Eredivisie 2008/2009 - Sponsored by McDonald's, McDuck and McClaren

So has Aissati officially signed for Ajax?

Welcome again to Eredivisie! As always, we'll try to spot emerging talented players from all over the world. And from this season onwards, we use a pyramid system.

1.

Philips Sport Vereniging

Manager: Huub Stevens

Stadium: Philips, Eindhoven

Some random players: Timmy Simons (Belgium), Carlos Salcido (Mexico), Ibrahim Afellay and Edison Méndez (Ecuador)

2.

Ajax

Manager: Marco van Basten

Stadium: Amsterdam ArenA, Amsterdam

Some random players: Maarten Stekelenburg, Klaas-Jan Huntelaar, Bruno Silva (Uruguay) and Kennedy Bakircioglü (Sweden)

3.

NAC Breda

Manager: Robert Maaskant

Stadium: Rat Verlegh, Breda

Some random players: Matthew Amoah (Ghana), Joonas Kolkka (Finland), Patrick Mtiliga (Denmark) and Csaba Fehér (Hungary)

4.

Twente 1965

Manager: Steve McClaren (England)

Stadium: Grolsch Veste, Enschede

Some random players: Orlando Engelaar, Blaise Kufo (Switzerland), Edson Braafheid and Ramon Zomer

5.

Heerenveen

Manager: Trond Sollied (Norway)

Stadium: Abe Lenstra, Heerenveen

Some random players: Danijel Pranjić (Croatia), Gianni Zuiverloon, Kristian Bak (Denmark) and the favorite player of Andy Jordan, Michael Bradley (United States of America)

6.

Feyenoord Rotterdam

Manager: Gertjan Verbeek

Stadium: Feijenoord, Rotterdam

Some random players: Giovanni van Bronkchorst, Kevin Hofland, Tim de Cler and Henk Timmer

7.

Groningen

Manager: Ron Jans

Stadium: Euroborg, Groningen

Some random players: Gibril Sankoh (Sierra Leone), Fredrik Stenman (Sweden), Martijn Meerdink and Yevgeny Levchenko (Ukraine)

8.

Nijmegen Eendracht Combinatie

Manager: Mario Been

Stadium: McDOS Goffert, Nijmegen

Some random players: Gábor Babos (Hungary), Jonas Olsson (Sweden), Krisztián Vadócz (Hungary) and Saidi Ntibazonkiza (Burundi) (although DJ maybe doesn't agree)

9.

Roda Juliana Combinatie

Manager: Raymond Atteveld

Stadium: Parkstad Limburg, Kerkrade

Some random players: Pa Kah (Norway), Andres Oper (Estonia), Marcel de Jong (Canada) and Sekou Cissé (Ivory Coast)

10.

Utrecht

Manager: Willem van Hanegem

Stadium: Galgenwaard, Utrecht

Some random players: Michael Silberbauer (Denmark), Peter Kopteff (Finland), Francis Dickoh (Ghana) and special mention because of my smugness, Irfan Bachdim (Indonesia)

11.

Alkmaar Zaanstreek

Manager: Louis van Gaal

Stadium: DSB, Alkmaar

Some random players: Demy de Zeeuw, Joey Didulica (Croatia), Kew Jaliens and David Mendes

12.

Vitesse

Manager: Hans Westerhof

Stadium: Gelredome, Arnhem

Some random players: Piet Velthuizen, Mads Junker (Denmark), Abubakari Yakubu (Ghana) and Civard Sprockel

13.

Sparta Rotterdam

Manager: Foeke Booy

Stadium: Kasteel, Rotterdam

Some random players: Harald Wapenaar, Nourdin Boukhari (Morocco), Kim Jaggy (Switzerland) and Sani Kaita (Nigeria)

14.

Heracles Almelo

Manager: Gert Heerkes

Stadium: Polman, Almelo

Some random players: Emmanuel Boakye (Ghana), Ragnar Klavan (Estonia), Karim Bridji (Algeria) and Birger Maertens (Belgium)

15.

Willem II

Manager: Andries Jonker

Stadium: Willem II, Tilburg

Some random players: José Valencia Murillo (Ecuador), Christophe Grégoire (Belgium), Ibrahim Kargbo (Sierra Leone) and Angelo Martha (the Netherlands Antilles)

16.

De Graafschap

Manager: Henk van Stee

Stadium: De Vijverberg, Doetinchem

Some random players: Jordy Buijs, Jason Oost, Resit Schuurman and Stephan Keller (Switzerland)

17.

Volendam

Manager: Frans Adelaar

Stadium: Kras, Volendam

Some random players: Raymond Homoet (the Netherlands Antilles), Mathieu Boots, Vít Valenta (Czech Republic) and Jeroen Verhoeven

18.

ADO Den Haag

Manager: André Wetzel[/b]

Stadium: Den Haag, The Hague

Some random players: Virgilio Teixeira, Aleksandar Ranković (Serbia), Richard Knopper and Wesley Verhoek

Some random facts:

• McDonald's is the largest chain of fast food restaurants in the world. It serves nearly 47 million customers daily and sells hamburgers, cheeseburgers, chicken products, French fries, breakfast items, soft drinks, milkshakes and desserts.
  
• The sum of the wealth of Uncle Scrooge McDuck is disputed. According to The Second Richest Duck, he has one multiplujillion nine obsquatumatillion six hundred twenty three dollars and sixty two cents.
  
• Stephen McClaren managed Middlesbrough with whom he won the League Cup in 2004 and with whom he finished as the runners up in the UEFA Cup in 2006. He was also the assistant manager to Sir Alex Ferguson when Manchester United won the Treble in 1999.
  

Player to be watched:

Miralem Sulejmani (Serbia)

Why?

Ajax paid €16.25M to Heerenveen. This broke the transfer record in the history of Eredivisie. The said record was €9M for Klaas-Jan Huntelaar between the same clubs in 2005.

p.s. Bet that this post has a mistake. It is.

very nice!!

very nice!!

Thanks. It took more than six hours I think, including eating etc.

Oh, I can't edit it anymore. :frown:

p.s. Some mods better remove "[/b]" after "Wetzel" and add "the" in front of "United States of America". Thanks.

This should be good.

IMG is off unfortunately. But this is for the sake of the life of OTF. No problem.

Where did Ajax get that type of money all of a sudden?

Where did Ajax get that type of money all of a sudden?

They have a new sponsorship and the saved money from selling their star players, including Wesley Sneijder for €27M. And they are actually rich.

Are Heerenveen's Paulo Henrique and Pedro Beda likely to play many games this season?

Are Heerenveen's Paulo Henrique and Pedro Beda likely to play many games this season?

Can't predict it. Heerenveen have a new manager and he can change the style of play. But I'm sure that Henrique will get some games even if Trond Sollied prefers talented Roy Beerens and ageing Gerald Sibon. This is because Radosław Matusiak isn't good enough.

Pedro Beda? He's a new player. How did he play?

Pedro Beda is a striker, ex-Flamengo, who was signed this season. He is a tall, strong kind of striker, somewhat like Afonso Alves.

Pedro Beda is a striker, ex-Flamengo, who was signed this season. He is a tall, strong kind of striker, somewhat like Afonso Alves.

Does he fit in 4-3-3? It's because Heerenveen surely look for a winger forward to replace Miralem Sulejmani.

I am pretty sure he'll fit (as the target man in that formation), but I suppose he will be just a back-up player for now.

PMLF, you know Douglas from FC Twente? He's a tall and young Brasilian defender and incredibly talented. Seems like he came out of nowhere.

Come on PSV!

PMLF, you know Douglas from FC Twente? He's a tall and young Brasilian defender and incredibly talented. Seems like he came out of nowhere.

I had heard of him, but he only played a couple of games in Brazil (at Joinville, same team as Ramires who is now at Cruzeiro and who is expected to play for the Seleção in the future). He's never played for Brazil's youth team or anything, but at Joinville he was regarded as a very promising player.

Come on PSV!

Buying the title again I reckon.

Buying the title again I reckon.

Juventus would never do that

Juventus would never do that

PSV just have too much money.

PMLF - I may have created Teixeira, guess I didn't look properly

I asked you to create him back in January (check emails/TT sent around mid to late January).

You'll probably need to upgrade his CA and PA now though.

ado den haag ole ole!

What is this pyramid system of which you speak ?

This is from wiki

From the 2008/2009 season onwards, one team will be relegated from the Eerste Divisie to the Hoofdklasse (the main amateur league and the third tier of Dutch football). Hoofdklasse clubs will be able to get promoted to the Eerste Divisie from the 2009/2010 season onwards

So the league size is getting reduced as a team gets relegated from Eerste this year, but no team to replace it?

Hopefully it gets into FM09 then

So this pyramid system doesnt affect the top league at all then ?

Fortuna Sittard to be relegated.

Aissati going to Ajax it seems. Interesting transfer.

mon Heracles

Evening chaps - another PSV supporter here. Am a bit sad re Gomes and Farfan going but Isakkson is a good swap for GK. Not sure where the goals will come from this season so just have to win each game 1-0 like last year again! Can Aissati just leave already- bloody crybaby!

If Huntelaar stays I think this might be Ajax's year.

has Steve McLaren signed anyone?

whats the financial position of Twente - other than potential Champions League cash, do they have much to spend on the odd 'star'?

Ajax will start with everybody on the left???

Suarez, Sulejmani and Aissati all playing as AM/FL

Nah...

It will be something like this:

---------------Huntelaar---------------

Suarez---------Aissati--------Sulejmani

Hmmm, we'll have a very technically skilled midfield this way. I can already see how to combat it, though. Tough challenges, physical play and intimidation will kill these lads stone dead. Can I fume about the lax refs in advance?

Ajax have signed Ismaïl Aissati from PSV for €4.1M.

Don't like him personally. He is muslim and has a Maroccan decent. [/Geert Wilders]

Ajax have signed Oleguer Presas for €3m (plus another €2.25m if Ajax qualify for the CL in one of the coming 3 seasons) from Barcelona.

Guess he's the replacement for Johnny Heitinga then.

Any Barca fans care to comment?

Ajax have signed Oleguer Presas for €3m (plus another €2.25m if Ajax qualify for the CL in one of the coming 3 seasons) from Barcelona.

Guess he's the replacement for Johnny Heitinga then.

Any Barca fans care to comment?

Don't think he's as good as Heitinga. Wait, Heitinga isn't that good either.

Ajax have signed Oleguer Presas for €3m (plus another €2.25m if Ajax qualify for the CL in one of the coming 3 seasons) from Barcelona.

Guess he's the replacement for Johnny Heitinga then.

Any Barca fans care to comment?

Heheh, that's a firm endorsement

Sunderland 0 - 1 Ajax

0 - 1 : Huntelaar