Football Season Guide

Once again Utrecht are coming from a disappointing season. Thanks to important summer campaigns, in recent years they have always started with great ambitions, but in the end disappointed expectations. Exactly like the previous one, they finished the season in 7th place and were eliminated by Sparta Rotterdam in the first round of the playoffs for access to the Conference League's preliminary rounds. Given the poor results of Henk Fraser, in January they changed coach appointing Michael Silberbauer. Despite they didn't improve much, the Danish was confirmed also for 2023-24. During the summer transfer market they let central striker Bas Dost leave, also because Tasos Douvikas, top scorer in the Eredivise (alongside PSV's Xavi Simmons) with 19 goals, will be the sure starter in that role. Other striker Sander van de Streek also left replaced by former Emmen Ole Romeny. The club decided to focus on quality players, that's why they bought two skilled attacking midfielders like Mats Seuntjens and Marouan Azarkan. As far as the defense is concerned, an already solid department, two left-backs have arrived: Souffian El Karouani and Djevencio van der Kust. A change came also between the posts with the signing of former NEC and Willem II Mattijs Branderhorst to replace never used Thijmen Nijhuis.