to take "appropriate measures" against them, who face possible fines and multi-year stadium bans by the KNVB.

Ajax vs Groningen: New Match Date and Time

The KNVB has announced Ajax vs Groningen new match date, where the remaining 85 minutes will be contested. It is on Tuesday, December 2, 2025, at 2:30 PM CET (1:30 PM GMT). The match, halted earlier due to unforeseen circumstances, will resume at the Johan Cruyff Arena but behind closed doors, with no spectators permitted.