PEC Zwolle returns to the premier league after a year

PEC Zwolle will return to the Eredivisie next season. The team from Zwolle secured the long-awaited promotion with a draw at Almere City. The top match between the leader and the number three of the Kitchen Champion Division ended in 1-1.

Zwolle has been close to promotion several times in recent weeks, but the champagne could not be uncorked yet. Now it was finally time and PEC Zwolle returns to the premier league after one season in the first division.

The draw did mean a loss of points in the title battle with Heracles Almelo, which won against Helmond Sport and narrowed the gap to PEC to three points with four games to go.

The Zwollenars will have to work hard in the coming weeks to win the title, but first the promotion will be properly celebrated.

“It is very important. The club is close to my heart, so I am very happy,” said PEC captain Bram van Polen beaming. “It was a mediocre game, sloppy on both sides. The result is the most important thing, that’s a cliché, but it is true.”

View the reactions of captain Van Polen, trainer Dick Schreuder and Thomas van den Belt below:

Both teams certainly did not play their best football, also because the field was difficult to play on due to the increasingly heavy rain.

The biggest chance of the first half was for Almere, but Álvaro Pena shot straight into the hands of PEC goalkeeper Jasper Schendelaar.

Zwolle’s best chance was for Dean Huiberts. His shot towards the far corner disappeared off a defender’s leg next to the goal.

In the 39th minute, referee Jochem Kamphuis called in the teams because it started to thunder in Almere. After about twenty minutes the game was resumed.

The rain stayed away after that, the sloppy football remained. Zwolle was stronger for a long time, without causing much danger. Lennart Thy was close to scoring with a header, but Almere goalkeeper Nordin Bakker was alert.

The evening seemed to turn out to be a damper for PEC when Stije Resink scored in the 71st minute with the head from a free kick by Jorrit Smeets.

The goal brought the game to life. The pace picked up and four minutes later it was level again. A header from Thomas van den Belt – already good for sixteen goals this season – brought Zwolle back on promotion course.

Things almost went wrong for Zwolle in the very last seconds of injury time, but goalkeeper Schendelaar prevented the party from being postponed again with a great save.