Due to the ongoing corona crisis, the TOTO KNVB Cup will be given a different interpretation. Due to government measures, amateur clubs cannot play until December, which the KNVB has decided to remove the 26 surviving amateur clubs from the cup tournament. The leadership of the Dutch football association is mainly disappointed about the drastic measure.

“This is definitely a very big disappointment”, director of professional football Eric Gudde sighs on Wednesday morning in a response to the KNVB website. “It is precisely the charm of the cup tournament that amateur clubs themselves at the expense of professional clubs like cupfighters can emerge. It is not possible to move further from the first and second cup round to the second half of the league due to the tight matchday calendar of professional football. “

“In order to complete the cup tournament this season, it is therefore unfortunately necessary to continue only with the professional football clubs”, Gudde further explains the radical measure. “But the problems also arise at those clubs. We assumed that we would have to play for half a season without an audience and that deadline is approaching with no prospect of even investigating solutions. Without stadium visits, those clubs account for about sixty percent of the time. the turnover is gone, that just cannot be sustained for long. ” In addition to Gudde, director of amateur football Jan Dirk van der Zee is also not happy with the current state of affairs, although the director also knows that there are few options due to the corona crisis.

KNVB immediately removes all amateur clubs from the cup tournament

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“However inevitable this imposed departure from the cup tournament is, it is again a heavy blow to amateur football”, Van der Zee mourns. “In the TOTO KNVB Cup, the amateur associations can compete with professional football clubs. In addition to sporting successes, this can also provide a welcome financial contribution in difficult times. Now we only have to look ahead. We hope that the amateurs can return to normal as soon as possible. train.”

Almere City FC, PEC Zwolle, FC Volendam, MVV Maastricht, Willem II, FC Groningen, NEC and Vitesse have already progressed to the second cup round, as these clubs would compete against an amateur club in the first round. The KNVB also emphasizes that the 26 banned amateur clubs may participate in the cup tournament next season anyway. In addition, financial compensation will be considered for these clubs.

The draw for the second round in the TOTO KNVB Cup will take place on Saturday, with the participation of 23 professional clubs. In addition to the aforementioned clubs that have qualified due to the loss of the amateur associations, these are the eleven clubs that managed to win in the first round. Ajax, AZ, Feyenoord and PSV are also added. There is an odd number of clubs in the draw and nine teams will therefore be released. In total, seven matches will be completed in the second cup round. In this way, sixteen teams remain for the eighth final. European obligations will not be considered in the draw. The matches in the second round will be played on December 15, 16 and 17, with the eighth finals scheduled for January 19, 20 and 21, 2021.