FC Groningen has the norovirus under control, but it remains to be seen what traces the dreaded stomach flu has left within the selection. “It was an intense week.”
Whichever player or trainer you ask at FC Groningen: they are all still stunned by how quickly the norovirus can spread. Isak Määttä was the first to die on Tuesday from the stomach flu variant, which is accompanied by diarrhea and vomiting. In the hours and days that followed, one after another fell.
‘You wouldn’t wish it on your worst enemy’
“A bizarre situation,” Dick Lukkien reflects. He was also one of the victims. It kept the trainer busy for two days. He will never forget the return journey home from Kralingen. “I’ve never experienced anything like this before,” says Lukkien. “Within a few minutes, the players’ condition changed from nothing to bad. More and more people followed who became ill on the bus. Just before arriving in Groningen, team manager Jos Hooiveld. In the days that followed, the list grew longer and longer. It was very intense, including the flu itself. I spent 36 hours on the toilet. You wouldn’t wish it on your worst enemy.”
The club was able to get the signal under control on Sunday morning, although Leandro Bacuna was still home sick and a number of players and trainers were still feeling weak. Yet there were nineteen men on the training field again. Enough to be able to play against Jong Ajax on Monday evening, although the question remains how FC Groningen, which was in top form, will hold up against the Amsterdam talents and whether enough players are physically able to play ninety minutes.
Compliments for the KNVB
In any case, Lukkien is grateful that the KNVB thought along with FC Groningen and canceled the match against FC Emmen last Friday, although the Drenthe professional club and its supporters showed that they were very disappointed with that decision.
“I think it is a great compliment to the KNVB that they have heard our arguments, that there has been consultation at medical level and that an assessment has been made and a decision has been made in a professional manner,” says Lukkien. “In my opinion, a very logical one, because we were dealing with a highly contagious virus. The safety of the players would otherwise have been compromised.”
Lukkien also understands FC Emmen’s reaction. “Especially because the cancellation was shortly before the match. The organization was probably already in the pipeline and all kinds of things had been arranged. Then it will of course be very sad if the match does not take place, but we were also faced with a fait accompli.”
Fun action
With a smile, Lukkien later saw the video on social media in which an FC Emmen supporter brought diapers and toilet paper to the FC Groningen training complex. “I thought it was funny.” The intruder also made images of cycling players and claimed that everything was not too bad at FC Groningen.
“You know that when these kinds of things happen, supporters have their own interests at heart,” Lukkien responds. “Furthermore, in society today, people in general quickly find something about something and have their judgment ready. In this case, there were suddenly a lot of virologists in the world. That is possible, it is everyone’s right.”
Back to the order of the day. FC Groningen intends to continue the good series before the winter break against Jong Ajax on Monday evening. Quite a task, because the Amsterdam promises have also recorded a strong series of matches with four wins and five draws.
‘Excellent player’
“It is a very close-knit team that they have forged at Jong Ajax,” says Lukkien. “They often play in the same composition, there is more cohesion than in other years. It is a tough and stiff opponent. Moreover, they have some exceptional talents. I think Gabriel Misehouy in particular is an excellent player. At the same time I am curious about ourselves. Can we deliver what we could have delivered under normal circumstances? That is the question hanging over this match.”