Ajax coach Oscar Garcia has sparked controversy by stating "This was not my group" after a defeat to FC Utrecht weakened the team's chances for Champions League qualification. The statement is being criticized as poorly timed and divisive at a moment when the club requires unity to achieve its goals.
The media center in Kansas City was evacuated three hours before a World Cup match between the Netherlands and Tunisia due to approaching severe weather. Journalists were ordered to leave the temporary tent facility after FIFA officials determined it was not safe enough to withstand the incoming thunderstorms.
Hospitals across the Netherlands have announced that medical services and most scheduled appointments will continue this Friday. Despite a code red weather warning for extreme heat, patients are encouraged to attend their appointments but are advised to travel with caution.
A car caught fire and was destroyed on the Nieuwe Bennebroekerweg in Hoofddorp on Thursday evening. The driver escaped uninjured, though the incident caused traffic disruptions in the area.
Schools under the Atlant school board in Velsen will remain open on Friday but will follow a shortened "tropical schedule" from 8:00 AM to 11:45 AM due to high temperatures. The board decided to keep schools open despite the heat, noting that it is warm both in the classrooms and in the children's homes.
Ajax has agreed to loan 21-year-old defender Gerald Alders to Telstar for the upcoming season. Alders previously spent six months on loan at the club, which finished fourteenth in the league standings.