Football Club Groningen is a Dutch professional association football club based in the city of Groningen, province of Groningen. Founded on 16 June 1971 as the successor of GVAV, the team will compete in the Eredivisie, the first tier of Dutch football, following promotion from the 2023–24 Eerste Divisie. Groningen played their inaugural season in the Eredivisie, before the side were relegated to the Eerste Divisie in 1973–74 as they got into financial difficulties. Groningen were promoted back to the Eredivisie as champions in 1979–80 and remained in the top flight for almost 20 seasons before they dropped to the second tier in 1997–98. The team won promotion to the Eredivisie in 1999–2000, where they remained for 23 seasons before suffering relegation in 2022–23.
Sportclub Veendam was a Dutch professional association football club based in Veendam, province of Groningen. Founded on 4 September 1894 as Look-Out, it became P.J. Veendam in 1909, Veendam in 1910, SC Veendam in 1974, BV Veendam in 1997 and again SC Veendam in 2011. The club was a founder member of the regional first tier Eerste Klasse Noord in 1916 and became champions of the division in 1931–32; it qualified for the national championship play-offs but finished in bottom place. Veendam took part in the inaugural season of the third tier Tweede Divisie in 1956–57; after yo-yoing between the third and second tiers, the team won promotion to the first tier Eredivisie for the first time in 1985–86. The side spent two seasons in the Eredivisie—1986–87 and 1988–89—but were relegated both times. Veendam then competed in the second tier Eerste Divisie until they were dissolved due to financial problems in 2013.
Gerard Wiekens is a Dutch football manager footballer and former professional footballer.
Pieter Egge Huistra is a Dutch football coach for Liga 1 club Borneo Samarinda and former winger. Huistra played for the Scottish Premier Division club Rangers from 1990 to 1995. He left there to play for Sanfrecce Hiroshima in the J. League. In 2001, he began coaching as the head coach for Jong Groningen. He was with them for four years before being named assistant coach to Aad de Mos at SBV Vitesse. He then became an assistant coach with Ajax and was named as their reserve team head coach on 24 April 2009. He then returned to Groningen, this time as the head coach of senior team, for the 2010–11 season. On 30 May 2012, he then became the head coach of the Eerste Divisie club De Graafschap. Finally, on 3 December 2014, he was appointed as the technical director of the Indonesia national team.
Ryangelo "Angelo" Cijntje is a Curaçaoan former professional footballer, who played most of his career as a right back for BV Veendam.
Danny Buijs is a Dutch professional football manager and former player. He is the head coach of Eredivisie club Fortuna Sittard in the Netherlands.
Johannes "Jan" Wilhelmus Peters is a Dutch former professional footballer and coach.
Marnix Kolder is a Dutch former professional footballer who played as a striker.
Martin Drent is a Dutch former professional footballer who played as a forward for SC Veendam, FC Emmen and FC Groningen.
Jong Ajax, also referred to as Ajax II or Ajax 2, is a Dutch association football team. It is based in Amsterdam and competes in the Dutch Eerste Divisie.
Serhat Koç is a Dutch former professional footballer who plays for KFC Esperanza Pelt.
Joop Gall is a Dutch football manager and former player.
Michael Jeroen Maarten Michiel de Leeuw is a Dutch professional footballer who plays as a forward for Eerste Divisie club Willem II.
Lars Hutten is a Dutch former professional footballer who played as a winger.
Jochem Jansen is a Dutch professional footballer who plays for Hoofdklasse club DUNO.
Norair Aslanyan is an Armenian footballer who plays as a winger for OFC Oostzaan in the Dutch Derde Divisie.
Petrit Hoxhaj is a Dutch footballer who plays as a midfielder for PKC '83 in the Dutch Eerste Klasse.
Peter van der Vlag is a Dutch former professional footballer who played as a goalkeeper. He is currently the goalkeeper coach of SC Cambuur.
Tim Keurntjes is a Dutch footballer who plays as a left back for MASV in the Dutch Eerste Klasse.
The Derde Divisie, formerly known as Topklasse, is the fourth tier of football in the Netherlands, which had its inaugural season as a third tier in 2010–11 and as a fourth tier in 2016–17. The league is placed between the Tweede Divisie and the Vierde Divisie, the third and fifth tiers of Dutch football, respectively. The introduction of the then Topklasse resulted from discussions between the Royal Dutch Football Association, the Coöperatie Eerste Divisie and the Centraal Overleg Hoofdklassers.
