Transfers and rumours: Streppel’s surprising move from Roda JC to old love | Football

THURSDAY, DECEMBER 15

Streppel new technical manager Helmond Sport

9:28 am: Jurgen Streppel exchanges the position of head coach of Roda JC for the role of technical director of Helmond Sport. The 53-year-old Streppel ended his career as a player in Helmond in 2005 and was head coach there from 2008 to 2011.

“It is often such a cliché, but partly because of the confidence that I have felt from all walks of life, this was an extremely difficult decision,” says Streppel. “We have made great progress here in recent years and are confident to bring Roda JC back to where it belongs. Now Helmond Sport is knocking on the door, a club with similar ambitions and challenges. Obviously my new position plays an important role, but if I’m being completely honest, it’s also partly a matter of feeling. I couldn’t resist the offer from my old club.”

Roda JC says she was surprised by the news. “We were far from bored with each other and had a clear ambition to achieve,” said general manager Jordens Peters. “Not everyone sees what goes on behind the scenes, but we are on our way up, with growing commercial revenues, supporter numbers, value on the pitch and the growing confidence of all our stakeholders. The region is backing the club again and Jurgen played an important role in that.”

Roda JC is number 9 in the first division, Helmond Sport occupies eighteenth place. Helmond Sport surprised earlier this year by recruiting defender Tom Beugelsdijk.

In the past, Streppel was also a trainer at Willem II and sc Heerenveen, among others.

WEDNESDAY, DECEMBER 14

Captain Lasse Schöne extends contract with NEC

4.41 pm: Lasse Schöne has reached an agreement with NEC about the extension of his contract. The new contract runs until the summer of 2024.

Schöne played four seasons for NEC from 2008 to the summer of 2012. In the summer of 2021 he settled in Nijmegen again. In the meantime he played for Ajax and sc Heerenveen. The Danish midfielder has played 401 games in the Eredivisie so far.

The footballer says he still feels very fit and that partly because of this he sticks to it for another season. “The trust the club has expressed in me was another important factor.”

Technical director Carlos Aalbers of NEC calls Schöne “a top professional.” “An example of this is that this season, at the respectable age of 36, he did not miss even a minute during training sessions and in the Eredivisie. As a captain and expert, he takes his fellow players by the hand and does so with a great passion for the sport.”

Fortuna Sittard captures Croatian defender Radić

1:46 pm: Fortuna Sittard has captured the Croatian defender Stipe Radić. The Croat has signed for a year and a half in Limburg. The contract includes an option for an additional season.

The former youth international of Croatia has been training with the team of coach Julio Velazquez for the past two weeks. “He has made a good impression on us in recent weeks. He is a top professional. Of course we hope that he can develop further here in the coming seasons”, says technical manager Sjoerd Ars.

Radić comes from the youth academy of Hajduk Split. After nine games in the first team, the defender went to Beerschot in Belgium in 2021, where he was given transfer-free status after the relegation.

Fortuna Sittard entered the winter break as number 12 in the Eredivisie.