NH Sportforum: FC Volendam fanboy Jan Smit and AZ will win Conference League

At the information evening on March 9 about the state of affairs at FC Volendam, the chairman took over Jan Smit out hard. “This village is also poisoned by jealousy, stupidity, incitement and rancour. They spread lies and stab a dagger in their back laughing,” Smit said hard at the beginning of the evening.

After about an hour and a half, chairman of the Supervisory Board Jaap Veerman asked a question about the budget and the mud-throwing started. FC Volendam has the plan to transform the organization and to continue without a Supervisory Board. “That is the board’s plan and that’s how you sideline the Supervisory Board. I don’t think this can be glued anymore. The board and the Supervisory Board can no longer go through the same door,” said reporter Stephan Brandhorst, who was present on that evening in De Joseph in Volendam.

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For the time being, this has not yet happened and any new organization has yet to be finalized. Reporter Erik-Jan Brinkman does not understand at all that things could get so out of hand. “The whole village has been looking forward to Volendam playing in the premier league for years. Then you succeed and you are even thirteenth. Then you have such a management crisis. I would have left those harsh words behind closed doors on such an evening.”

“What does Jan Smit want to achieve with such a speech? I assume he is referring to the Supervisory Board who want to stab him in the back. After such words, there is now no way back. Either the entire Supervisory Board stops or Team Jonk quits,” says reporter Thomas Brood. “Such a situation can never be good for a club. Smit is good at playing on public opinion. There was a flaming piece in De Telegraaf. The Supervisory Board does that less or not at all. As a result, the whole of the Netherlands is now behind Jan Smit I get the idea that he is a kind of Kim Jong-Un on the Markermeer,” said Brood.

“I also found it striking that he acted like a fanboy. As chairman, I like it a bit more moderate. As chairman you have to remain calm, but now he stirs things up,” adds Brandhorst.

Jan Smit guarantees

The Supervisory Board of FC Volendam is mainly concerned about the budget. A gap of a few tons would have to be bridged there. At the information evening, Smit indicated that he would guarantee 1.2 million euros. Brood: “I then think to myself: what if he doesn’t do that for once? What will happen at FC Volendam? The fact that FC Volendam is doing well has to do with Jan Smit’s wallet. That dependence is dangerous Brinkman thinks.

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After 3-2 loss of Ajax against Feyenoord thinks the entire sports editors that the team from Rotterdam will become national champions and that Ajax no longer has a claim to that. A few months ago, part of the editorial staff still saw AZ as a title candidate. “I have news. AZ will not become national champions, but will win the Conference League,” Brood predicts.

Changing of guard

At Ajax technical manager Gerry Hamstra seems to be leaving. The Englishman Julian Ward should become the new technical director. Presenter Edward Dekker wonders whether it makes sense to get a foreigner who is not aware of the premier league? “I think so. He has done well at Liverpool. Then that seems to me to be an asset and a lot worse than it is now, it is almost impossible,” Brandhorst thinks.

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“Very nice that you get such a big name, but Liverpool fishes in a different pond than Ajax. I also think that Hamstra should have drawn his conclusions months ago. It’s strange that Klaas-Jan Huntelaar can stay,” says Brood. “Would he also watch RKC matches?” NH Sport reporter Frank van der Meijden wonders.

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In the quarterfinals, AZ will compete against the Belgian RSC Anderlecht. Dekker is surprised about the flat reactions after such an excellent performance. “You can show a little more joy for the camera, can’t you? Come on.”

Football 24/7

“It is no longer like years ago that players went to the pub after a European victory and had a hangover the next day. Today’s players are busy with football 24/7. They are told: you can now enjoy, but tomorrow the focus will be on the next game again. It is also the strength of AZ that they are calm and stable,” Brinkman counters.

“That is football in 2023. John Heitinga recently took a piece of paper to the press conference. He did not answer any question and what he wanted to say was on that sheet. It is too sad for words,” Brood is clear.

Also in the Youth League, AZ delivered a resounding surprise. The Under 19 is in the semi-finals after great victories over Real Madrid and FC Barcelona. Logically, trainer Jan Sierksma will move on to Jong AZ next season, the reporters think. The current trainer of the Alkmaar promises Maarten Martens recently indicated that he would stop after this season. What the Belgian will do next is not known.

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Finally, the month of Telstar was discussed. The White Lions had just in front of the NH Sportforum won 1-0 against TOP Oss. Mike Snoei’s team is therefore in a neat ninth place in the first division and is still in the race for the play-offs. “Pruning is doing well, but I have news for him. Telstar is still falling to the right-hand row. They have a difficult program. The coming weeks will be about it,” says Brood, who will face opponents such as ADO Den Haag, PEC Zwolle, Willem II, MVV and NAC Breda.

Solid Telstar defense

With 31 goals in 30 matches, Telstar is one of the lowest scoring teams in the first division. “It’s not always good, but they often win with one or two goals,” says Van der Meijden, who sees many Telstar matches. “It is always exciting. That three-man defense is very well put together. That is the basis. Then it is hoping for a goal from Telstar. That works sometimes and sometimes not.”

The NH Sportforum was broadcasted on Sunday February 26 from 6:00 pm to 7:00 pm and can be listened back via nhradio.NL. The next episode is Sunday, April 30. Do you have any questions or comments? Then email to [email protected]