Ajax technical director Mark Overmars is disappointed with the Dutch FA's plan to play the rest of the season at a time when the coronavirus pandemic is sweeping the world.
UEFA suspended all Champions League and Europa League matches on Wednesday, which should allow national championships to be completed. After that, the Dutch association announced that they would follow UEFA's recommendations and that they would try to play the domestic championship until the end, even if it meant that the championship would continue in mid-June and end in early August.
"I was hoping that the Dutch federation would independently make a decision about the domestic championship, and it is hiding behind the decisions of UEFA. It seems that money comes before people, and it is difficult for me to understand this, because we are not as dependent on money from the sale of TV rights as which are the leagues in England, Spain, Germany and Italy. Those leagues are under a lot of pressure to continue competing at any cost," Overmars said.
"In the Netherlands, more than a hundred people die from the coronavirus a day. The league is dead, human lives are more important. The behavior of UEFA and the Dutch federation can be compared to the statements of the American president Donald Trump when he thought that the economy was more important than the fight against the coronavirus," he said. Overmars, who pointed out that it should be declared immediately that the Dutch championship is over.
On Tuesday, Dutch Prime Minister Mark Rute said that until June 1, all events where a large number of people gather are prohibited, and he specifically mentioned the first and second football leagues.
Nine rounds before the end of the championship, Ajax is on top with 56 points, second is AZ Alkmar also with 56 points, but with a worse goal difference. Feyenoord is third with 50, and PSV is fourth with 49 points.
Bonus video:
