Eredivisie

Highlighted: Experienced Utrecht Faces Newcomer Go Ahead Eagles

25 May 2024

After victories against N.E.C. and Sparta Rotterdam, Go Ahead Eagles and FC Utrecht will face off at the Galgenwaard to determine who will be crowned the winner of the 2023/24 Eredivisie European Play-offs. Due to the new format of the Play-offs, the final will be decided in a single match for only the second time this century (previously in 2020/21).

Go Ahead Eagles Hunt for Historic First

FC Utrecht, favored due to their experience in the European Play-offs, struggled last Thursday until Victor Jensen's decisive goal against Sparta Rotterdam. Meanwhile, Go Ahead Eagles, who entered the Play-offs as the lowest-ranked team (9th), defeated the highest-ranked team in the semi-finals (N.E.C., 6th). This makes the team from Deventer the first to reach the final after finishing ninth in the regular season since RKC Waalwijk in 2011/12. Since the introduction of the current European Play-offs format in 2009, no team that finished so low in the regular season has ever qualified for European football. René Hake's Go Ahead Eagles, making their first appearance in the European Play-offs final, have the chance to make history.

Players Go Ahead Eagles celebrating goal against FC Utrecht (14-04-2024)

Ninth-Place Teams in the European Play-offs

Team	Season	Result
FC Utrecht	2008/09	Uitgeschakeld in halve finale
Roda JC Kerkrade	2009/10	Uitgeschakeld in finale
RKC Waalwijk	2011/12	Uitgeschakeld in finale
sc Heerenveen	2016/17	Uitgeschakeld in halve finale
Go Ahead Eagles	2023/24	?

Specialists in European Play-offs

On the other hand, home team FC Utrecht is a regular fixture in the final of the European Play-offs. The Domstedelingen have been on the verge of European football qualification more often (8 times) than any other team. Additionally, they have Ron Jans, a specialist in these Play-offs, at the helm. After securing a ticket for the Conference League Play-offs with FC Twente last season and qualifying for the UEFA Cup Play-offs with FC Groningen in 2007, Jans is just one victory away from becoming the most successful coach in European Play-offs history. Currently, he shares this distinction with Dick Advocaat, Gertjan Verbeek, and John van den Brom (all with 2 victories each).