Football Season Guide

The past season Sparta failed to repeat their amazing previous season ended in 6th place, however they did not disappoint as they finished in 8th place. Unfortunately, in the playoff semi-finals they were immediately eliminated by Utrecht. Contrary to the tradition that has always seen Het Kasteel as a hotbed of points, Jeroen Rijsdijk's team has won more points away from home (26) than at home (24). As usual for the club, also due to the limited financial availability, there were no upheavals during the summer transfer market. The most positive note was that they managed to retain their most valuable piece, the Norwegian forward Tobias Lauritsen who scored 12 goals last year. The only excellent starts were the ones of the defender and captain Bart Vriends replaced by the Venezuelan/Spanish Teo Quintero, and of striker Koki Saito, who however had played little last season due to an injury. The midfield has also been strengthened with the arrival of Julian Baas, coming off an excellent season with Excelsior, as well as two promising youngsters from the youth sectors of PSV and Feyenoord, Mohamed Nassoh and Mike Kleijn. Sparta Rotterdam are able to count on the advantage of continuity on the bench, a coach who knows his players and vice versa. Moreover, the midfield, the sector that struggled the most last season when some players were missing due to injury, has been strengthened.