NAC will be relegated on Sunday evening and will therefore play in the Kitchen Champion Division next season, the question is whether that will be under the leadership of head coach Carl Hoefkens. Supporters would prefer to see him leave the field and the Belgian understands that.
There were banners everywhere in the Rat Verlegh Stadium on Sunday during the match against SC Heerenveen, including some with a spicy message addressed to Hoefkens.
“Fans can express their dissatisfaction with banners, for example, I completely understand that,” says the Belgian. He understands that the sentiment from the supporters towards him is not exactly good. “It is a shame that some have gone too far in expressing their frustration. They have ruined it for the rest of the audience.”
Competition not in Breda
The trainer is referring to the torches that were thrown onto the field twice during the match. It was also a hit in the final phase. As a result, the match was finally stopped with only eight minutes left on the clock. “In general I admire our fans. They have always supported us both home and away.”
Due to the suspension of the match, NAC is in a special impasse. Mayor Paul Depla does not want the remaining minutes of the match in Breda to be played out for safety reasons. That is why the people of Breda must travel to Heerenveen on Monday afternoon to finish the match there, behind closed doors. The public is not welcome.
Bitter ending
The relegation hits everyone with a NAC heart hard. Such as with captain Boy Kemper, who leaves Breda after three years. “NAC has a special place in my heart. The club, the city, it suits me. Supporters are fanatical and I am at the forefront of the battle, that is a good combination.”
It hurts him that he is now saying goodbye on a pitch-black evening. “I was confident that we were going to win against SC Heerenveen, but I also knew that it was not in our own hands,” he says afterwards. “We took care of that ourselves and it should never have happened. I appreciate the supporters for always standing behind us. It’s admirable that they gave us a round of applause.”
