NEC Loans González, Van den Brom Eyes Vitesse Future, and Devils Dominate

NIJMEGEN, Netherlands — NEC Nijmegen has loaned Spanish forward Rober González to Racing Santander for the remainder of the season, while Vitesse coach John van den Brom expressed his desire to continue leading the club next season. Meanwhile, the Nijmegen Devils extended their winning streak in the Dutch ice hockey league with a decisive victory over Tilburg Trappers.

González, who joined NEC last year on loan from Real Betis, struggled to secure a starting position this season. Despite scoring crucial goals against top teams like Feyenoord and Ajax, he lost his place to Sami Ouaissa and later Vito van Crooij. NEC had initially signed him permanently for approximately €1 million last summer, hoping he would fill the void left by Magnus Mattsson and Tjaronn Chery.

NEC coach Rogier Meijer is optimistic about their upcoming match against PSV, recalling last season’s 3-1 victory. “It was beautiful how we came up with something together,” Meijer said. “Those are moments of immense satisfaction.” He emphasized the importance of exploiting PSV’s weaknesses and leveraging the home advantage at the Goffert stadium.

At Vitesse, John van den Brom met with three of the club’s new owners this week, signaling his commitment to rebuilding the team. “These men know what they want,” Van den Brom said. “They are taking everything very seriously and involving everyone in the decision-making process.” He stressed the importance of maintaining realistic goals while aiming for Eredivisie success.

In other sports news, Camiel Neghli, a 23-year-old forward from Ede, has transferred from Sparta Rotterdam to English Championship side Millwall for around €3 million. His former club, De Graafschap, will receive a significant portion of the fee due to sell-on clauses and training compensation. Neghli, who debuted for De Graafschap in 2020, became a key player under interim coach Jan Vreman, scoring 11 goals in the 2022/23 season.

The Nijmegen Devils continued their dominance in the Dutch ice hockey league with a 7-3 win over Tilburg Trappers. Despite a shaky start, the Devils rallied with goals from Mitch Bruijsten, Eruan Hendriks, David D’Agostino, Makar Korotchenko, and Bailey Morrissette. The victory extends their lead to nine points, virtually securing the top spot in the league.

NEC will also honor former coach Jim Calderwood with a minute of applause before their match against PSV. Calderwood, who led NEC from 1997 to 1999, achieved notable success, including an eighth-place finish in his first season and a strong fifth-place run the following year.

De Graafschap, meanwhile, settled for a 1-1 draw against Dordrecht, denting their hopes for direct promotion. Jesse van de Haar‘s penalty equalized the score after an early goal by Dordrecht’s Zandbergen. Despite late efforts from Donny Warmerdam and Philip Brittijn, De Graafschap couldn’t secure a win.