Ajax star suffers cut to the head after lighter thrown from the stands

The KNVB Cup semi-final between Ajax and Feyenoord was suspended after Davy Klaassen was hit in the head by an object thrown from the stands. The former Everton star appeared dazed after the impact, leaving the pitch to receive treatment as blood poured down his neck.

The match was initially suspended within the opening minute after Feyenoord set off flairs that filled the stadium with ashy black smoke. Players were all removed from the pitch as a result, with officials forcing both sides to wait until the sky had cleared entirely before restarting the match.

The game was then put on pause again in the 62nd minute after Ajax midfielder Klaassen was struck in the back of the head by a lighter thrown from the Feyenoord supporters. The 30-year-old instantly dropped to the ground clutching the area as whistles rang out around the De Kuip Stadium.

Medical staff soon rushed onto the pitch to deal with the issue, with the bloodied star soon ushered away from the home supporters and down the tunnel so that he could receive more thorough treatment. The officials then ruled that all players should be removed from the fray once again.

Ajax went 1-0 up after the first stoppage, with veteran forward Dusan Tadic continuing his electric form with the opener in the 14th minute. The former Southampton star has scored eight and assisted 16 in 27 Eredivisie appearances so far this season, proving that he can still lead the line for Johnny Heitinga’s side.

However, the semi-final clash was level at the half-time break as Feyenoord star Santiago Gimenez tucked home an equaliser in the second minute of additional time. Though Klaassen ensured that Ajax would progress into the final when he scored the winner in the 51st – just minutes before being targeted and hit by the Feyenoord fans.

The match was quickly suspended after the incident, with Feyenoord assistant John de Wolf heading onto the pitch and urging his side’s fans to ‘use their mind’, saying: “Use your brain, damn it. Make sure nothing else gets on the field. Get us back behind the team. We desperately need you. But use your mind!”

After the restart, Klaassen dropped to the ground again in pain and was substituted off by Heitinga. Ajax responded by posting an image of their wounded No 6 with the caption: “We’re with you, Davy.”

Speaking after the match, Klaasen said: “These games area always crazy, but we didn’t expect this to happen. I didn’t want to walk away because they got you. You don’t want to let them get to you. When I returned to the pitch I felt my head pounding, I couldn’t keep my focus but I wanted to try.”