Vitesse Fans Mock NEC’s Cup Final Loss With Airplane Over Nijmegen

Vitesse supporters have turned their rivalry with NEC Nijmegen into a spectacle, flying a small aircraft over Nijmegen with a mocking banner following NEC’s loss in the KNVB Cup final on April 20, 2026.

The gesture, described as a “treitervliegtuigje” or teasing plane in Dutch media, was organized by Vitesse fans in the immediate aftermath of the match, which saw NEC lose 2-1 to PSV Eindhoven at De Kuip in Rotterdam despite an early goal from Elayis Tavşan.

Luuk de Jong and Johan Bakayoko scored for PSV in the second half, securing the victory and denying NEC their first major trophy since 1983, while also ending their hopes of a historic cup double.

The aircraft flew over Nijmegen multiple times, drawing attention on social media and from local residents, with the banner’s message understood to reference NEC’s defeat and celebrate Vitesse’s avoidance of a similar fate, having been eliminated earlier in the tournament.

This incident follows a pattern of escalating psychological tactics in the Gelderland derby, where off-field actions increasingly mirror on-field dynamics, particularly as NEC seeks to build on recent success amid Vitesse’s ongoing financial restructuring.

Vitesse had previously celebrated winning an appeal to retain their professional license, with fans celebrating at the Korenmarkt in Arnhem, only to be met with chants of “Nooit meer naar Arnhem” from NEC supporters a month earlier when the license was initially revoked.

The flying of the banner plane represents the latest chapter in a rivalry marked by such exchanges, where fan groups use public displays to assert dominance and respond to previous provocations.