Cambuur head coach Henk de Jong has fumed at the Dutch Football Federation's (KNVB) decision to deny his side promotion to the Eredivisie, calling it "the biggest disgrace in the history of Dutch sports."
The KNVB decided on Friday to end the Dutch football season, following an announcement from prime minister Mark Rutte that all matches are forbidden until September 1 due to the coronavirus pandemic.
As a result the tables in the Eredivisie and second-tier Eerste Divisie were made final, with no champions designated in either division.
Perhaps more controversially, the KNVB decided that there would be no promotion or relegation between the two divisions, meaning Cambuur, who had a four-point lead atop the Eerste Divisie standings, were denied a likely promotion to the Eredivisie.
That decision did not sit well with De Jong, whose side were 11 points clear of third-place Volendam, with the top two Eerste Divisie clubs set to earn automatic promotion.
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"This feels like the biggest disgrace in the history of Dutch sports," De Jong told NOS. "I always intend to see the best in people and their decision-making, but this is unworthy of the sport.
"We had UEFA on our side, the clubs were on our side and we were 11 points ahead, so I don't know what happened. UEFA asked for fair decisions, but this isn't one."
The KNVB stated it was not an option to increase the Eredivisie to 20 teams from the current 18, and De Jong said he would have preferred that outcome with the Eredivisie's bottom two sides getting a reprieve.
“We are leaders from mid-October," De Jong continued. "The mood of the clubs was in our favour. I think ADO Den Haag and RKC Waalwijk should stay in the Eredivisie, but then be joined by us. This is a huge blow for us in terms of sports and finances.”
Several Dutch clubs have already hinted at the possibility of legal action against the ruling. Cambuur CEO Ard de Graaf didn't commit to a decision on that front but said he is exploring his options.
"We will investigate our options. I just don't get it. Why didn't they follow the rules on both tiers?" De Graaf told NOS.
"This is a major blow for us. The difference between playing in the first or the second tier is huge. The first tier gets way more money and we are working on a new stadium and building our policy around it. Now this has been taken away from us and that feels like an injustice."