Alex Plat was completely surprised when he heard that he is no longer welcome in the A-selection of NAC Breda. Until recently he was captain of the first divisionist. Now he has to hope that he will find a club that suits him before the transfer window closes.
The new trainer of NAC Breda, Peter Hyballa, will no longer use the services of the defensive midfielder who turns 25 on Saturday for the remainder of this football season. He received this announcement from the new technical director Peter Maas and commissioner Pierre van Hooijdonk. “What should you say?” Plat answers when asked how he reacted when he was told this. “They want to keep selecting.” He says he feels in the dark about the how and why. “No one saw this coming.”
Immediately after Christmas, NAC suspended trainer Robert Molenaar due to the disappointing results. Molenaar, former coach of FC Volendam, brought Plat to Breda on a free transfer last summer. Since then he played 21 matches for NAC. “I enjoyed the time here, but it was a pity that the results were not optimal. It is a pity that it ends like this.”
The transfer market closes tonight at midnight. The chance that Plat will find another employer before then is extremely small. “It’s all well and good, but I told them I’m not leaving for the sake of leaving. My feeling at the new club has to be good. I want to go somewhere where I can enjoy playing football. I just think that every club has its players already in. This is too late for me.”
A final escape option could still be that NAC buys out the contract with Plat, making him transfer-free. In that case, he could opt for another club at a later stage. If nothing happens, the former player of FC Volendam is sentenced to training with the selection of NAC Under 21 years. He is no longer welcome in the main force.