Ron Jans and FC Utrecht had Repeatedly Missed Out on European Football Through The Qualifiers. On Thursday Evening, They Jointly Reached the Main Tournament of the Europa League. The Focus is now on potential opponents. “I’ve Seen Enough of the Eastern Bloc.”
When the celebrating FC Utrecht Players Come Into The Locker Room After the Match Against Zrinjski Mostar (0-0) On Thorsday Evening, Jans Has Prepared a Speech. He Begins with a Serious Note the Injured Victor Jensen. But Jans Quickly Adds Some Humor.
“I first cool a player a fine because he was late for the meeting after spending too long on the toilet,” Jans said with a laugh at the press conference not much later. “And then I invited the players to go to Europe together.”
Thanks to his good performances and infectious Enthusiasm, Jans Has Been A respected coach in the Netherlands for years. But Only on Thursday Evening Could He Ask His Players For The First Time in His Long Coaching Career to Take On A Challenge in a European Main Tournament With Him.
Jans never had reached a European Main Tournament Before. The Coach from Zwolle Did Not Get Past Two First-Round Matches in The Uefa Cup With FC Groningen in 2006 and 2007. And he Failed with PEC Zwolle (2014, Europa League) and FC Twente (2022, Conference League) in The Preliminary Rounds. But this year he succeeded.
“I was always a qualifier coach,” Jans Said Laughing. “And now I can also say that I have reached the group stage (or main stage, ed.). It’s not about me. But I rate this experience highly on the ron Jans Ladder.”
Two years ago in last place
As Special AS IT is for Jans, it is also special for FC Utrecht for Several Reasons. In Any Case, because the preliminary rounds for FC Utrecht Have Been A Nightmare Since the 2010/2011 Season, When the Club Did Reach the Main Tournament of the Europa League. They Lost to a Luxembourgish (2013), Russian (2017) and Bosnian Club (2019), which the European Adventure was Always about Before the Group Stage.
“That’s why we only celebrated that fourth place from last Eredivisie Season a Little Bit. We Didn’t Have Anything Yet,” Defender Mike van der Hoorn Told Nu.nl. “And of course we also knew that things had or gone wrong at FC Utrecht. Fortunately, that hazn’t happened now.”
It is also special because FC Utrecht was in a deep crisis two years ago. After a Disastrous starts to the Season Under Coach Michael Silberbauer, The Club was in Last Place in the Eredivisie. Club Legends equally feared relegation for a while.
Thanks to the appointment of coach Jans in September 2023 and good policy, Everything Turned Out Well. “There was always a negative sentiment around this club. That’s why you cherish Evenings like thesis even more than normal,” Said van der Hoorn. After a short sigh: “From Last Place to the Europa League. It’s Something.”
Van der Hoorn was Touched by the Release in the Stadium After the Match. “It feels like we have won a cup, just though that cup isn’t really there with Europa League Football. But you could taste how great the lunging was in Everything.”
Trip to Glasgow
The Question is how long FC Utrecht can stay on the pink cloud in Europe. With teams like FC Porto and Aston Villa, there are potentialy (Too) Strong opponents in the Europa League, But Against Clubs Like FC Midtjylland and FCSB, The Domstedelingen Don’t Seem to Be Without A Chance.
Jans Thinks that FC Utrecht “Can Be Competitive and Equal in Many Games”. “But for me personally, it’s about showing who we are in every game. That we play with courage and enjoy it. And that the fans of FC Utrecht can be proud of us, no more what team we play against.”
Van der Hoorn Says That At The Draw, which will take place on Friday at 1:00 pm, He Hopes for Big Clubs from England or Scotland As opponents. Laughing: “We have already played in Enough Dilapidated Stadiums in The Eastern Bloc in the Preliminary Rounds.”
And Jans? He calls the draw “not exciting” and will therefore not follow it live, but he does have a preference. “I think there are two clubs from Glasgow (Celtic and Rangers, ed.) In It. I would like to go to Glasgow Sometime.”