It’s just possible. Or, more strongly: it is certainly possible. They have almost become mantras, formulations that all of Emmen and FC Emmen adhere to, in the run-up to this season’s Match of Matches: FC Emmen-Almere City FC.
To stay in the Eredivisie, FC Emmen must beat Almere City FC by at least two goals, regardless of the score. In that case, an extension and possibly decisive penalty kicks will follow. They are not necessary if FC Emmen wins by three goals. Then the premier league is permanently retained.
‘No more putting time and energy into Tuesday’
Captain Jeroen Veldmate (34) shakes his head once again. “No doubt, it is possible. We’re just going to do it. We didn’t deliver on Tuesday, it still sucks that we’re 2-0 behind, but there’s no point in wasting time and energy on that now. Now we have turned the button and we are especially looking forward to having a huge house here on Sunday.”
But how then, is the logical question. Because FC Emmen was not outplayed on Tuesday, but Almere City just deservedly won. Why would FC Emmen be able to win five days later, against the same opponent, who is in good shape, who really wants to promote and who has self-confidence, with a difference of at least two goals?
,,Because we basically have the better team”, says Mike te Wierik, who turned 31 on Thursday, sitting on the red bench next to the field on the Oude Meerdijk. “If you put the selections next to each other, we simply have more quality. It’s just a matter of getting it out.”
‘Never the long ball in training. Why now?’
And how? ,,By being comfortable on the ball”, Veldmate adds. ,,On Tuesday we played the long ball too quickly, while there was no room in the front. Then Ole Romeny and Richairo Zivkovic keep getting fucked up balls. You don’t have to. Of course we have to hide Richairo if we get the chance, but only if there is room for that. We never play a long ball in training. Why now all of a sudden?”
,,The opponents also made it difficult for us”, Te Wierik answers that question. “They put a lot of pressure on us, but we should have been a bit calmer on the ball. Like we can. It’s about being ready for the game, having the right focus to do that.”
Emphasis on Tuesday’s bad game
The emphasis these days is very much on the bad game in Almere on Tuesday, says Veldmate. “It was still 0-0 at halftime. I am convinced that our bad game would not be talked about all the time if that had also been the final score. Then it was said: well kept the zero. No, we just have to do the things we normally do on Sunday”, says Veldmate. ,,Nothing special, just doing what we are good at. Then something very beautiful can happen on Sunday.”
FC Emmen board: first the football, then the rest
The management of FC Emmen does not yet want to open a book about the consequences of a possible relegation for the club and the club’s staff. ,,We will play a very important match on Sunday and that is where all the focus will be”, board member Herman Harms said.
Whether relegation will have consequences for the staff, what will be the consequences for the plans for a new stadium and what measures will the club have to take when moving to the first division? ,,First play football”, says Harms.
‘Lubbers not involved in decision-making’
Harms and Mike Willems, who also take care of management matters as a technical manager, are currently making the most important decisions together, the club says. “In addition, there is close coordination between the board, management and supervisory board in important decisions.” Chairman Ronald Lubbers, who has been sick at home for months, is not involved in these decisions, the club reports, through Harms. “We are working on a structural solution. This was already started at the beginning of this year with the appointment of a technical manager. Ronald is not involved in the decision-making at the moment and it does not look like this will change in the long term.”
It was already clear that Lubbers has distanced himself from FC Emmen at least until August 31, but whether that last sentence indicates that Lubbers will also no longer be in office after September 1, perhaps for a longer period of time? According to FC Emmen’s spokesperson, Marc Timmer, communications and marketing manager, we should certainly not look for that.
A general director has now also been appointed in the person of Rinse Bleeker. De Fries will start in his new position on 1 July.