Football Season Guide

The Spartans are coming off a very difficult season that was straightened out just at the end. They started with Jeroen Rijsdijk on the bench, but on matchday ten he was fired and replaced (after a very brief interim role for Nourdin Boukhari) by Sparta’s old acquaintance Maurica Steijn. Things didn't go well straight away and they were deeply involved in the relegation battle until about ten rounds from the end, only to finish the season in 12th place. During the summer transfer window, they lost their best player, goalkeeper Nick Olij, to PSV. In his place Joël Drommel arrived on loan from the Eindhoven club, Filip Bednarek from Lech Poznan and Pascal Kuiper from Excelsior, undoubtedly a downgrade. Significant changes also occurred in midfield, as the loans of two regulars, Gjivai Zechiël and Kristian Hlynsson, were not renewed. Their replacements were attacking midfielder Lance Duijvestijn from Excelsior and the experienced Jens Toornstra from Utrecht. In this sector too they seem to have weakened. The backbone of the defense, Mike Eerdhuijzen, also left and in his place came the experienced Bruno Martins Indi from AZ. In attack they lost loanee Mitchell van Bergen, back to Twente. In the pre-season so far they played five friendly games winning 3, drawing one and losing also one. Maurice Steijn still seems not to have found the right balance Sparta looked vulnerable at the back and on the wings, showing also little control in midfield. The coach knows the team and the environment very well, but the squad seems to have weakened compared to last year, especially in midfield.