2015–16 AZ Alkmaar season

AZ Alkmaar
Full name Alkmaar Zaanstreek
2015–16 AZ Alkmaar season
2015/16 season
Chairman René Neelissen
Manager John van den Brom
Ground AFAS Stadion
Eredivisie NA
KNVB Beker NA
Europa League NA
Home colours

During the 2015–16 season AZ will compete in the Eredivisie for the 18th consecutive season the KNVB Beker and the Europa League after qualifying for the 3rd qualification round due to finishing 3rd the previous season.

Background

European football returns after a one-year hiatus. John van den Brom finished third last season with Marco van Basten his assistant. Several key players moved elsewhere including captain Nemanja Gudelj and fan favourite Simon Poulsen.

Several youth players have been promoted to the first team the same year the club won the Rinus Michels award for best youth academy and youth development programme in the Netherlands, beating Feyenoord who won this award each of the five preceding years.

Transfers

Arrivals

Name Position Previous club Fee Date
Netherlands Joris van OvereemCMNetherlands DordrechtReturn from loan June 2015
Netherlands Fernando LewisLWNetherlands DordrechtReturn from loan June 2015
Netherlands Raymond GyasiRWNetherlands Roda JCReturn from loan June 2015
Sweden Denni AvdicSTNetherlands HeraclesReturn from loan June 2015
Australia Eli BabaljSTNetherlands PECReturn from loan June 2015
Belgium Jonas HeymansLBNetherlands Willem IIReturn from loan June 2015
Netherlands Jop van der LindenLBNetherlands Go Ahead EaglesFree June 2015
Netherlands Gino CoutinhoGKNetherlands Excelsior RotterdamFree June 2015
Trinidad and Tobago Levi GarciaFWTrinidad and Tobago Central FCUndisclosed June 2015
Netherlands Vincent JanssenCFNetherlands Almere City€100,000June 2015
Iran Alireza JahanbakhshFWNetherlands N.E.C.Undisclosed August 2015
Serbia Rajko BrežančićLBSerbia FK ČukaričkiUndisclosed August 2015

Departures

Name Position New club Fee Date
Serbia Nemanja GudeljCM NetherlandsAjax€6 millionJune 2015
Netherlands Wesley HoedtCB ItalyLazioCompensationJune 2015
Denmark Simon PoulsenLB NetherlandsPSVFreeJune 2015
Costa Rica Esteban AlvaradoGK Unattached Free June 2015
Belgium Yves de WinterGK BelgiumSint-Truidense V.V.Free June 2015
Netherlands Steven BerghuisFW EnglandWatford F.C.undisclosed July 2015
United States Aron JóhannssonST GermanyWerder Bremen€5 million August 2015

Loans

Name Position New club Loan period
AustraliaEli Babalj CF AustraliaAdelaide United 30/06/2017

Pre-season friendlies

The first training session for the new season began on 28 June. Friendlies were arranged with smaller teams in the Netherlands as well as two additional friendlies against foreign teams touring the Netherlands. A training camp is also arranged the week before competitive football in the Europa League by 30 July.

Statistics

Top goalscorers

Rank Player (pen.)
1. Netherlands Janssen 10
2= Netherlands van Overeem
Netherlands Luckassen
3
=4. Netherlands Lewis
Netherlands Helmer
Netherlands Mühren
2
=7. Netherlands Gyasi
Netherlands Dos Santos
Norway Henriksen
Netherlands Van der Linden
Netherlands Gouweleeuw
1
1
1
0(1)
0(1)
Total
Total inc. pen.
25 (2)
27

Goals conceded

Against Scorers (pen.)
Netherlands Dirkshorn Regional Selection XI Netherlands De Bruin x2 2
Netherlands AFC '34 Netherlands Inecia 1
Netherlands Fortuna Sittard NA 0
Scotland Dundee United Scotland Spittal 1
Netherlands SC Telstar NA 0
United Arab Emirates Al Wasl NA 0
Total 4

Europa League

AZ qualified for the 3rd qualification round of the Europa League after finishing the league in 3rd position in the previous season. Due to previous runs in the competition the club has a high coefficient and is seeded for the draw meaning a favourable draw against weaker opposition is likely. The first game is scheduled for 30 July with the return leg on 6 August.

Statistics

Top goalscorers

Rank Player (pen.)
=1. Netherlands Janssen
Netherlands Van der Linden
1
0(1)
Total
Total inc. pen.
1 (1)
2

Goals conceded

Against Scorers (pen.)
Turkeyİstanbul Başakşehir
Total
Total inc. pen.

Eredivisie

Statistics

Top goalscorers

Rank Player (pen.)
1.
Total

Goals conceded

Against Scorers (pen.)

Total

League table

Pos Team Pld W D L GF GA GD Pts Qualification or relegation
1 PSV Eindhoven (Y) 27 20 6 1 68 25 +43 66 Qualification to Champions League group stage
2 Ajax (Y) 26 20 4 2 64 16 +48 64 Qualification to Champions League third qualifying round
3 AZ 27 14 4 9 50 39 +11 46 Qualification to Europa League third qualifying round
4 Feyenoord 26 13 4 9 48 36 +12 43 Qualification to European competition play-offs
5 Utrecht 27 12 6 9 45 37 +8 42
Updated to match(es) played on 12 March 2016. Source: Eredivisie, NUsport, Soccerway
Rules for classification: 1) Points; 2) Goal difference; 3) Goals scored; 4) Play-off (only if deciding champion and relegation); 5) Head-to-head points; 6) Head-to-head goal difference; 7) Head-to-head away goals scored; 8) Draw. (Note: Criteria 5-8 is only used if deciding Europa League play-off places)[1]
(Y) Assured of at least European competition play-offs, but may still qualify for Europa League and Champions League directly.

KNVB Beker

Statistics

Top goalscorers

Rank Player (pen.)
1.
Total

Goals conceded

Against Scorers (pen.)

Total

Squad Performance

Player League starts (pen.) Cup starts (pen.) European starts (pen.)
Goalkeepers
01.UruguaySergio Rochet 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0
16.NetherlandsGino Coutinho 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0
25.NetherlandsNick Olij 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0
Defenders
02.SwedenMattias Johansson 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0
03.NetherlandsJeffrey Gouweleeuw 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0
04.BelgiumJan Wuytens 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0
05.SerbiaRajko Brežančić 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0
14.NetherlandsJop van der Linden 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0
15.NetherlandsDonny Gorter 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0
17.NetherlandsDjavan Anderson 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0
23.NetherlandsDerrick Luckassen 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0
24.NetherlandsRidgeciano Haps 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0
33.GreecePantelis Hatzidiakos 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0
34.NetherlandsJoris Kramer 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0
Midfielders
06.ParaguayCelso Ortiz 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0
08.NetherlandsJoris van Overeem 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0
10.NorwayMarkus Henriksen 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0
19.NetherlandsDabney dos Santos 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0
20.NetherlandsThom Haye 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0
26.NetherlandsStijn Spierings 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0
36.IcelandAlexander Sigurdarson 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0
38.NetherlandsThomas Ouwejan 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0
40.NetherlandsJeremy Helmer 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0
Attackers
07.NetherlandsGuus Hupperts 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0
09.IranAlireza Jahanbakhsh 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0
11.SwedenMuamer Tankovic 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0
12.NetherlandsVincent Janssen 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0
21.NetherlandsRobert Mühren 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0
22.NetherlandsAchille Vaarnold 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0
27.NetherlandsRaymond Gyasi 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0
28.Trinidad and TobagoLevi Garcia 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0
29.NetherlandsFernando Lewis 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0

International Appearances

The following first team players either played or were involved for their respective national teams during the season:

Toulon Tournament

Three players were involved in this invitational tournament for youth teams throughout the world and all played for the Netherlands under 21s or Jong Oranje. The Netherlands team failed to progress from the group stages after two wins and two draws; France and The United States of America progressed from group A.

Date National Team Player Opposition Appearances Goals Result
27 May 2015 NetherlandsU21 3.Derrick Luckassen Costa RicaU23 1 0 U21Netherlands 3-2 Costa RicaU23
8.Thom Haye 1 0
10.Joris van Overeem 1 0
29 May 2015 10.Joris van Overeem United StatesU23 1 0 U21Netherlands 1-3 United StatesU23
31 May 20153.Derrick Luckassen QatarU23 1 0 U21Netherlands 5-1 QatarU23
8.Thom Haye 1 0
4 June 20153.Derrick Luckassen FranceU21 1 0 U21Netherlands 0-4 FranceU21
8.Thom Haye 1 0
10.Joris van Overeem 1 0

Gold Cup

Aron Jóhannsson is the only internationalist from the CONCACAF association eligible to play in this tournament.

Date National Team Player Opposition Appearances Goals Result
8 July 2015 United States9.Aron Jóhannsson Honduras 0 0 United States 2-1 Honduras
11 July 20159.Aron Jóhannsson Haiti 1 0 United States 1-0 Haiti
14 July 20159.Aron Jóhannsson Panama - - Panama x-x United States

EURO 2016 Qualification

Date National Team Player Opposition Appearances Goals Result
12 June 2015 Netherlands17.Steven Berghuis Latvia 0 0 Latvia 0-2 Netherlands

Friendlies

Date National Team Player Opposition Appearances Goals Result
5 June 2015 United States9.Aron Jóhannsson Netherlands 1 0 Netherlands 3-4 United States
5 June 2015 Netherlands17.Steven Berghuis United States 0 0 Netherlands 3-4 United States
10 June 2015 United States9.Aron Jóhannsson Germany 1 0 Germany 1-2 United States
4 July 2015 United States9.Aron Jóhannsson Guatemala 0 0 United States 4-0 Guatemala

UEFA Ranking

After the 2014-15 season where AZ did not compete in European competitions the club fell 8 places to 44th.

This places the club in third place overall in domestic terms: Ajax (26) lead PSV (30) following AZ (44), FC Twente (45) and Feyenoord (95).

Rank Country Team Points
42EnglandLiverpool47.078
43UkraineMetalist Kharkiv47.033
44NetherlandsAZ45.612
45NetherlandsTwente43.695
46ItalyRoma43.602
As of 28/05/2015[2]

References

This article is issued from Wikipedia - version of the Wednesday, March 09, 2016. The text is available under the Creative Commons Attribution/Share Alike but additional terms may apply for the media files.