AZ Can Reach a Milestone for Dutch Football on Thursday Evening. If the Alkmaar Team Defeats Levski Sofia to Qualify for the Competition Phase of the Conference League, the Netherlands Will Have Six Clubs in the Main European Tournaments for the First Time in Seventeen Years.
The Chance That AZ Will Succed is very high. Trainer Maartens Martens’ Team Plays at Home Against Levski, After Already winning 0-2 in Bulgaria Last Week.
FC Utrecht will also be in action. The Utrecht Team is Already Assured Of A Place in a Main European Tournament, But The Only Question is Whether It Will Be the Europa League or The Conference League. Most Likely It Will Be The Europa League, because Trainer Ron Jans’ Team won the first leg Against Bosnian Zrinjski Mostar in the Preliminary Round of the Europa League Last Week 0-2.
PSV (Champions League), Ajax (Champions League), Feyenoord (Europa League) and Go Ahead Eagles (Europa League) are also Already assured of a place in a main European tournament.
The Last Time The Netherlands had Six Clubs in the Main European Tournaments was in the 2008/2009 season. PSV Played in the Champions League and Ajax, Feyenoord, FC Twente, SC Heerenveen and NEC Participated in the Last Edition of the Uefa Cup, the Predecessor of the Europa League. Last year the total remained at Five Dutch Clubs, because Go Ahead Eagles was Eliminated in the Preliminary Rounds of the Conference League.
Six Dutch Clubs in the European Main Tournaments is also the record, but it is not a Guarantee for Much Success. Feyenoord and sc Heerenveen Stranded at the End of 2008 with Zero Points in the Group Stage of the Uefa Cup. PSV Came the Furthest. After a third place in the Champions League Group, The Quarter-Finals of the Uefa Cup Were the Final Destination for the Eindhoven Team.
The Record Number of Dutch Clubs in Europe (Including Preliminary Rounds) is Higher. In 2012/2013 There Were Seven, because FC Twente Received a Ticket for the Prelimary Round of the Europa League via The Fair Play Ranking. Heerenveen and Vitesse Stranded in the Preliminary Rounds That Year.