Can Groningen win over Excelsior? – Sparta moves to ‘offender-centered approach’

GRO-EXC | Some facts in a row

– Excelsior played Groningen 18 times in the premier league and only won twice. The last success is already forty years back: 0-2 (Beukers, Jalink). Groningen has won 11 times, including 3 of the last 4 editions. Paul Gladon decided the last edition in 2019: 1-0.

– Redouan El Yaakoubi made the difference at Woudestein this season: 1-0. The captain, like Couhaib Driouech, is now suspended. The Jan. 8 game was the debut of Groningen coach Dennis van der Ree, who had succeeded the fired Frank Wormuth.

– Van der Ree joined SC Cambuur in 2017 as assistant to Excelsior coach Marinus Dijkhuizen. The two were teammates at SC Cambuur in the 2007/2008 season.

– Wouter Gudde, the current general manager of FC Groningen, was previously a player and commercial director at Excelsior.

Sparta deplores misbehavior and moves to ‘offender-centered approach’

Sparta regrets the misbehavior of some fans on Friday during the home game against FC Utrecht. Utrecht’s goalkeeper had cups of beer thrown at his head and the fans’ anger was also directed at referee Joey Kooij, who stopped the game for about ten minutes.

“The familial character and casual atmosphere, with which we as Sparta are so distinctive, is paramount and unacceptable behavior should be punished immediately,” the Rotterdam club wrote.

Sparta is taking a “perpetrator-oriented approach,” reviewing camera footage so that perpetrators can be identified and a nationwide stadium ban including a corresponding fine can be imposed. Any fines imposed by the KNVB will also be recovered from the perpetrators.