FC Emmen will start the hunt for survival on Wednesday, but based on recent years, the chances of another year at the highest level are not too great. For four seasons in a row, no Eredivisie club has managed to maintain itself through the play-offs.
Six years ago, Roda JC was the last Eredivisionist to secure another year in the play-offs alongside Ajax, PSV and Feyenoord. In the same season (2016/2017), NEC, which finished one place higher than Roda JC in the competition, was relegated via the playoffs.
Since then, participation in the playoffs in recent years has almost proved to be a guarantee for relegation. Successively Sparta Rotterdam, Roda JC (both 2018), De Graafschap, Excelsior (both 2019), FC Emmen (2021) and last year Heracles could not prevent relegation.
The negative series is at odds with the period between 2003 and 2013. In those years, at least one Eredivisie club played safely through the play-offs every season. In the past ten years, in addition to Roda JC (in 2017), only Willem II (in 2016) succeeded.
Eredivisie-clubs in de nacompetitie (laatste tien jaar)
- 2022: Heracles Almelo (degradatie)
- 2021: FC Emmen (degradatie)
- 2020: geen (corona)
- 2019: Excelsior en De Graafschap (beide degradatie)
- 2018: Roda JC en Sparta Rotterdam (beide degradatie)
- 2017: Roda JC (handhaving) en NEC (degradatie)
- 2016: Willem II (handhaving) en De Graafschap (degradatie)
- 2015: NAC en Go Ahead Eagles (beide degradatie)
- 2014: NEC en RKC Waalwijk (beide degradatie)
- 2013: Roda JC (handhaving) en VVV-Venlo (degradatie)
FC Emmen is looking for revenge against NAC
That enforcement through the play-offs in the play-offs is a tough job, FC Emmen experienced itself two years ago. At the time, the club finished sixteenth in the Eredivisie and had to compete against NAC, just like this year.
The team of trainer Dick Lukkien has few good memories of that meeting. After 90 minutes both teams were still tied, after which NAC took the penalties just better than FC Emmen: 3-4. In that year it was decided in one game instead of two because of corona.
Emmen does look back with pleasure on the last participation as First Divisionist. In the 2017/2018 season, FC Emmen in turn surprised Eredivisionist Sparta (1-3 over two matches), as a result of which the club was promoted to the Eredivisie for the first time in club history.
The first match between NAC and FC Emmen starts on Wednesday at 6.45 pm in the Rat Verlegh Stadium in Breda. The second game is Saturday in Emmen. The winner of the diptych will compete against Almere City or VVV-Venlo in the final.
2023-05-31 09:19:09
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