The Groningen Observer
  • Home
  • Local
    • City Life
    • Domestic Affairs
  • International
  • Business
  • Sports
  • Culture
  • Feature
  • Opinion
  • About
    • Our Vision
    • Our Team
  • Contact
No Result
View All Result
The Groningen Observer
  • Home
  • Local
    • City Life
    • Domestic Affairs
  • International
  • Business
  • Sports
  • Culture
  • Feature
  • Opinion
  • About
    • Our Vision
    • Our Team
  • Contact
No Result
View All Result
The Groningen Observer
No Result
View All Result
Home Sports

“A season from hell” – FC Groningen at its lowest

Joanna Sowińska by Joanna Sowińska
February 10, 2023
in Sports
“A season from hell” – FC Groningen at its lowest

Picture from the Euroborg Stadion in Groningen, at FC Groningen- FC Spakenburg (Source: Joanna Sowińska)

Share on TwitterShare on Facebook

Following its decline in performance recently, FC Groningen found its reputation endangered after a series of scandals within the club. 

“We’re in a crisis” says Mark-Jan Fledderus, the technical director of FC Groningen. 

FC Groningen, currently sit at the bottom of the Eredivisie, the top division of Dutch professional football, experiencing their worst season since the club was founded in 1971.

The football club has not won a match since October, a fact that disappoints many of its fans.

“Terrible, absolutely terrible. Although there have been so many incidents at the administrative level and the players level, it’s not even surprising that they are losing”. says Bert Smallenbroek, a FC Groningen football fan and children’s trainer for FC Oesgstgeest. 

While discussions around the players and their performance sparks public interest, many blame Mark-Jan Fledderus for making poor choices, leading to the downfall of the club. One of them was appointing Frank Wormurth, as Groningen’s first team coach. 

In fact Wormurth, who was fired on the 14th of November 2022, is filing an arbitration case against the club. Speaking with NOS Wormurth said, “There is a lack of a correct account of the facts. Also, causes and consequences are not presented in accordance with the facts”. 

What Wormurth refers to is Fledderus’ justification for his dismissal, regarding his inability to develop and maintain a strong team. A statement that Wormurth declared as false, relaying the pressure and “daily difficult and mentally harmful work situation at the club”. 

Although Fledderus acknowledges these results as his responsibility, another side to the story might exist. This time, it directly targets players themselves. 

Accordingly, two players, namely Cyril Ngonge and Nordin Mussampa have recently received the ‘maximum” fine for arriving to training late. 

Fledderus claimed being unable to tell whether alcohol was involved or not, but the player’s late arrival and inability to play constituted a sufficient motive for the fine. 

Ngonge was already removed from the selection for unclear reasons in September, suggesting that the current problems faced by the club are not recent. 

The football club also faces serious group cohesion problems, as a result of significant changes that have occurred, including the sale of Strand Larsen, a former key player and recent signing of five other players, a point on which Fledderus has been largely criticized. 

“I am concerned about the club’s future, it does not look good” claims Smallenbroek. According to him, without solving the internal issues faced by the club, FC Groningen’s survival in the Eredivisie cannot be guaranteed. 

* Due to the source’s vulnerability, the Groningen Observer chose to keep this statement anonymous.

Tags: FootballGroningennetherlandsSportsTeams
Previous Post

‘City balcony’ at Groningen’s train station will disappear

Next Post

More and more US and Australian partygoers are looking to score Dutch drugs 

Joanna Sowińska

Joanna Sowińska

Joanna Sowińska (she/her) PL - Joanna - Asia - is from Warsaw, but has also lived in France. She speaks Polish, French, and English. She is a super smily person but fiery when she is writing about Eastern European politics. She also has a bachelors and masters degree in Politics.

Related Posts

Tracs Podcast: United States Grand Prix and Remembering Craig Breen
Sports

Tracs Podcast: United States Grand Prix and Remembering Craig Breen

April 20, 2023
Chaotic Australian Grand Prix won by Max Verstappen
Sports

Chaotic Australian Grand Prix won by Max Verstappen

April 8, 2023
Tracs Podcast: Portuguese Grand Prix and the state of MotoGP
Sports

Tracs Podcast: Portuguese Grand Prix and the state of MotoGP

March 31, 2023
Perez takes win in Saudia Arabian Grand Prix
Sports

Perez takes win in Saudia Arabian Grand Prix

March 21, 2023
Red Bull dominate in Bahrain Grand Prix
Sports

Red Bull dominate in Bahrain Grand Prix

March 6, 2023
As mental health issues climb to a record high, bouldering offers a therapeutic outlet
Sports

As mental health issues climb to a record high, bouldering offers a therapeutic outlet

February 22, 2023
Next Post
More and more US and Australian partygoers are looking to score Dutch drugs 

More and more US and Australian partygoers are looking to score Dutch drugs 

Recent News

International Criminal Court delivers on promise to highlight sexual abuse in Sudan case

International Criminal Court delivers on promise to highlight sexual abuse in Sudan case

July 5, 2024
Of Hope and Truth: A Mormon Girl’s Journey out of Religion

Of Hope and Truth: A Mormon Girl’s Journey out of Religion

July 5, 2024
Aftermath and context of floods in Derna, Libya

Aftermath and context of floods in Derna, Libya

October 24, 2023
Groningen ranks 3rd worst province in bee deaths

Ukraine Food: Supporting Ukraine one meal at a time

September 25, 2023
  • Home
  • Local
  • International
  • Business
  • Sports
  • Culture
  • Feature
  • Opinion
  • About
  • Contact
  • Privacy Policy
E-mail: groningen.observer@gmail.com

© 2022 The Groningen Observer - News on the GO

Welcome Back!

Login to your account below

Forgotten Password?

Retrieve your password

Please enter your username or email address to reset your password.

Log In

Add New Playlist

No Result
View All Result
  • Home
  • Local
    • City Life
    • Domestic Affairs
  • International
  • Business
  • Sports
  • Culture
  • Feature
  • Opinion
  • About
    • Our Vision
    • Our Team
  • Contact

© 2022 The Groningen Observer - News on the GO