2020–21 Eredivisie
65th season of the Eredivisie
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
The 2020–21 Eredivisie was the 65th season of the Eredivisie since its establishment in 1955. The season began on 12 September 2020 and concluded on 16 May 2021.[2]
| Season | 2020–21 |
|---|---|
| Dates | 12 September 2020 – 16 May 2021 |
| Champions | Ajax (35th title)[1] |
| Relegated | Emmen VVV-Venlo ADO Den Haag |
| Champions League | Ajax PSV Eindhoven |
| Europa League | AZ |
| Europa Conference League | Vitesse Feyenoord |
| Matches | 306 |
| Goals | 920 (3.01 per match) |
| Top goalscorer | Giorgos Giakoumakis (26 goals) |
| Biggest home win | Sparta Rotterdam 6–0 ADO Den Haag (22 November 2020) Feyenoord 6–0 VVV-Venlo (6 March 2021) |
| Biggest away win | VVV-Venlo 0–13 Ajax (24 October 2020) |
| Highest scoring | VVV-Venlo 0–13 Ajax (24 October 2020) |
| Longest winning run | 7 matches Ajax |
| Longest unbeaten run | 23 matches Ajax |
| Longest winless run | 22 matches Emmen |
| Longest losing run | 12 matches VVV-Venlo |
← 2019–20 2021–22 → | |
On 2 February 2021, the KNVB announced that effective immediately clubs would be allowed to make an extra substitution for suspected concussions as part of an IFAB sanctioned trial. This trial will allow teams to make up to six substitutions across four breaks in the match instead of five substitutions across three breaks in the match.[3]
Ajax, having won the title in 2018–19, were the title holders, since the 2019–20 edition was cancelled due to the COVID-19 pandemic in the Netherlands after 25 matchdays and the title was not awarded.
Ajax successfully defended their title, becoming the champions in round 31 after beating Emmen 4–0 in their own Johan Cruyff Arena in Amsterdam on 2 May 2021.[4]
Teams
A total of 18 teams are taking part in the league. There were no changes in the league's makeup due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
Stadiums and locations
| Club | Location | Venue | Capacity |
|---|---|---|---|
| ADO Den Haag | The Hague | Cars Jeans Stadion | 15,000 |
| Ajax | Amsterdam | Johan Cruijff ArenA | 55,500 |
| AZ | Alkmaar | AFAS Stadion | 17,023 |
| FC Emmen | Emmen | De Oude Meerdijk | 8,600 |
| Feyenoord | Rotterdam | De Kuip | 52,000 |
| Fortuna Sittard | Sittard | Fortuna Sittard Stadion | 10,300 |
| FC Groningen | Groningen | Hitachi Capital Mobility Stadion | 22,550 |
| sc Heerenveen | Heerenveen | Abe Lenstra Stadion | 27,224 |
| Heracles Almelo | Almelo | Erve Asito | 12,080 |
| PEC Zwolle | Zwolle | MAC³PARK stadion | 14,000 |
| PSV | Eindhoven | Philips Stadion | 36,500 |
| RKC Waalwijk | Waalwijk | Mandemakers Stadion | 7,500 |
| Sparta Rotterdam | Rotterdam | Spartastadion Het Kasteel | 11,000 |
| FC Twente | Enschede | De Grolsch Veste | 30,205 |
| FC Utrecht | Utrecht | Stadion Galgenwaard | 23,750 |
| Vitesse | Arnhem | GelreDome | 21,248 |
| VVV-Venlo | Venlo | Covebo Stadion – De Koel | 8,000 |
| Willem II | Tilburg | Koning Willem II Stadion | 14,500 |
Personnel and kits
Note: Flags indicate national team as has been defined under FIFA eligibility rules. Players and managers may hold more than one non-FIFA nationality.
Managerial changes
| Team | Outgoing manager | Manner of departure | Date of vacancy | Position in table | Replaced by | Date of appointment | Ref. |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| ADO Den Haag | End of contract | 30 June 2020 | Preseason | 1 July 2020 | [5] | ||
| Fortuna Sittard | Different role | [6] | |||||
| PSV | End of interim spell | [7] | |||||
| FC Twente | End of contract | [8] | |||||
| Vitesse | End of interim spell | [9] | |||||
| FC Utrecht | Signed by Genk | 7 November 2020 | 8th | 7 November 2020 | [10] | ||
| ADO Den Haag | Sacked | 8 November 2020 | 16th | 10 November 2020 | [11][12] | ||
| Fortuna Sittard | 11 November 2020 | 18th | 2 December 2020 | [13][14] | |||
| AZ | 4 December 2020 | 7th | 4 December 2020 | [15] | |||
| Willem II | 26 January 2021 | 17th | 29 January 2021 | [16][17] | |||
| PEC Zwolle | 20 February 2021 | 13th | 24 February 2021 | [18][19] | |||
| End of interim spell | 27 February 2021 | 12th | 27 February 2021 | ||||
| VVV-Venlo | Sacked | 16 March 2021 | 15th | 17 March 2021 | [20][21] |
Regular competition
Standings
| Pos | Team | Pld | W | D | L | GF | GA | GD | Pts | Qualification or relegation |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Ajax (C) | 34 | 28 | 4 | 2 | 102 | 23 | +79 | 88 | Qualification for the Champions League group stage |
| 2 | PSV Eindhoven | 34 | 21 | 9 | 4 | 74 | 35 | +39 | 72 | Qualification for the Champions League second qualifying round |
| 3 | AZ | 34 | 21 | 8 | 5 | 75 | 41 | +34 | 71 | Qualification for the Europa League play-off round |
| 4 | Vitesse | 34 | 18 | 7 | 9 | 52 | 38 | +14 | 61 | Qualification for the Europa Conference League third qualifying round |
| 5 | Feyenoord (O) | 34 | 16 | 11 | 7 | 64 | 36 | +28 | 59 | Qualification for the European competition play-offs[a] |
| 6 | Utrecht | 34 | 13 | 14 | 7 | 52 | 41 | +11 | 53 | |
| 7 | Groningen | 34 | 14 | 8 | 12 | 40 | 37 | +3 | 50 | |
| 8 | Sparta Rotterdam | 34 | 13 | 8 | 13 | 49 | 48 | +1 | 47 | |
| 9 | Heracles Almelo | 34 | 12 | 8 | 14 | 42 | 53 | −11 | 44 | |
| 10 | Twente | 34 | 10 | 11 | 13 | 48 | 50 | −2 | 41 | |
| 11 | Fortuna Sittard | 34 | 12 | 5 | 17 | 50 | 58 | −8 | 41 | |
| 12 | Heerenveen | 34 | 9 | 12 | 13 | 43 | 49 | −6 | 39 | |
| 13 | PEC Zwolle | 34 | 9 | 11 | 14 | 44 | 53 | −9 | 38 | |
| 14 | Willem II | 34 | 8 | 7 | 19 | 40 | 68 | −28 | 31 | |
| 15 | RKC Waalwijk | 34 | 7 | 9 | 18 | 33 | 55 | −22 | 30 | |
| 16 | Emmen (R) | 34 | 7 | 9 | 18 | 40 | 68 | −28 | 30 | Qualification for the Relegation play-offs[b] |
| 17 | VVV-Venlo (R) | 34 | 6 | 5 | 23 | 43 | 91 | −48 | 23 | Relegation to Eerste Divisie |
| 18 | ADO Den Haag (R) | 34 | 4 | 10 | 20 | 29 | 76 | −47 | 22 |
Rules for classification: Season in progress: 1) Most points won; 2) Less points lost; 3) Goal difference; 4) Goals scored; 5) Alphabetical order; End of season: 1) Points; 2) Goal difference; 3) Goals scored; 4) Head-to-head points; 5) Head-to-head goal difference; 6) Head-to-head away goals scored; 7) Play-off if relevant for deciding champion, relegation or participating in a European league, otherwise by draw. 8) Penalty shoot-out (only after a play-off)[24]
(C) Champions; (O) Play-off winners; (R) Relegated
Notes:
- Winner of play-off will qualify to Europa Conference League second qualifying round.
- Seven teams, one from the Eredivisie and six from the Eerste Divisie, play for one spot in the 2021–22 Eredivisie. The remaining six teams play in the 2021–22 Eerste Divisie.
Results
Results by round
Play-offs
For both play-offs, who plays who, is not decided based on draws, but the brackets are fully preset based on seeds. The seeds are assigned based on the final ranking after the regular season. The best ranked team will get the highest seed (lowest number). Eredivisie teams are considered to be better ranked than eerste divisie teams.
Contrary to previous years, all rounds are no longer two legs (home and away) but a single leg. The team with the best seed will get the home advantage.
If a match is leveled at the end of the normal playing time, extra time will be played (two periods of 15 minutes each) and followed, if necessary, by a penalty shoot-out to determine the winners.
European competition play-offs
The four best ranked teams without a European tournament ticket will play for one spot in the 2021–22 UEFA Europa Conference League second qualifying round. The highest seeded team will always play at home.
Teams
| Team | Rank | seed |
|---|---|---|
| Feyenoord | 5 | 1 |
| Utrecht | 6 | 2 |
| Groningen | 7 | 3 |
| Sparta Rotterdam | 8 | 4 |
Bracket
| Semifinals (19 May)[27] | Final (23 May)[27] | ||||||||
| 1 | Feyenoord | 2 | |||||||
| 4 | Sparta Rotterdam | 0 | |||||||
| 1 | Feyenoord | 2 | |||||||
| 2 | Utrecht | 0 | |||||||
| 2 | Utrecht | 1 | |||||||
| 3 | Groningen | 0 | |||||||
Semifinals
| 19 May 2021 | Utrecht | 1–0 | Groningen | Utrecht |
| 18:45 CEST |
|
Report | Stadium: Galgenwaard Attendance: 3,000 Referee: Danny Makkelie |
| 19 May 2021 | Feyenoord | 2–0 | Sparta Rotterdam | Rotterdam |
| 21:00 CEST |
|
Report | Stadium: De Kuip Attendance: 6,500 Referee: Jochem Kamphuis |
Final
Promotion/relegation play-offs
Seven teams, six from the 2020–21 Eerste Divisie and one from the Eredivisie, will play for a spot in the 2021–22 Eredivisie. The remaining six teams will play in the 2021–22 Eerste Divisie. The highest seeded team or the team from the Eredivisie will always play at home.
Teams
| Team | Rank | seed |
|---|---|---|
| Emmen | 16 | 1 |
| De Graafschap | 3 | 2 |
| Almere City | 4 | 3 |
| NAC Breda | 5 | 4 |
| Volendam | 6 | 5 |
| N.E.C. | 7 | 6 |
| Roda JC | 8 | 7 |
Bracket
| First round (15 May)[28] | Semifinals (20 May)[29] | Final (23 May)[30] | ||||||||||||
| 1 | Emmen | 1 (3) | ||||||||||||
| 4 | NAC Breda (p) | 1 (4) | ||||||||||||
| 4 | NAC Breda | 4 | ||||||||||||
| 5 | Volendam | 1 | ||||||||||||
| 4 | NAC Breda | 1 | ||||||||||||
| 6 | N.E.C. | 2 | ||||||||||||
| 3 | Almere City | 0 | ||||||||||||
| 6 | N.E.C. | 4 | ||||||||||||
| 6 | N.E.C. | 3 | ||||||||||||
| 7 | Roda JC | 0 | ||||||||||||
| 2 | De Graafschap | 2 | ||||||||||||
| 7 | Roda JC | 3 | ||||||||||||
First round
| 15 May 2021 | NAC Breda | 4–1 | Volendam | Breda |
| 16:30 CEST | Report |
|
Stadium: Rat Verlegh Stadion Attendance: 0 Referee: Pol van Boekel |
| 15 May 2021 | De Graafschap | 2–3 | Roda JC | Doetinchem |
| 18:45 CEST |
|
Report | Stadium: De Vijverberg Attendance: 0 Referee: Edwin van de Graaf |
| 15 May 2021 | Almere City | 0–4 | N.E.C. | Almere |
| 21:00 CEST | Report | Stadium: Yanmar Stadion Attendance: 0 Referee: Kevin Blom |
Semifinals
Final
| 23 May 2021 | NAC Breda | 1–2 | N.E.C. | Breda |
| 18:00 CEST |
|
Report | Stadium: Rat Verlegh Stadion Attendance: 2,500 Referee: Björn Kuipers |
Statistics
Top scorers
| Rank | Player | Club | Games | Goals | Penalties | Avg. |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | VVV-Venlo | 30 | 26 | 8 | 0.87 | |
| 2 | PSV Eindhoven | 32 | 19 | 0 | 0.59 | |
| 3 | Feyenoord | 31 | 18 | 8 | 0.58 | |
| 4 | Twente | 33 | 17 | 5 | 0.52 | |
| 5 | Heracles Almelo | 33 | 16 | 3 | 0.48 | |
| 6 | AZ | 31 | 15 | 0 | 0.48 | |
| AZ | 31 | 7 | 0.48 | |||
| 8 | Heerenveen | 31 | 14 | 1 | 0.45 | |
| Sparta Rotterdam | 34 | 4 | 0.41 | |||
| Ajax | 34 | 7 | 0.41 |
Updated to match(es) played on 16 May 2021.
Source: nos.nl[31]
Hat-tricks
| Rnd | Player | Club | Goals | Date | Home | Score | Away |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | VVV-Venlo | 50', 65' (p), 72' | 13 September 2020 | Emmen | 3–5 | VVV-Venlo | |
| 6 | Ajax | 17', 32', 54', 65', 87' | 24 October 2020 | VVV-Venlo | 0–13 | Ajax | |
| 7 | Heracles Almelo | 2', 63', 71' | 1 November 2020 | Heracles Almelo | 4–1 | Utrecht | |
| 14 | Feyenoord | 48', 58', 90+1' | 23 December 2020 | Feyenoord | 3–0 | Heerenveen | |
| 16 | VVV-Venlo | 6' (p), 58', 68', 86' (p) | 13 January 2021 | ADO Den Haag | 1–4 | VVV-Venlo | |
| 16 | Heracles Almelo | 26', 44', 64' | 12 January 2021 | Heracles Almelo | 4–0 | Emmen | |
| 18 | PEC Zwolle | 58', 62', 70' (p) | 22 January 2021 | Willem II | 1–3 | PEC Zwolle | |
| 19 | VVV-Venlo | 16', 28', 43', 79' | 27 January 2021 | VVV-Venlo | 4–1 | Vitesse | |
| 24 | AZ | 22', 41', 64' | 28 February 2021 | AZ | 4–2 | Feyenoord | |
| 30 | Emmen | 58' (p), 89', 90+1' | 25 April 2021 | Emmen | 3–1 | Heracles Almelo | |
| 31 | Heracles Almelo | 35', 55', 83' (p) | 1 May 2021 | Heracles Almelo | 4–0 | VVV-Venlo |
Updated to match(es) played on 16 May 2021.
Top assists
| Rank | Player | Club | Games | Assists | Avg. |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Ajax | 34 | 17 | 0.5 | |
| 2 | Feyenoord | 31 | 13 | 0.42 | |
| 3 | Willem II | 34 | 11 | 0.32 | |
| 4 | Heerenveen | 31 | 10 | 0.32 | |
| 5 | Vitesse | 29 | 9 | 0.31 | |
| AZ | 32 | 0.28 | |||
| 7 | VVV-Venlo | 31 | 8 | 0.26 | |
| PSV Eindhoven | 31 | 0.26 | |||
| Ajax | 32 | 0.25 | |||
| PSV Eindhoven | 32 | 0.25 |
Updated to match(es) played on 16 May 2021.
Source: nos.nl[32]
Clean sheets
- As of matches played 16 May 2021
| Rank | Player | Club | Clean sheets |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Vitesse | 12 | |
| FC Groningen | |||
| 3 | PSV | 11 | |
| 4 | Sparta Rotterdam | 10 | |
| sc Heerenveen | |||
| AZ | |||
| 7 | Ajax | 9 | |
| Heracles Almelo | |||
| Feyenoord | |||
| 10 | FC Utrecht | 7 |
Source: nos.nl[32]
Discipline
- As of matches played 9 May 2021
Player
- Most yellow cards: 9
- Most red cards: 2
Club
- Most yellow cards: 54
- Most red cards: 7
Awards
Monthly awards
Annual awards
| Award | Player | Club | Ref. |
|---|---|---|---|
| Player of the Season | Ajax | [42] | |
| Talent of the Season | |||
| Goal of the Season | Feyenoord |