please log in to view this image Is it past 12? Yep, the market is finally closed. The exodus is complete. September 3d has arrived and silence dominates the football markets. As the dust settles, the agents, players, technical directors and managers can finally get some sleep. When the day breaks and reality kicks back in, the league is left with teams in shambles; talents and creativity have to be found in what remains in the Eredivisie. And it isnât much, I can tell you that. Here is an overview of all the major transfers this summer(every transfer above one million euros): Kevin Strootman: PSV -> AS Roma 16.5m ⬠Wilfried Bony: Vitesse -> Swansea City 13.9m ⬠Christian Eriksen: Ajax -> Tottenham Hotspur 13.5m ⬠Jozy Altidore: AZ Alkmaar -> Sunderland 10m ⬠Dries Mertens: PSV -> Napoli 9.7m ⬠Marco van Ginkel: Vitesse -> Chelsea 9.4m ⬠Jeremain Lens: PSV -> Dynamo Kiev 9m ⬠Nacer Chadli: FC Twente -> Tottenham Hotspur 8.15m ⬠Toby Alderweireld: Ajax -> Atletico Madrid 7m ⬠Filip Djuricic: SC Heerenveen -> Benfica 6m ⬠Leroy Fer: FC Twente -> Norwich City 5.5m ⬠Erik Pieters: PSV -> Stoke City 3.6m ⬠Virgil van Dijk: FC Groningen -> Celtic 3m ⬠Marcelo: PSV -> Hannover 96 2.75m ⬠Derk Boerrigter: Ajax -> Celtic 2.5m ⬠Sanharib Malki: Roda JC -> Kasimpasa 1.5m ⬠Leandro Bacuna: FC Groningen -> Aston Villa 1m ⬠Figures from Transfermarkt.com and Dutch media. please log in to view this image Strootman's transfer to AS Roma was the biggest this summer. Add all the transfers up and you get a staggering 111.3 million euros in profit for the entire Eredivisie. There was only one league in the world that made more profit than the Dutch league: the Brazilian Série A which made a 183 million profit, with a bit of help from Neymar(57m) and Shakhtar Donetsk which spent 60 million on four players from Brazil. But still, a 111 million euros. We couldâve got Gareth Bale and barely a yearâs salary with that! That may all sound great but the league is now deprived of any developed talent and the few that are remaining are already looking for options in the winter transfer period, like Tadic, Toivonen and Finnbogason. This season Ajax, PSV and FC Twente are falling back on their youth academy hoping that new talent will stand up and develop. Now with the last generation out of the way the youngsters can rise up again and gain experience, progress and hopefully by the end of the season, the Eredivisie will have produced another generation of prospects and sensations. But judging from the first five rounds, the quality of the players has obviously dropped, though some exciting players have come in on loans this summer. The main worry is that with a new broadcast contract with Fox Sports and the hundreds of millions of euros coming in through transfers, the clubs will drop their ambitions in favour of the money. Johan Cruijff himself stated that he wants to bring Ajax to a level that they can win the Europa League or Champions League again. Selling Eriksen and Alderweireld wonât do them any good and even though the money is helpful, an international title will be out of the equation for the next five, maybe ten years. Same goes for PSV and Feyenoord. The clubs are not willing to spend and the fans are the victims as always. They watch the news, jealous of the clubs in England, Italy and Spain who can spend hundreds of millions without repercussions from the UEFA or FA. Whilst we count our euros(grateful the clubs are not going bust but get to play their matches for another couple of seasons), Real Madrid can spend 99 million euros on Bale, Arsenal splash out 45 million on Ãzil, and Napoli pay 37 million for HiguaÃn, just to name a few. The Dutch clubs canât wait for FFP to go into full effect. They hope they can finally compete with the big leagues like in the old days once the UEFA implements it in full. And to be frank, I hope Iâll still be alive when that day comes, because that might take decades. please log in to view this image Erwin and Ronald Koeman cheering for the money Fox throws at them!
Like Leeds (Feeds United to us) and Atlantic Cod, the fishing grounds need time to be replenished. We will return next Summer, gives Dutch clubs a year to find their next batch of talent for export to foreign shores.
Bloody hell, wrong canary, it was JKCanary. Why are you all so yellow and green, confuses the **** out of me!
We're not orange! Only 6 times a year, and every other year, two or three weeks in the summer! please log in to view this image
Whilst I see your point about the exodus is there not an upside to this? I would have thought that the influx of cashmust be a great stimulus to the football system in The Netherlands.It's pretty remarkable that a country with such a population produces footballers of such quality in such numbers.There must be something very good at grass roots level.
True there is, but it comes at a price. The main focus of the players shifted to leagues abroad hence making it for club impossible to retain them. They have to sell them else they walk out for free, unwilling to extend contracts. Toivonen is a prime example of that. The cash is good but Ajax now has 75 million in the bank, probably to spend later as they will likely attempt to remove Ajax from the stock exchange. But the years of drought, last title was the UEFA cup in 2002, makes it very unappealing for star players to come to the Eredivisie. Youth talents a plenty here, more than enough to fill 18 first teams with, but no glory or trophies in sight.
This must be pretty good for the national team though? Good players are being sold to clubs where they can further improve, and this promotes younger players into the first team faster, and provides money to improve facilities. At a club level I agree it isn't great, but in some ways your league system is succeeding where our isn't, in that young Dutch players are getting plenty of first team football.
Very true, especially the Strootman signing was huge. On the downside, Marco van Ginkel is not getting time at Chelsea and will probably end up like Castaignos and other spoilt rich kids, here is a blog about that bit: http://thecovereport.sportsblog.com/post/137698/the_rich_kids.html But overall this has been a decent summer when it comes to nationality. Sneijder turned down ManU because he was assured of a first team spot at Galatasaray, Virgil van Dijk went to Celtic, good prospect. Bruma and Rekik went to PSV, Erik Pieters to Stoke is also an upgrade. But more surprisingly, none of the Dutch talents chose to go to the Bundesliga after last season's debacle with Bas Dost and Luuk de Jong. Both very talented but their clubs are not building teams suitable for them and expect instant adjustment. Unreasonable, and is why Alderweireld and Eriksen turned down offers from Germany.
Sadly, this site doen't give awards, but you wouldcertainly be in the running with your excellent information on the Erdivisie. Trouble is, you would have to share it with Carrabuh who knows everything about everything!
I don't know if people already know this but **** just hit the fan at PSV: Toivonen considering to extend his contract at PSV. In an interview with VI the Swedish International stated he is considering all options and he is open to negotiating with PSV about an extension of his contract which runs out June 2014. Toivonen has been thrown out of the first team and is placed in the youth team which plays in the second division. "I can't stand still if I want to make it to the World Cup in Brazil, right now I'm in the team but if i want to have a chance of going there I need to play. I'm still feeling at home in The Netherlands and at PSV, if they still consider extending my contract I'm up for it". Source: http://www.vi.nl/nieuws/toivonen-benieuwd-naar-toekomstplannen-van-psv.htm
Would we be able to loan him, or did we decide Premier League clubs are unable to take players on loan during this week and can only loan players out? I can't remember.
World cup 2010 I think it was somewhere during the group stage as it was a day time game, the quarter, semi and final was in the evening.
should have guessed it was for football. Looks to me like it was in that open area behind the Rijks museum. awesome
