what is at stake in the premier league slot?

NOS Football•today, 06:24

PSV coach Peter Bosz has smoked his championship cigar and FC Volendam is planning the routes for first division matches in Helmond and Leeuwarden. But for eleven of the eighteen clubs there is still something at stake in the last two rounds of the Premier League.

Who can still hope for European football or even the Champions League, and how can Excelsior avoid the play-offs? An overview of which clubs still play for what.

New national champion PSV and pursuer Feyenoord can already look forward to a new adventure in the Champions League, which even guarantees eight matches next season, four of which at home.

A third Dutch club may qualify for the new main phase of the Champions League. FC Twente is in the best position to finish third and thus enter the third qualifying round of the highest European club tournament.

AZ has come within two points with the victory over the Tukkers (2-1). The Alkmaarders, with Go Ahead Eagles away and FC Utrecht at home, have a more difficult program than FC Twente, which receives relegated FC Volendam and ends at the already completed PEC Zwolle.

The format of the European club tournaments will change next season. See how it works here, with the Champions League as an example:

This is how the new Champions League format works

If FC Twente or AZ survive two preliminary rounds after the summer break, three Dutch clubs will be represented in the main tournament of the Champions League next season for the first time since 2002.

The Europa League is on the horizon for the number four in the Premier League (AZ or FC Twente). No preliminary round, but straight into the draw for the – also there – renewed main phase with a total of 36 teams.

A second Dutch club can still join them by avoiding the play-offs in fifth place and surviving the preliminary rounds of the Europa League. Ajax is currently heading down that route, thanks to rival Feyenoord’s cup win. Ajax still plays at home against Almere City and away at the relegated Vitesse,

After the 0-3 win at Excelsior on Monday evening, NEC has two points less than the team from Amsterdam. The Nijmegen team will visit Feyenoord on Sunday and end the season in Almere.

FC Utrecht is also in fifth place, three points behind. That club will still meet Sparta (home) and AZ (away).

For numbers six to nine, the season will have a dessert in the play-offs, in which they will compete for a ticket for the preliminary rounds of the Conference League.

Go Ahead Eagles and Sparta are aiming for a stunt against one of the higher ranked clubs. The current number ten, SC Heerenveen, theoretically also has a chance, but it seems unachievable due to the six-point deficit and a not very promising goal difference (-14).

The eventual winner of the play-offs will have to get back to work quickly after the summer holidays, as the preliminary rounds of the third European club tournament will start for the Dutch delegation at the end of July.

Behind the top ten there are actually three clubs for whom there are no more desserts or headaches waiting for the denouement of the season. Fortuna Sittard, PEC Zwolle and Almere City are, to put it bluntly, ready.

This is also said about Heracles, that club has 32 points after 32 matches and seems to be on its way to another year at the highest level. But don’t say it too loudly in Almelo, thinking of the bizarre denouement of 2022, when Heracles seemed safe but ultimately sank to the first division via the play-off pit.

The number sixteen of the Premier League enters the play-offs for promotion/relegation. Excelsior occupies that place, the deficit to RKC Waalwijk is two points.

Heracles has six points more and is Excelsior’s next opponent, who will end the season against Feyenoord. RKC will still meet PEC Zwolle and PSV.