AZ competes with three other clubs in the play-offs for the one coveted ticket for the preliminary round of the Conference League. The Alkmaarders have the best papers given the final ranking in the Eredivisie. The goal is still to achieve European football. An excellent opportunity via the play-offs, but the form of the team of trainer Pascal Jansen has left much to be desired in recent weeks.
Jansen: ‘If you stamp it flat, everything will be wrong with the play-offs’ – NH Sport / Stephan Brandhorst
Last weekend went AZ painfully down in the last competition match of the season. RKC Waalwijk won completely deservedly 3-1 in Alkmaar and the three matches before that (Sparta, Ajax and FC Utrecht) all ended in a draw. AZ fans chanted chants to the trainer on Sunday because of the disappointing results and waved white handkerchiefs.
In the play-offs, number five AZ plays against number eight SC Heerenveen. The gap in the ranking after 34 matches is no less than 20 points. The Frisians are working on a stronger series than the Alkmaarders, who have won only two of the last nine games. “In our case it is a mental issue,” says Jansen about the key to success in the play-offs.
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AZ coach Jansen is disappointed with how his team ended the season – NH Sport / Stephan Brandhorst
A different AZ will have to appear in the play-offs, otherwise the stamp ‘failed’ can be printed on the AZ season. Afterwards, Jansen announced that he would make a change in the line-up. “I never rule that out. I determine that in consultation with the staff,” says Jansen, who is normally steadfast with his attitude and reluctant to make changes.
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Jansen: “Switches are never ruled out” – NH Sport / Stephan Brandhorst
AZ will play the first game in the semi-finals of the play-offs tomorrow at 6.45 pm in Heerenveen. The return awaits in Alkmaar on Sunday at 2.30 pm. The winner qualifies for the final in which a ticket to the preliminary round of the Conference League is at stake.
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