Thursday, February 25, 2021 at 11:40 AM• Last update: 11:43

Prior to the current Eredivisie season, Rob Toussaint has submitted a request to the KNVB to reverse the derby between Heracles Almelo and FC Twente, reports TC Tubantia Thursday. The general manager of Heracles wanted to have the first meeting in Enschede completed, so that the chances were greater that the home game could be played with an audience. However, the KNVB did not cooperate with this, so Heracles will receive Twente on Saturday and must visit Enschede on 8 May.

It is Saturday for the first time this season that Heracles and Twente will meet. “I have left with the KNVB to have the first edition of this season play in Enschede,” Toussaint tells the regional newspaper on Thursday. “They had the derby last season, we didn’t. But the union did not come to an agreement in terms of planning. I would have thought it normal if it had happened. ” The last time Twente and Heracles faced each other was on September 20, 2019, when Heracles was 2-3 too strong for the team of then Twente coach Gonzalo García.

When the derby is back on Saturday, the Erve Asito will be empty. The gap in the ranking is six points in favor of the Enschede team. The loss of the audience against Twente costs Heracles about 2.5 to 3 tons. “We miss the money for single ticket sales and catering, which is 49 percent ours,” Toussaint continues. “Twenty percent of season ticket holders have not renewed. That also hurts financially. But it is worse for supporters and sponsors, because you want to play this match with an audience. We would like to keep the bond. ”

And yet there are supporters who take care of the binding themselves. “We have a supporter who transfers money for beer and food every home game. “To continue to support the club,” he says. How great is that? ” The Twente derby is not the biggest breadwinner for Heracles. “Ajax also guarantees a sold-out house. We can sell out matches against FC Twente and Ajax twenty times in a season. People invite each other over and over again and on those days we have a lot of eaters. Twente is of course the neighbor, Ajax wants to see everyone play. After that, Feyenoord, Heerenveen, PEC Zwolle and FC Emmen are popular. ”