Bye Willem, have you been able to enjoy your holiday a bit or have the corona perils in football claimed your attention?
‘Fortunately, that was not so bad, but in the week that I am back a lot has already happened. The first games in the Eerste Divisie were canceled last weekend.
‘Many practice matches during the winter break have also been canceled. Feyenoord and PSV were unable to attend training camp due to infections, and Ajax and Vitesse had to return in a hurry.
“I don’t think we will notice anything from poor preparation. Some players may be out of the running for a while, but you can’t really complain about that at this time. Perhaps it was not so wise to go to a training camp abroad.’
The latest news is that the game of Helmond Sport, which would play against FC Emmen in the first division tonight, is canceled after all. What is going on there?
Helmond Sport has a small selection and is struggling with a corona outbreak. According to the rules of the KNVB, a match may only be rescheduled if one of the clubs has fewer than twelve basic players and a goalkeeper available due to corona.
Helmond Sport said they only had ten players, but that’s also because some of them are just not fit. You can test for corona, but not for injuries. The KNVB initially thought that they should just play. But I spoke to the director of Helmond Sport yesterday, and he was clear: ‘We are not going.’
‘The KNVB has now conceded by canceling the match, but there may still be consequences. I think they could be a bit more flexible in the first division, the selections are smaller there and there is plenty of room in the playing calendar to make up for matches.’
What about the Premier League? Can we expect canceled matches there as well?
‘I think so. Several clubs are already struggling with outbreaks, and now that the country is opening a little more, it is logical to assume that the infections will increase, also in football.
“There are two things you can do in this pandemic: try to play soccer, or don’t play soccer at all. We opted for the first one, so you have to do your best to let as many matches as possible take place.
‘Of course that can lead to painful situations, especially where the interests are high. If Ajax misses six basic players against PSV next week, you will have a strange match. Clubs will not like that, but the KNVB has to draw the line somewhere. If you can, you should play.’
How come the problems are suddenly so big?
‘Omikron is making the situation extra difficult at the moment. You see everywhere that the infections and quarantine rules lead to staff shortages. The question is what do you do if you test positive, do all your contacts have to be quarantined too? In football, that will pay off.
‘Professional football players are also young and healthy, so they don’t get very sick. I would say: if you don’t feel sick, don’t test. If you are a bit snotty from the flu, you used to come to work.
‘You can also see it with Carl Verheijen, chef de mission of the winter sports enthusiasts. I heard him on the radio this week talking about how careful he is, but he is now infected anyway. So he has to be quarantined, while he may not feel sick at all.’
Is there still room in the playing calendar to make up for canceled matches?
“Almost not in the Eredivisie, which is another reason to play as much as possible. Many Dutch clubs still play European football, so there is little time during the week.
‘In addition, because of the World Cup at the end of this year, there will be a shortened summer break. The clubs only have to release their players a week before the World Cup, so nothing can be moved. The competition just has to be ready on time, the KNVB cannot afford any frills.’