NEC Nijmegen

NEC

Full name	Nijmegen Eendracht Combinatie
Short name	NEC
Founded	November 15, 1900; 120 years ago (1900-11-15)
Ground	Goffertstadion, Nijmegen
Capacity	12,500
Chairman	Ron van Oijen
Manager	Rogier Meijer
League	Eredivisie
2020–21	Eerste Divisie, 7th (promoted via play-offs)
Website	Club website
Home colours Away colours
Current season

NEC Nijmegen, commonly NEC (Dutch pronunciation: [ɛnˈeːseː]) is a professional Dutch association football club based in Nijmegen, a city located in the province of Gelderland. They play in the Eredivisie, the top tier of Dutch football, following promotion from the 2020–21 Eerste Divisie.

The oldest remnant of the club, "Eendracht" (Dutch for unity), stems back to 15 November 1900. In 1910, Eendracht merged with NVV Nijmegen to form the Nijmegen Eendracht Combinatie (Dutch pronunciation: [ˈnɛimeːɣə(n) ˈeːndrɑxt ˌkɔmbiˈnaː(t)si]). The team's home ground is the 12,500-seat Stadion de Goffert.

The club has reached the final of the KNVB Cup on four occasions – in 1973, 1983, 1994 and 2000 – but has never won any major silverware.

History[]

1900–1919: Merger and first years[]

NEC Nijmegen is the 41st oldest club in the Netherlands. While early football clubs were founded by the elites, the founders of NEC came from a different background to those of other Eredivisie clubs, hailing from the old slum in the 'Benedenstad' (lower city) of Nijmegen. The young men from this area played football on the streets and on the banks of the Waal, rather than on a conventional field.^[1]

On 15 November 1900, August Lodenstijn, Antoon Kuypers and Wouter de Lent made the decision to form their own football club, taking the name Eendracht, inspired by a sign in the town square.^[2]

Until 1903, Eendracht only played friendly matches against teams from other parts of Nijmegen, when the local league in Nijmegen was formed. Eendracht was the first champion and was promoted to the regional league of Gelderland, then two years later they were promoted to the second tier of Dutch football.

Eendracht merged in April 1910 with a club called NVV Nijmegen, which had been formed only two years earlier and was founded by former members of Quick 1888, to form Nijmegen Eendracht Combinatie.^[3]

1920–1939: "Never first-class"[]

At the beginning of the 1920s, NEC bought land and moved to a ground at Hazenkampseweg.^[3] Finally, the club had a permanent home and the club's fanbase began to grow. However, despite a new home and increased membership, on-field success did not follow. To achieve promotion into the Eerste Klasse (first tier) competition, in those years it did not suffice to become champion of the Tweede Klasse (second tier). Play-off matches were played between the champions of the various regional divisions.

Although NEC won second-tier championships in 1928, 1929, 1931, and 1934, the club did not win promotion.^[4] The club was mockingly titled: "Nooit eerste classer"^[5] (in English "Never first division"), before being promoted in its fifth try in 1936.^[6] In 1939, NEC won the first East title and fought for the Dutch title in a playoff competition with four other district champions. NEC came in third, behind Amsterdam sides Ajax and DWS.

The club moved from Hazenkampseweg at the end of the 1938–39 season to the Stadion de Goffert, located in the Goffertpark on the outskirts of the city, where NEC still play today.

1940–1959: WWII and professional football[]

During the Second World War, little football was played, but after liberation, the club's pre-war success continued and again became the champion of the East in both 1946 and 1947.

Professional football was introduced in the Netherlands in 1954, but came at the wrong time for NEC. The club was not in a good financial state and not as well established as other clubs. When the Royal Dutch Football Association (KNVB) reorganised the league structure in time for the 1956–57 season, NEC found themselves in the lowest semi-professional division, the Tweede Divisie.

1960–1973: Recovery[]

At the beginning of the 1960s, NEC began to recover, slowly gaining foothold again. A major reason was support from the City of Nijmegen who began to see the importance of a professional club like the NEC, and started providing financial support in 1963. The following year, NEC were promoted to the Eerste Divisie (first division) again and three years later, reached the top-tier Eredivisie for the first time.^[7]

The club remained in the top flight for seven seasons in a row, with some games played in front of capacity crowds; season averages of 14,000 spectators were normal. NEC flourished, primarily due to the development of players from their youth setup, including Frans Thijssen and Jan Peters. Although the club still had not won a major prize, they were well-regarded.

1974–2002: Lean years[]

However, the decline came quickly. NEC could not sustain themselves with its only major revenue sources being the sale of players and the large subsidy from the Nijmegen council.

Relegation became a fact in 1974 and although NEC returned to the top division the following year, the club was heading in a downward trajectory. Relegation struggles ensued, and during the following years, NEC became renowned as a yo-yo club; in little over a decade, they changed leagues six times: relegation in 1983, promotion in 1985, relegation in 1986, promotion in 1989, relegation in 1991, and finally promotion in 1994.

In 1981, the club was given further support from the municipal council, when NEC's professional and amateur sides separated. In 1987, the club was declared bankrupt. NEC continued to exist but only after 80% of creditors waived their claims.

Chairman Henk van de Water formed a sponsors' club to raise funds which started to gather momentum. By the mid-1990s, NEC was on the way up again. In 1995, the club clung on to a place in the Eredivisie by the skin of their teeth. In 1998, it surprised many with an eighth-place finish. Its prospects had improved and attendance numbers rose continuously, all the way up to 10,000. The sponsors' club began to prosper and Stadion de Goffert was newly modernised.^[8]

Cup finals[]

NEC has reached the final of the KNVB Cup four times. On two occasions NEC were underdogs, but going into the 1973 final, the club was the overwhelming favorite. At Rotterdam's De Kuip against NAC Breda, things went completely wrong for the Nijmegen club, with NAC coming away 2–0 winners, amidst claims of infighting and disagreements with the manager.

In 1983, NEC unexpectedly reached the Cup Final despite having been relegated that season, but fell to the league champions Ajax 3–1 – the final goal being scored by Johan Cruyff in his final game for Ajax.

NEC, about to be promoted from the Eerste Divisie surprised many by defeating Ajax 2–1 away from home in the semi-finals of the 1994 competition, coming up against Rotterdam at De Kuip in the final, but fell once more 2–1.

In 2000, the club's centenary year, they reached the final for the fourth time but the match against Roda JC Kerkrade would end in disappointment for the 20,000 fans who made the trip; NEC lost 2–0, with no clear scoring chances.

NEC in the Cup Winners' Cup[]

In 1983, during the darkest period of the club's history, they played a match which many see as a highlight of the club's history: a match played in the European Cup Winners' Cup against Barcelona, while NEC was little more than a mid-table second-tier team.

In the spring, NEC had lost the cup-final against Ajax and were also relegated. But because the Amsterdam-based side had also been crowned champion of the Eredivisie, NEC qualified for UEFA competition while in the second-tier, something which has only happened once since; Wigan Athletic's participation in the 2013–14 UEFA Europa League while playing in the EFL Championship.

In the first round of the European tournament, NEC narrowly defeated Norway's Brann, 2–1 on aggregate. A few days later, the draw was completed for the second round, which pitted the superstars of Barcelona – with both Bernd Schuster and Diego Maradona – against the small Dutch outfit. Both players were injured for the tie, though there was still excitement for the fans at the Goffertstadion – NEC raced into a 2–0 lead after 44 minutes, with goals from Anton Janssen and Michel Mommertz, though the Blaugrana would hit back, winning the game 3–2, then strolled to a 2–0 victory at Camp Nou in the second leg.^[9]

2003–2012: NEC in Europe[]

29 May 2003 marked a historic day for NEC. Following a late strike from Jarda Šimr against RKC Waalwijk, NEC finished fifth in the Eredivisie. For the first time in its existence NEC qualified for the UEFA Cup through their league position. This led to unprecedented scenes with jubilant fans invading the pitch. Similar scenes occurred in the centre of Nijmegen with over 25,000 people celebrating.

In the 2007–08 Eredivisie season, NEC qualified for European competition again, for only the third time in its history. After a disappointing first half of the season, the club found itself 17th place. But after the winter break, there was a remarkable turnaround. From January 2008, NEC improved their form and finished eighth place in the Eredivisie. This position secured participation in the UEFA Cup play-offs. NEC was also victorious in the play-offs beating Roda JC, Groningen, and NAC Breda. With 31 undefeated matches in a row and with a 6–0 home victory at NAC Breda the highlight of the turnaround, NEC attained European football once again.^[10]

The year became even more successful following early rounds of the UEFA Cup. In the first round, the club defeated Dinamo București over two ties. After a 1–0 home win, NEC drew 0–0 in Romania to reach the group-stage. They were then drawn against Tottenham Hotspur, Udinese, Spartak Moscow, and Dinamo Zagreb. They started poorly, with defeats to both Dinamo Zagreb and Tottenham Hotspur^[11] – meaning they were bottom of the group and almost out of the tournament. After a 2–1 victory against Spartak Moscow in Russia with a goal from Lasse Schöne, NEC played their last match in Nijmegen against Udinese. To advance, NEC and Tottenham had to win over Spartak Moscow. Tottenham were trailing at half time, while NEC were being held at 0–0. In the 74th minute, however, Tottenham scored twice to eventually draw 2–2 against Spartak and Collins John scored almost simultaneously to make the score 1–0 for NEC. With a second goal from Jhon van Beukering, NEC reached the next round.

The last 32 draw of the UEFA Cup saw NEC drawn against German powerhouse Hamburger SV. The fairy tale ended for the club when the Germans won 3–0 at Goffertstadion and 1–0 in Hamburg. NEC supporters were subsequently complimented in Europe by Franz Beckenbauer, who said he had never witnessed such great support from away supporters.^[12]

2013–present: Relegation and return[]

At the end of the 2013–14 season, NEC prevented automatic relegation by holding Ajax to a 2–2 draw in Amsterdam on the last matchday with a brace from Alireza Jahanbakhsh.^[13] However, in the following relegation play-offs, NEC lost 4–1 on aggregate to Eerste Divisie's 16th placed Sparta Rotterdam and was relegated to the second tier of Dutch football for the first time in 20 years.^[14]

They bounced back however at the first attempt after beating Sparta 1–0 on 3 April 2015 to clinch the Eerste Divisie title with six games left. On 28 May 2017, NEC faced relegation again after two years in the Eredivisie after losing 5–1 on aggregate against NAC Breda.^[15]

They reached the promotion play-offs in both the 2017–18 and 2018–19 seasons, but lost in the semi-finals on both occasions to FC Emmen and RKC Waalwijk. For the 2019–20 season, the club took the ususual step of appointing three managers: Adrie Bogers, Rogier Meijer and Francois Gesthuizen – the club finished in eighth place, which would have granted them a place in the play-offs, but due to the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic in the Netherlands, there was no promotion or relegation between Eredivisie and Eerste Divisie.

In May 2021, the club once again achieved promotion to the Eredivisie after beating NAC Breda 2–1 in the final of the promotion/relegation play-offs.^[16]

Rivalry with Vitesse[]

Vitesse are NEC's archrivals. The two clubs share a long history together and they contest the Gelderse Derby (Derby of Gelderland), a confrontation between the two largest cities of the province of Gelderland, Arnhem and Nijmegen, two cities with major differences in attitude and culture. Since 1813, Arnhem has been the capital of Gelderland and is historically based on finance and trade, perceived as an office city with modern buildings. Nijmegen, on the other hand, is predominantly a workers' city, with middle and high-income groups in the minority.^[17]

The two cities are just 24 kilometers apart, resulting in an intense crosstown rivalry. The meeting between the two teams is still considered to be one of the biggest matches of the season.^[18]

De Graafschap are also a rival of NEC, and games between them are known as the Kleine Gelderse Derby (Small Gelderland Derby) and these matches are not as loaded with the tension and rivalry of those with Vitesse.^[19]

European Cup appearances[]

Season	Competition	Round	Country	Club	Home	Away	Aggregate
1983–84	Cup Winners' Cup	1. Round		Brann	1–1	1–0	2–1
		2. Round		Barcelona	2–3	0–2	2–5
2003–04	UEFA Cup	1. Round		Wisła Kraków	1–2	1–2	2–4
2008–09	UEFA Cup	1. Round		Dinamo Bucharest	1–0	0–0	1–0
		Groupstage		Dinamo Zagreb		2–3
		Groupstage		Tottenham Hotspur	0–1
		Groupstage		Spartak Moscow		2–1
		Groupstage		Udinese	2–0
		3. Round		Hamburger SV	0–3	0–1	0–4

Honours[]

• Eerste Divisie
  • Winners: 1974–75, 2014–15
  • Promoted: 1966–67, 1984–85, 1988–89, 1993–94, 2020–21
• Tweede Divisie
  • Winners: 1963–64
• KNVB Cup
  • Runners-up: 1972–73, 1982–83, 1993–94, 1999–2000

Results[]

Below is a table with NEC's domestic results since the introduction of professional football in 1955.

showDomestic Results since 1956
Domestic league	League result	Qualification to	KNVB Cup season	Cup result
2020–21 Eerste Divisie	7th	Eredivisie (winning promotion/releg. play-offs)	2020–21	quarter-final
2019–20 Eerste Divisie	8th[a]	–	2019–20	first round
2018–19 Eerste Divisie	9th	promotion/relegation play-offs: no promotion	2018–19	round of 32
2017–18 Eerste Divisie	3rd	promotion/relegation play-offs: no promotion	2017–18	round of 16
2016–17 Eredivisie	16th	Eerste Divisie (losing prom./releg. play-offs)	2016–17	first round
2015–16 Eredivisie	10th	–	2015–16	round of 16
2014–15 Eerste Divisie	1st	Eredivisie (promotion)	2014–15	round of 16
2013–14 Eredivisie	17th	Eerste Divisie (losing prom./releg. play-offs)	2013–14	semi-final
2012–13 Eredivisie	15th		2012–13	second round
2011–12 Eredivisie	8th	–	2011–12	quarter-final
2010–11 Eredivisie	11th	–	2010–11	third round
2009–10 Eredivisie	13th	–	2009–10	quarter-final
2008–09 Eredivisie	11th	–	2008–09	quarter-final
2007–08 Eredivisie	8th	–	2007–08	round of 16
2006–07 Eredivisie	10th	–	2006–07	third round
2005–06 Eredivisie	10th	–	2005–06	round of 16
2004–05 Eredivisie	13th	–	2004–05	third round
2003–04 Eredivisie	14th	–	2003–04	third round
2002–03 Eredivisie	5th	–	2002–03	third round
2001–02 Eredivisie	9th	–	2001–02	group stage
2000–01 Eredivisie	12th	–	2000–01	round of 16
1999–2000 Eredivisie	15th	–	1999–00	runner-up
1998–99 Eredivisie	11th	–	1998–99	second round
1997–98 Eredivisie	8th	–	1997–98	round of 16
1996–97 Eredivisie	17th	(surviving promotion/relegation play-offs)	1996–97	round of 16
1995–96 Eredivisie	17th	(surviving promotion/relegation play-offs)	1995–96	second round
1994–95 Eredivisie	15th	–	1994–95	round of 16
1993–94 Eerste Divisie	2nd	Eredivisie (prom./releg. play-offs: promotion)	1993–94	runner-up
1992–93 Eerste Divisie	4th	(prom./releg. play-offs: no promotion)	1992–93	second round
1991–92 Eerste Divisie	8th	–	1991–92	third round
1990–91 Eredivisie	18nd	Eerste Divisie (relegation)	1990–91	second round
1989–90 Eredivisie	16th	(prom./releg. play-offs: no relegation)	1989–90	third round
1988–89 Eerste Divisie	4th	Eredivisie (promotion competition: promotion)	1988–89	first round
1987–88 Eerste Divisie	5th	–	1987–88	third round
1986–87 Eerste Divisie	6th	(promotion competition: no promotion)	1986–87	first round
1985–86 Eredivisie	17th	Eerste Divisie (relegation)	1985–86	semi-final
1984–85 Eerste Divisie	7th	Eredivisie(promotion competition: promotion)	1984–85	first round
1983–84 Eerste Divisie	9th	–	1983–84	quarter-final
1982–83 Eredivisie	18th	Eerste Divisie (relegation)	1982–83	runner-up
1981–82 Eredivisie	13th	–	1981–82	quarter-final
1980–81 Eredivisie	16th	–	1980–81	second round
1979–80 Eredivisie	15th	–	1979–80	third round
1978–79 Eredivisie	15th	–	1978–79	second round
1977–78 Eredivisie	15th	–	1977–78	second round
1976–77 Eredivisie	16th	–	1976–77	second round
1975–76 Eredivisie	7th	–	1975–76	first round
1974–75 Eerste Divisie	1st	Eredivisie (promotion)	1974–75	first round
1973–74 Eredivisie	17th	Eerste Divisie (relegation)	1973–74	third round
1972–73 Eredivisie	9th	–	1972–73	runner-up
1971–72 Eredivisie	7th	–	1971–72	quarter-final
1970–71 Eredivisie	8th	–	1970–71	semi-final
1969–70 Eredivisie	11th	–	1969–70	first round
1968–69 Eredivisie	12th	–	1968–69	quarter-final
1967–68 Eredivisie	10th	–	1967–68	second round
1966–67 Eerste Divisie	2nd	Eredivisie (promotion)	1966–67	first round
1965–66 Eerste Divisie	6th	–	1965–66	group stage
1964–65 Eerste Divisie	10th	–	1964–65	first round
1963–64 Tweede Divisie B	1st	Eerste Divisie (winning promotion play-off)	1963–64	third round
1962–63 Tweede Divisie A	3rd	(promotion competition: no promotion)	1962–63	semi-final
1961–62 Tweede Divisie	9th	–	1961–62	first round
1960–61 Tweede Divisie	4th	(promotion competition: no promotion)	1960–61	group stage
1959–60 Tweede Divisie A	8th	–	not held	not held
1958–59 Tweede Divisie B	6th	–	1958–59	fourth round
1957-58Tweede Divisie B	5th	–	1957–58	first round
1956-57Tweede Divisie B	10th	–	1956–57	"did not participate"

Current squad[]

As of 30 August 2021^[20]

Note: Flags indicate national team as defined under FIFA eligibility rules. Players may hold more than one non-FIFA nationality.

No. Pos. Nation Player 1 GK  NED Mattijs Branderhorst 2 DF  NED Ilias Bronkhorst 3 DF  NED Rens van Eijden (captain) 4 DF  ESP Iván Márquez 5 DF  BRA Rodrigo Guth (on loan from Atalanta) 6 MF  NED Jordy Bruijn 7 MF  NED Elayis Tavşan 8 MF  PAR Édgar Barreto 9 FW  TUR Ali Akman (on loan from Eintracht Frankfurt) 10 FW  GER Jonathan Okita 11 MF  DEN Magnus Mattsson 14 MF  DEN Mikkel Duelund (on loan from Dynamo Kyiv) 15 MF  NED Javier Vet

No. Pos. Nation Player 16 DF  MAR Souffian El Karouani 17 FW  NED Ole Romeny 18 MF  BEL Mathias De Wolf 20 MF  DEN Lasse Schöne (vice-captain) 22 FW  NED Joep van der Sluijs 23 MF  NED Thomas Beekman 26 DF  NED Cas Odenthal 27 GK  AUS Danny Vukovic 28 DF  NED Bart van Rooij 31 GK  NED Robin Roefs 70 DF  ANG Kevin Bukusu 71 MF  NED Dirk Proper — DF  NED Calvin Verdonk (on loan from Famalicão)

Youth/reserves squad[]

Note: Flags indicate national team as defined under FIFA eligibility rules. Players may hold more than one non-FIFA nationality.

No. Pos. Nation Player — GK  NED Ruben van Kouwen — GK  NED Mark van der Heijden — DF  NED Guus Gertsen — DF  NED Thijme Deckers — DF  NED Thomas Cox — MF  NED Jordy Ruizendaal — MF  NED Bart Ebbers — MF  NED Kas de Wit

No. Pos. Nation Player — MF  NED Michaël Dangi — FW  NED Aimé Ogba — FW  NED Sergio Hughes — FW  NED Anderson López — FW  NED Venitchio Sint — FW  NED Giovanni Zwikstra — FW  NED Dennis Haazer

On loan[]

Note: Flags indicate national team as defined under FIFA eligibility rules. Players may hold more than one non-FIFA nationality.

No. Pos. Nation Player 19 FW  BEL Thibo Baeten (to Torino Primavera until 30 June 2022)

Notable players[]

Africa

DR Congo

• Zico Tumba

Australia

• Brad Jones

Iran

• Alireza Jahanbakhsh

Europe

Bosnia and Herzegovina

• Adnan Šećerović
• Dario Đumić

Denmark

• Lasse Schöne

Hungary

• Gábor Babos

Netherlands

• Jasper Cillessen
• Arnaut Danjuma

Poland

• Andrzej Niedzielan

Sweden

• Jordan Larsson

UEFA Current ranking[]

As of 26 April 2013^[21]

Rank	Country	Team	Points
115		FC Vaslui	16.104
116		NEC Nijmegen	15.945
117		MŠK Žilina	15.841

Former managers[]

Source.^[22]

See also[]

• Dutch football league teams

References[]

External links[]

Wikimedia Commons has media related to NEC Nijmegen.

• Official website