AZ Alkmaar boss John van den Brom is hoping his side can kick-start their season in the KNVB Cup this week after a poor start to the season.
- By James Rowe
After the 2-0 loss to Groningen at the weekend, AZ Alkmaar currently sit 14th in the table, while they lost their opening group stage match in the Europa League to Partizan Belgrade last Thursday.
Ahead of the KNVB Cup match against VVV Venlo on Wednesday, John van den Brom spoke to the press and was keen to play down talk of a crisis, saying, “Let’s not talk of a crisis. We know that the Cup is separate to the league and Europe “.
In recent years AZ’s stock has risen and they have made great strides as a club, with notable home wins against Udinese & Valencia to reach The Europa League quarter finals in 2012 and winning The KNVB cup in 2013. Van den Brom is aware of how hard the club has worked to achieve an improved and more recognized status as a club “It is something that we have built up together and now things are not so good we have to get through it and I have full confidence that we will” .
AZ’Alkmaar’s 17,000 capacity stadium will be hoping a cup win will provide an impulse and catalyst to what has been a so far mixed and unconvincing start to the season.