The 2024/25 European season is quickly approaching, with 236 clubs set to compete in UEFA’s continental club competitions this season.
With the first qualifying round draws two weeks away, Extratime Talk will be providing a comprehensive coefficient preview. Between now and then, each country will be previewed, and all clubs participating in Europe for the 2024/25 season are discussed.
In these articles, we will provide analyses of what to expect from each country in Europe. We will explore what is on the line from a coefficient standpoint, and the keys to succeeding, in that country’s case.
We are now in the fifth piece of this preview series, where we will take a look at the clubs from Netherlands.
Netherlands In Europe: Country Profile
| Previous Season Coefficient (Rank) | 10.000 (11th) |
| Previous Season’s 5-Year Coefficient (Rank) | 61.300 (6th) |
| Starting 5-Year Coefficient (Rank) | 53.900 (6th) |
In the space of a few years, Dutch football went from almost losing a European place, to challenging France for fifth spot in the UEFA five-year country coefficient ranking. The country has gone from strength to strength, earning a whopping 19.200 coefficient points in the 2021/22 season, second only to England that campaign.
After what was a rather average 2023/24 for Dutch standards, Netherlands will have six teams in Europe for the first time since 2015/16. That will be an adjustment to get used to. It could be a stellar campaign for Dutch football. For that to happen, however, they will have to improve upon last year’s showing.
Netherlands In Europe: Club Profile
| Club | Qualified As | Round of Entry | Total European Seasons | Last Season’s Performance | 5-Year Club Coefficient (2023/24) | 5-Year Country Coefficient Contribution, 2023/24 (%) |
| PSV | Domestic Champion | UCL League Phase | 56 | UCL Round of 16 | 54.000 | 15.300 (24.96%) |
| Feyenoord | Domestic Runner-up | UCL League Phase | 51 | UEL Knockout Round Play-offs | 57.000 | 13.400 (21.86%) |
| Twente | Domestic Third Place | UCL Q3 (League Path) | 26 | UECL Play-off Round | 12.260 | 1.200 (1.96%) |
| AZ | Domestic Fourth Place | UEL League Phase | 23 | UECL Group Stage | 50.000 | 13.100 (21.37%) |
| Ajax | Domestic Fifth Place | UEL Q2 | 61 | UECL Round of 16 | 67.000 | 15.000 (24.47%) |
| Go Ahead Eagles | Domestic Play-off Tournament Winner | UECL Q2, Main Path | 3 | N/A | 12.260 | N/A |
PSV completely dominated the Eredivisie last term, beating all 17 other Eredivisie sides at least once en route to their 25th league crown. As a result, they will head back to the Champions League proper. It is the first time in eight years that the Eindhoven-based club has reached the UCL’s main round in consecutive seasons. Although it is a new format, PSV will look to better last season’s round of 16 showing.
Joining PSV in the Champions League’s new league phase is Feyenoord. The league runners-up claimed the KNVB Beker to complete what would have to be considered a successful campaign in 2023/24. The inaugural Europa Conference League finalist is also in the UCL proper for the second year running. Only once before have they achieved that under the competition’s current guise.
For the first time in 12 years, Twente will be playing European football in the fall. After a third place finish, the Enschede club will enter the Champions League’s third qualifying round in the league path. They are unseeded in that round though, making it very difficult for them to join Feyenoord and PSV in the league phase. Twente’s last foray in the Champions League proper was 13 years ago.
AZ missed out on UCL football once again, but the fourth place side from last season can be satisfied with Europa League football in the fall. It will be their eighth time participating in the UEL proper, but their first since 2020/21. After failing to get out of their Conference League group last season, AZ will definitely look to not have a repeat of that this time around.
Ajax had a horrific 2023/24 for their lofty standards. At one point, they were bottom of the Eredivisie. In the end, they turned it around, ultimately finishing fifth. That means starting in Q2 of the UEL. Three rounds of qualifiers are required for the capital club to join AZ in the league phase. Expectations will be high for them to rebound after a nightmare of a season.
Netherlands’ sole representative in the Conference League is Go Ahead Eagles, the winner up a four-team playoff. Despite finishing ninth in the Eredivisie, GAE eliminated both NEC Nijmegen and Utrecht to claim the final European spot. This is just their third continental campaign, having never won any of their four European clashes. As they are seeded throughout UECL qualifying, they have a great chance to change that.
Netherlands’ Season Ambitions
Netherlands commenced last term chasing France for fifth spot. By the end of the league phase, it became impossible for them to catch the French. Going into the 2024/25 season with a deficit of almost 4.000 points, the aim for the Eredivisie clubs will be to try and (somehow) catch France.
They will still have to look behind them, as Portugal will be pushing to try and reclaim sixth place. Realistically, Netherlands should not lose their top six position, but they will have to keep that in mind. Nevertheless, the goal will be fifth place.
What a Successful Season Would Be for Netherlands
For starters, having all six teams in a league phase is the first goal. Ajax will be expected to make the UEL proper, and will likely do so. In essence, everything goes down to Go Ahead Eagles and whether they can successfully negotiate UECL qualifying. Although according to Finley Crebolder, new editor at Flashscore and founder of Clockwork Oranje, the likelihood of GAE making a league phase is rather low.
“ I don’t think it will have a huge impact given that the sixth team are Go Ahead Eagles, who I can’t see picking up too many wins in Europe,” mentions Crebolder when asked about Netherlands having six teams in Europe again after having five for so long.
“It’s of course a great story that they qualified, but from the perspective of Dutch football as a whole, it probably would have been better if Utrecht won that playoff final instead – they’re the stronger side and were leading before getting a red card, and probably would’ve contributed to the coefficient more than Go Ahead Eagles will.” finley crebolder
Beyond that, having at least four teams in the knockout rounds, preferably more, will be the expectation. Anything less than that would have to be considered as a major disappointment.
What to Expect From Netherlands in 2024/25
From a coefficient perspective, expect Netherlands to comfortably hold on to sixth place. That is the first thing. If the top five clubs all make the knockout rounds, then fifth spot becomes a possibility again. If all six teams are in Europe come February, then even a European Performance Spot becomes realistic.
It is unlikely that Netherlands will be able to catch France, and would need the latter to have a below average year. That should not be expected, so sixth place should be Netherlands’ ceiling.
With that said, we have already seen in the recent past what the Dutch clubs can do in Europe. So, counting them completely out of fifth spot would be highly ill-advised. Also, do keep them in mind as a possible surprise for an EPS. Again, it is rather unlikely, but if they can repeat the magical 2021/22 season, Netherlands could be in for a phenomenal year.