Ajax

Police find hand grenade at ADO The Hague supporters HQ

Published Apr. 9, 2019 8:35 a.m. ET

THE HAGUE, Netherlands (AP) — Police in The Hague say they found a hand grenade at a building used by supporters of the city's soccer team, ADO The Hague.

A photo published by local media showed the grenade hanging next to the building, which had also been sprayed with three Xs in red paint.

Local broadcaster Omroep West reported that a training session for ADO at its stadium nearby was halted while the grenade was removed.

The graffiti appears to suggest involvement of somebody from Amsterdam. The Dutch capital's coat of arms features three Xs.

Amsterdam is home to Ajax, the Amsterdam club taking on Juventus on Wednesday in the Champions League quarterfinals.

Jacco van Leeuwen, chairman of the ADO supporters' association, tells Omroep West "this is absolutely a new deep point in soccer history."

In February, vandals suspected of being soccer hooligans from The Hague painted graffiti including swastikas and anti-Semitic texts on buildings in Amsterdam ahead of a match between ADO and Ajax. Ajax is often portrayed as a club with historic links to Amsterdam's Jewish community.

Get more from Ajax Follow your favorites to get information about games, news and more

in this topic

Ajax

UEFA Champions League