Ajax player Zakaria Labyad is said to have been involved in a brawl that took place on the evening of July 5, 2020 at the footballer’s villa. A plasterer had done work that Labyad was not satisfied with. When the footballer therefore refused to pay part of the bill, the contractor came to recover. That got out of hand.
Firearm
The two sides give different readings of the events of the night in question. Plasterer HZ from Haarlemmermeer says that he was suddenly confronted with several relatives of Labyad, including his father. There would have been blows. The contractor also allegedly threatened with a firearm.
Labyad says he felt threatened by the contractor who started banging on windows and doors. According to the footballer, there was a domestic trespass.
Several reports of the incident have been received by the police. When officers arrived on the scene, they managed to calm things down. No arrests were made. Both Labyad and plasterer Z. later filed a complaint.
Debt collector
The contractor also engaged a bailiff to claim the unpaid amount. This bailiff demanded the images from security cameras at Labyad’s house, on which the violent incident could be seen. The footballer refused to relinquish these, but Labyad was obliged to hand over the images through a civil procedure.
‘Not in the media’
Zakaria Labyad’s lawyer, Mariëlle van Essen, has made the following statement on behalf of her client to De Telegraaf: ‘Client regrets that the contractor is seeking the media for a dispute that is already under investigation by the Public Prosecution Service and the judiciary, also with regard to the role of the contractor himself against whom a complaint is pending. The gentleman apparently has no other aim than to damage the honor and reputation of the client. We like to leave the substantive discussion where it belongs and that is not in the media but with the Public Prosecution Service and the judiciary.’
‘Substantial response’
The legal adviser of the plastering company also speaks in the newspaper: ‘I can confirm that my client, based on the advice of his former lawyer, has filed a complaint against Mr Labyad and his father for, among other things, aggravated assault. In the short term I will also contact Ajax about this. For the rest, I currently see no reason to respond to the meaningless response of Mr Labyad’s lawyer.’
Quincy Promes
Last year, another Ajax player also came into contact with the police. Quincy Promes (now Spartak Moscow player) was arrested in December 2020 on suspicion of involvement in a stabbing. At a party, he allegedly stabbed his cousin, who was seriously injured. Promes was detained for several days, but was then released. In the summer it was announced that Promes will be prosecuted by the judiciary.
On the reserve bench
Zakaria Labyad first played for FC Utrecht. He is mainly on the reserve bench at Ajax and has to make do with a sporadic substitute.
