Dutch football secured a rare statistical milestone on Thursday night as all four Eredivisie clubs active in European competition claimed victories, matching a feat last achieved in February 2012, according to reports by nos.nl.
AZ, NEC, Ajax and FC Twente Sweep Thursday Fixtures
The clean sweep unfolded across both the Europa League and the Conference League. In the Europa League, AZ and NEC both collected victories. Meanwhile, Ajax and FC Twente triumphed in their respective Conference League fixtures.
It marks only the fifth time in 88 historical instances where four or more Dutch sides played on the exact same European matchday that all of them emerged victorious. The four teams combined for 14 goals on the evening. FC Twente defeated Lincoln Red Imps 4-0, AZ matched that scoreline against Ararat-Armenia, and NEC put four past Dinamo Zagreb. Ajax rounded out the scoring with a two-goal flurry in the final moments against Atalanta Bergamo.
Rare Away Success Matches 2019 Milestone
Thursday’s matches also heavily favored the visitors, with three of the four Dutch victories coming away from home. Nos.nl records show that Eredivisie teams have only once previously managed as many as three European away wins on a single night—a feat last accomplished in August 2019 during the qualifying rounds of the Europa League. The latest round of wins, by contrast, came within main tournaments.
The sheer volume of scoring also evokes comparisons to long-standing Dutch football archives. The last time a maximum of four Dutch teams played on a single night and combined for 14 goals was 42 years ago. On October 3, 1984, four Dutch outfits combined for 21 goals, propelled largely by Ajax’s 14-0 thrashing of Luxembourg side Differdange.
Dutch Victories Boost UEFA Coefficient Ranking
Beyond the immediate scorelines, the victories offer a vital boost to the Netherlands on the UEFA association club coefficients list. Earlier this year, Portugal overtook the Eredivisie in the rankings, a shift that strips the Dutch top-flight of one of its direct Champions League qualification spots starting next season, leaving only the league champion with automatic entry.
The threat of a further drop remains real, as Belgium has gathered strong points in recent campaigns and sits virtually ahead of the Netherlands in ongoing projections. However, Thursday’s results provide crucial ground. Alongside ongoing campaigns by PSV and Feyenoord in the Champions League, the Eredivisie has trimmed the gap to Belgium while widening its advantage over chasing federations such as Turkey and Greece.
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