Furious Dutch boss assesses Leeds United's promotion bid after sledge hammer treatment in Holland

SC CAMBUUR boss Henk de Jong is mindful of Leeds United's promotion push after seeing his own team's bid for top flight football 'sledge-hammered' by the Dutch FA.
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Cambuur were 11-points clear of third in the Dutch second division but the country's domestic campaign has been ended with no champions, promotion or relegation but with European qualification decided on the existing league table.

The KNVB called time on the campaign following the Dutch Prime Minister's decision to ban all sporting events until September due to the coronavirus, with Ajax missing out on being crowned champions.

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RKC Waalwijk, who were four points adrift at the bottom of the top flight, have avoided the drop along with Alan Pardew's second-bottom ADO Den Haag, who also looked vulnerable.

COUNTING THE COST: SC Cambuur boss Henk de Jong. Photo by Dean Mouhtaropoulos/Getty Images.COUNTING THE COST: SC Cambuur boss Henk de Jong. Photo by Dean Mouhtaropoulos/Getty Images.
COUNTING THE COST: SC Cambuur boss Henk de Jong. Photo by Dean Mouhtaropoulos/Getty Images.

No teams from the Eerste Divisie will be promoted despite Caambur being 11 points clear of third in an automatic promotion place with second-placed De Graafschap also forced to stay put despite being seven points clear of third-placed Volendam.

Two teams are normally promoted with two going down and Caambur and De Graafschap held similar positions to Leeds and West Brom in the Championship promotion race which is currently suspended.

Cambuur's general director Ard de Graaf said the treatment to his club from the Dutch FA felt like a sledge-hammer and boss de Jong also vented his anger to BBC Radio 5 Live and said Leeds would have to take legal action should they suffer a similar fate.

"We are furious,” de Jong told BBC Radio5Live.

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"It’s good that they have been transparent with us, but they have to be sporting.

“At first (ending the season) was only going to affect the big clubs, and we are a little club.

“But in England you have Leeds United, a very big club, and they are going up, right?

“Well then (if the season was ended) they have to go to the European court and say: ‘At the top, the clubs have to follow UEFA rules but we have to follow the English rules, how is that fair?’

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“It was unbelievable for us at the top. 75 per cent of the games have been played and they have told us that it is not clear - it is unbelievable.

“We want to try to go up so we will try.

“I can see why teams would not be relegated, but us and my old team (De Graafschap), we have to go up and then we can have a 20-team Eredivisie.

“Otherwise there has to be money for us, but what is money in this sport? This is sport and the clubs want to go up.

“I honestly thought that they would always come to an honest sporting decision, and this just is not it.”

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