Football Season Guide

NEC Nijmegen's relegation to the Jupiler League back in 2014 hit the club and the fans hard, but the Nijmegen outfit bounced back with the best possible response. They already sealed the championship in the Jupiler League one year later and their first season on the highest level after the promotion turned out into a success as well. Maintaining the Eredivisie spot for another season was the main goal at the start of the campaign, but Ernest Faber's men were able to surprise from the first day on. NEC Nijmegen even came extremely close to sealing a Europa League play-off ticket, but the lack of decent away results proved to be fatal at the end. The tenth spot was a more than decent achievement though and the club will now look for a way to repeat this in the 2016/17 season. This could be a mission impossible though as a lot has happened after the last day of the previous season. Manager Ernest Faber left the club to train FC Groningen, but the staff immediately responded to that departure. Peter Hyballa, a German manager who mostly trained Bundesliga youth teams in the past, will get the chance to show his skills on the highest level in The Netherlands. His arrival in the Goffert Stadium already resulted in a list of new German players as well. Julian von Haacke and Michael Heinloth joined the team and these relatively unknown players will get the chance to impress the fans. Repeating the results from last season could be extremely difficult as mentioned before as NEC Nijmegen lost their best players. Team captain Rens van Eijden was the leader at the back for seven years, but he left the club to play for AZ Alkmaar. Todd Kane (Chelsea) and Lucas Woudenberg (Feyenoord) joined NEC Nijmegen on loan last season and they were able to claim regular starting spots in Faber's side. NEC Nijmegen will have to form a new defence as a result, which won't be easy at all. Local fan favorite Navarone Foor joined Vitesse, NEC Nijmegen's biggest rival, and key players like Brad Jones, Anthony Limbombe and Christian Santos left the club as well. The experienced goalie Jones left the club to play for Feyenoord and NEC Nijmegen will have to use the summer period to find a decent replacement. Top scorer Santos bagged 39 goals for the club in two seasons and his attacking qualities will be missed to say the least. The transfer period will be crucial for NEC Nijmegen now as the fans can't expect a top ten classification again with the current squad in mind. A couple of quality players will have to join this club to push for glory again, but this could be extremely difficult.