Football Season Guide

At the end of a long and extenuating campaign, last spring NAC Breda achieved an unexpected promotion to the Eredivisie, after 5 years spent in the second flight of Dutch football. In fact, at the start of October, NAC looked doomed and only a change at the helm made it possible for them to be competitive again. Coach Peter Hyballa and subsequent ad interim Tom Lokhoff gone, Jean Paul van Gastel took over and things went for the best. Wins started arriving and, despite crises between December and early February and between March and mid-April, NAC offered themselves an opportunity for promotion. Then, in the playoffs they proved superior to Roda and Emmen, who had closed the season higher in the table, and Eredivisie-side Excelsior, scoring for fun and thus deserving the eventual promotion. Van Gastel was not confirmed for the new season and NAC hired 46-year-old Carl Hoefkens instead. This was a surprising move as the Belgian had a far from promising career thus far, being sacked in the middle of the campaign both at Club Brugge and Standard. In terms of departures, NAC trimmed the squad in all the areas. At the back, aging key centre-back Martina was let go before the actual end of his contract, while Mahmutovic, arrived from CSKA Sofia, should replace him once he adapts to the new club. A goalkeeper left, Van de Merbel, who was decisive in the playoffs, while newly-arrived Bjelica could be contending with Kortsmit for a start. With Leemans still injured and a few back-ups gone, such as Agougil and Vet, Australian midfielder Balard should be given a relevant role in the middle of the park. However, the attack is the area mostly affected by departures as starting winger Sejdiu returned to his parent club such as back-up striker Haugen, who had provided 10 goals and 2 assists overall. Polish striker Kostorz, who had a prolific season at Den Bosch, should thus represent a valid alternative to Omarsson up-front.