Ihattaren present at Fortuna Sittard's first training session, coach Buijs furious over KNVB fixture schedule
Fortuna Sittard kicked off preparations for a ninth consecutive Eredivisie season on Sunday morning. Key player Mohamed Ihattaren, who is available for transfer, turned up as normal on the training pitch in Buchten. Midfielder Sven Simons was the only new signing, while coach Danny Buijs made no secret of his frustration with the KNVB's scheduling.
Ihattaren trains as normal despite persistent transfer rumours
For months Fortuna Sittard have been trying to offload Mohamed Ihattaren, yet on Sunday morning the attacking midfielder was right there among his teammates on the training pitch in Buchten. Coach Danny Buijs made his position clear: for as long as Ihattaren remains in Limburg, maximum commitment is expected. The manager does not rule out a departure — the transfer market, which has been slow to get going partly due to the World Cup, could still move in any direction, he believes. "It could be that he leaves right up until the start of September," said Buijs. Until then, Ihattaren remains a fully-fledged member of the squad.
Buijs determined to improve on last season's eleventh-place finish
In his third season as head coach, Danny Buijs guided Fortuna Sittard to eleventh place in the Eredivisie. A satisfying outcome, but one that now serves as a baseline for the new campaign: the ambition is to do better. With largely the same group of players, Buijs is hoping to perform consistently again at the top level, where Fortuna have been the only Limburg representative for eight consecutive seasons.
Buijs slams KNVB scheduling: 'Terrible'
Danny Buijs is far less complimentary about the KNVB's fixture planning. Three of Fortuna Sittard's first eight Eredivisie matches are scheduled for Saturday evenings at 21:00, a timetable the manager bluntly describes as "terrible". On top of that, away trips to FC Twente and FC Groningen fall on Friday evenings — journeys of nearly 300 to 400 kilometres for players and supporters who have a normal working day beforehand. "And then they say football is for the supporters, well..." Buijs sighed. The packed stands in Buchten on a warm Sunday morning — men, women and children all present — showed that Fortuna's fanbase is ready for whatever the schedule throws at them.
Sven Simons: sole signing and proud son of Limburg
Fortuna Sittard's transfer window has been modest so far: midfielder Sven Simons from Roggel is their only new arrival. The Limburger came through the PSV academy and spent the past few years in the Keuken Kampioen Divisie with FC Eindhoven. The move back to his home region was a deliberate one. "Especially when you're a Limburg lad and you see how consistently they've performed over the past few years — I'm absolutely buzzing for it," Simons said. Coincidence or not, his Eredivisie debut for Fortuna takes him straight to familiar surroundings: the season opens on Saturday 8 August with an away fixture at champions PSV in Eindhoven.
Friendlies against Genk, Olympiakos and Metz as final preparation
Before the Eredivisie season gets under way, Fortuna Sittard will run through a pre-season programme featuring matches against KRC Genk, Olympiakos Piraeus and FC Metz. Those fixtures are designed to get the squad in peak condition ahead of the opening weekend, which immediately presents a stiff test: an away day against reigning champions PSV.
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Source: Via NOS (GNews)
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