KNVB Cup final between Feyenoord and NEC Nijmegen suspended twice as black smoke fills stadium after banners catch fire

With major silverware up for grabs, fans at De Kuip in Rotterdam were understandably in high spirits. There were elaborate displays of support from those inside their home stadium, with Feyenoord followers lighting the stands up with flares.

The smoke generated by those pyrotechnics forced the game to be briefly halted during the first half. Proceedings were delayed again after half-time, with the match referee forced to usher the players off the pitch.

That is because some of the banners used to put on a show, which were stored in the canals of the stadium, caught fire as a result of the fireworks on display. A huge plume of black smoke drifted across the ground, leading to the contest being paused with the scores locked at 0-0.

Feyenoord would go on to claim a notable victory, with Igor Paixao grabbing the only goal of the game just before the hour mark. They were able to hold on and get their hands on the Dutch Cup despite seeing Yankuba Minteh sent off with 18 minutes still on the clock.