This is one of two blog posts intended to round off the reporting of the whole proceedings of the Dutch Eredivisie 2009/10. The other will list the final relegation news.
The colours of FC Utrecht
As with many other premier European leagues, the top two go through automatically to the Champions League and this year Twente go straight into the first group round as champions. It will be interesting to see how they get on without their charismatic English manager, Steve McLaren, who has gone off to try his luck in Germany with Wolfsburg. Ajax Amsterdam, in second place, enter the Champions League at the third qualifying round stage.
Third placed PSV Eindhoven go into the Europa League at the playoff stage and fourth-placed Feyenoord, as cup final losers to Ajax, take the place of the cup winner alongside PSV in the playoff stage, leaving fifth-placed AZ Alkmaar to take over the final automatic Europa League spot at the third qualifying round.
There is one more spot available for the third qualifying round of the Europa League: this is determined by a series of playoffs between positions 6-9. Step forward Heracles Almelo, Utrecht, Groningen and Roda JC Kerkrade.
The playoffs were simplified this year into cup-like knock-out rounds played over two legs, and also similarly to European games, away goals counted double.
On 6 May 2010, Roda drew at home with Heracles, 1-1. In the return on 9 May, Heracles lost 1-2 and so Roda went forward to the playoff final. In the other tie, Utrecht decisively beat Groningen 3-1 in their home game and again beat the northerners in Groningen, 0-2, for the right to play Roda in the final.
The final tie was played out over two games on 13 and 16 May. In the first game in Kerkrade, home team Roda lost 0-2 to Utrecht and in the return, Utrecht were even more convincing on their home turf, easily winning 4-1 and so it is Utrecht who grab the final Europa League spot, entering at the third qualifying round.
Here is a summary of the European places for next season:
Champions League
Twente Enschede (straight into the first group stage)
Ajax Amsterdam (third qualifying round)
Europa League
PSV Eindhoven (playoff stage)
Feyenoord (playoff stage)
AZ Alkmaar (third qualifying round)
Utrecht (third qualifying round)
Tags: Eredivisie, football
