Top trio delivers AZ tons of money at lightning speed: “I was amazed by that transfer”

Partly thanks to the excellent performance in the Conference League, the players of AZ are doing well in Europe. In the eighth final, the Alkmaarders eliminated Lazio from Italy. It is precisely to that country that Sam Beukema (Bologna) and Tijjani Reijnders (AC Milan) leave. “So you see that it is very important for a club to go far in Europe,” says Van Galen, who also reached the semi-finals of the UEFA Cup with AZ in the 2004/05 season.

Kees Luijckx, currently an analyst at ESPN and in the past also played for AZ, also sees the interest of the players increasing. “AZ’s match in the Conference League against Lazio did make an impression. The Italians really woke up then.” However, De Castricummer does not expect the departure of the trio to have a major impact on coach Pascal Jansen’s team. “Reijnders and Beukema can be replaced. Only Kerkez is really out of category. Anyway, he is a left back, so that loss will not be too bad.”

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Beukema, Reijnders and Kerkez only really broke through in the top last season. Before that, they often sat on the bench and had to see how their competitors did get playing time. “I think it’s too fast,” says Van Galen about the steps they are taking. “It was Beukema’s first year. Kerkez has only played as a professional for a year. I actually think you should just play in the first team at AZ for three years.”

The two former AZ players clearly have the same opinion about the transfer from Tijjani Reijnders to AC Milan. “If some clubs come, you just have to do it. You can’t refuse them,” says Van Galen. “I would have done it myself if I were him,” Luijckx laughs from the campsite in Bakkum: “I was surprised to hear about Reijnders’ transfer. I really did not expect him to go to a club like AC Milan. It is an incredibly big step. Beukema follows a more logical path in that regard. In all respects, Reijnders ends up in a different world at AC Milan. “

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AC Milan is one of the biggest clubs in Europe. The Italian superpower has won the national championship 19 times in the past and won the Champions League 7 times. Greats such as Marco van Basten, Ruud Gullit and Frank Rijkaard played football in San Siro in the late 1980s and early 1990s. The world stars have now disappeared from the northern Italian fashion city, but the stature of the Rossoneri still remains present.

“It remains to be seen whether Reijnders will make it, because I think he should play a little faster and run less with the ball”, Van Galen stands out in his game. “He has signed for five years, so everything he experiences in the first year is a bonus. He really doesn’t have to play everything. Suppose he plays twenty games, it’s good. As long as it gets more every year.”

Deflation

Despite the departure of the three, Luijckx and Van Galen think that AZ will again have an excellent selection available next season. “I think the deflation is still not too bad,” says Luijckx. “I only think Kerkez is a real loss, because he is difficult to replace. Reijnders and Beukema can still be replaced. I think so at AZ anyway, because they always ensure that new guys are ready. Clasie is still there, De Wit, Pavlidis and Martins Indi are all still there in the ashes. Goalkeeper Ryan also did well towards the end. I don’t think the departure of these guys is too much. “

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In addition, they also find it characteristic for the club. “Knowing AZ, they always know how to replace players. They have that way of working, so I don’t expect any decline,” says Luijckx, who sees that smart purchases have again been made. Van Galen notes that the past years have always been the same. “AZ is always bought out, but they have a good education and they scout top. They bring back exactly the same type of players. It’s all repeating. Everyone can be replaced at AZ, except Jesper Karlsson.”

Philosophy

With the transfers, AZ’s cash is well filled. Over the past five years, the Alkmaarders are even among the top 10 in terms of transfer income. Yet the club never chooses to buy a big player from it. “AZ has a certain philosophy and that makes it difficult to buy a player. Boys from the youth can all break through in the first. They are presented with a certain trajectory. Then AZ cannot buy a big player and block their own youth. They really have to be very picky if they get an opportunity. That is their philosophy,” said Luijckx.

Last season, AZ finished fourth in the league. “I expect them above Ajax this year. It’s such a mess there,” says Van Galen. “I estimate Feyenoord and PSV a bit higher, but third place should be possible.”