The 20/21 Eredivisie season begins this Friday and we will preview the expectations of each Eredivisie club. In this article, we look at FC Emmen.
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Dick Lukkien has worked wonders with tiny FC Emmen, who were once again set for a comfortable 12th placed finish when the season was ended.
Their home form was once again the reason behind their success, but can they replicate that in a season that may see stadiums empty or just half full?
Transfers
Former Groningen midfielder Simon Tibbling has been the club’s big signing so far this summer. Full-back Caner Cavlan has also returned to the club. Young PSG midfielder Lucas Bernadou has also joined, along with Behadil Sabani (Borussia Monchengladbach), Collin Seedorf (FC Eindhoven), and Sekou Sidibe (PSV).
A number of players have departed, though, with Jafar Arias joining VVV-Venlo, while Michael Heylan left for Sparta. Wouter Marinues, Henk Bos, Tom Hiariej, and Lorenzo Burnet were all released as well.
Head Coach
Dick Lukkien has gained nothing but plaudits for his work in keeping FC Emmen in the top flight comfortably over the last two seasons, and he has turned down offers from other clubs to remain loyal to his side.
Lukkien has made Emmen very hard to beat, especially at home and clubs hate playing at their De Oude Meerdijk stadion.
Key Player
Peruvian midfielder Sergio Pena was among the most creative players in the Eredivisie last season and finished the campaign with four goals and three assists. He will once again be the key man in the Emmen midfield.
Experienced forward Michael de Leeuw scored nine goals in the Eredivisie last season and will be key once again this season.
Young Players to watch
Emmen has an experienced squad but 19-year-old midfielder Lucas Bernadou is an exciting signing for the club and he could make an impact.
Pre-season
It has been a difficult pre-season for Emmen with only one win against Telstar (1-0).
They lost 5-2 to Cambuur, 4-1 to Groningen, 2-0 to Heracles, and 1-0 to PEC Zwolle. They finished pre-season with a 1-1 draw against FC Twente.
Strongest line-up
Telgenkamp, Bijl, Cavlan, Araujo, Veendorp, Tibbling, Chacon, Laursen, Pena, De Leeuw, Kolar
Predicted finish
Is this the year that the bubble bursts for Emmen and Dick Lukkien?
The club has been a revelation over the past two years, but can Lukkien keep them away from the drop zone again? Their home form is such a big part of their success and if they can’t maintain that they could be in trouble.
The signing of Simon Tibbling is exciting for the club and they definitely have the players to keep them safe. Don’t write off the club finishing around 12th-13th once again, but they could also be dragged into the bottom three.
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