Achilles '29 was the first amateur side in The Netherlands that managed to enter the Jupiler League back in 2013 when the Dutch FA started their expanding plans regarding the football pyramid. Clubs didn't have to worry about the relegation in the Jupiler League for years as there was a gap between the professional and the amateur leagues. This changed this season however, which resulted in tons of pressure for teams like Achilles '29. The Groesbeek side finished last in their first season in the Jupiler League, but they managed to perform better in 2015 (18th) and 2016 (15th). The confidence was there at the start of the season, but disastrous results during the first half of the campaign resulted in a tense atmosphere in Groesbeek.
Eric Meijers's men dropped to the bottom spot and the gap with teams like FC Dordrecht and Jong FC Utrecht just seemed too big to close at the start of 2017. A lot of new, mostly unknown players, joined the squad during the winter break and some impressive results during the final weeks of the season even restored the survival dream. Achilles '29 collected eight points out of four matches and they had the chance to prevent the drop to the Tweede Divisie on the very last day of the season when they faced Jong PSV at home, but a devastating 1-5 defeat sealed the relegation.
Achilles '29 didn't have the budget available to compete with the top twelve sides, but this relegation was still hard to take. The Groesbeek side will be motivated to bounce back next year and to seal promotion to the Jupiler League, but this will be incredibly difficult as most players will leave the club during the summer. Achilles '29 will have to start over now and they will need something special now to enter the Jupiler League again.
