Rotterdam celebrates after Feyenoord’s title, around a hundred arrests

Thousands of people celebrated Feyenoord’s championship party in Rotterdam. The Stadhuisplein, Binnenrotte and Coolsingel soon became so full of partying Feyenoord residents that the municipality called on people to celebrate elsewhere.

The atmosphere was generally good and police called the festivities “manageable”. At the end of the evening, a police spokesman reported that about a hundred people had been arrested.

Around 8.30 pm things went wrong for a short time near the Coolsingel. Officers were harassed and there was open violence, after which the mobile unit intervened, the police say. A water cannon was used. The mobile unit also came into action after midnight.

The center was already full of Feyenoord supporters before kick-off. Tension was high in Rotterdam, prior to the championship game against Go Ahead Eagles. But after twenty minutes it was 2-0 and the worst tension ebbed away. The game ended 3-0.

After the final whistle, the tension quickly turned to intense joy. “We are champions! And rightly so!”, said a frenzied supporter. “I never cry. But now I cried,” said another fan.

Some Feyenoord players are already looking forward to participating in the Champions League:

Before the kick-off in the city center, You’ll never walk alone by Lee Towers was already passionately sung along. After the final whistle, a popular party erupted and supporters traditionally took a champion dip in the fountain on Hofplein, although there were also fans who had cooled off during the match.

In the course of the evening people continued to come and the municipality closed the Hofplein to trams and cars. The atmosphere was exuberant, as two visitors to the festivities also noticed: “Look at the atmosphere around you. Really beautiful!”

Ultimate discharge after the final signal:

The municipality asked partygoers to return home around 10 p.m. so that the Coolsingel could be prepared for Monday’s ceremony.