At the bottom of the Eredivisie, the tension is to die for. No fewer than five clubs are still fighting for enforcement. Until the decisions are made, this site therefore gauges the level of tail stress in the basement on a daily basis. Today with Bart Vriends (30), vice-captain of number 17 Sparta.
How are you, Bart?
,,Tasty!”
The draw against AZ apparently did you good.
,,Without a doubt. We would have liked to have taken three points, of course, but this was also a welcome boost. And you tasted that feeling with all the guests in the dressing room. Like: great, we’re still here, everything is possible again. We have to extend that to the match against FC Groningen (tonight, ed.).”
Is that the so-called Maurice Steijn effect?
,,You know, I always think it’s a bit inappropriate to talk about these kinds of terms, a bit disrespectful to the previous coach too. He just did well here. The fact is that something always changes after a coaching change. Nuances especially, in the case of Sparta. The atmosphere, the tone, the tactics that are slightly different. There’s something refreshing about that. We are of course not there yet.”
Fortuna striker Zian Flemming said earlier this week that his girlfriend sometimes finds him grumpy in bed, when he has seen RKC beat FC Groningen, for example. You and your girlfriend don’t need couples therapy yet?
“Recognizable what he says. You don’t want to watch a match like that, but in the meantime you are constantly keeping an eye on how much it is. Even if you don’t care. And if you see 3-0 for RKC on Teletext, a deep sigh does escape from your mouth. But no, it’s not like my girlfriend has an angry or worried Bart sitting next to her. I am very hopeful and optimistic about Sparta’s chances.”
As an anchorman of the Cor Potcast, hobby guitarist, leisure painter, documentary maker and almost-Smartest Human, you also have enough distraction.
“That is conscious. Besides playing football myself, I am also just curious about other things. Take that documentary for ESPN, in which I look back with former teammates of Go Ahead Eagles on the period we experienced under Erik ten Hag. Very nice to do. Educational too.”
And in which band do we see you appearing after your football career as a guitarist?
,,Hoho, it would be contempt for any music lover to label myself as a guitarist. I’m of the ‘sounds pretty nice’ caliber. The somewhat melancholy songs are my preference. That’s why I mainly play songs by Bob Dylan.”
That ties in nicely with Sparta’s season so far.
,,Exactly, I cheerfully continue the minor mood at home.”
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