They're practices we're used to from leagues like the Bundesliga and Ligue 1: one club building a dynasty by winning title after title after title. In the Netherlands, that has been PSV's mission.
The Eindhoven side have absolutely dominated the Eredivisie. After a whirlwind of a title win in 2023/24 and a miraculous championship in 2024/25, PSV were mostly back to their dominant self in the 2025/26 season. But despite the dominance in the standings, PSV didn't always look invincible and even looked vulnerable at times.
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Could a club like Ajax or Feyenoord take advantage and end PSV's years of dominance? Flashscore looks ahead to the next chapter of the Dutch Eredivisie.
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The contenders
It would be a mistake not to call this PSV's title to lose. Peter Bosz is still in Eindhoven, just like most of the core from last year's championship team. Joey Veerman, Sergino Dest, Ricardo Pepi, Mauro Junior, and Ivan Perisic have all stayed put, while Sven Mijnans (AZ), Filip Kostic (free agent), and Kodai Sano (NEC) joined the reigning champions.
A line that might need extra attention in the transfer market is the defence. Kostic will be the left-back, allowing Mauro Jr. to move out to midfield. If Dest stays, the full-backs will make the best pair in the league. However, Yarek Gasiorowski is a liability, Ryan Flamingo has regressed, and Armando Obispo is not a starter on a championship team. The backline looked very vulnerable in the Johan Cruyff Shield loss to AZ (4-0), and there's still plenty of money left from the €50 million PSV got for Ismael Saibari...
A team that has made big waves in the transfer market is Ajax. In Jordi Cruyff's first transfer window as technical director, Ajax have reeled in Daley Blind (free agent), Caio Henrique (Monaco), Marcos Leonardo (Al Hilal), Tolu Arokodare (Wolves, on loan), Julian Brandt (free agent), and Marc ter Stegen (FC Barcelona, on loan), and word is that's not where it ends...
Mika Godts could still leave for PSG, which would yield Ajax enough to make another big splash on the market. It would be crucial for Michel Sanchez, the new manager who joined from Spanish side Girona, and how he plays - a lot of wing play, overlap from the backs, creativity and decisiveness from the wingers. Noa Lang's name is being mentioned as a potential successor to Godts, which would be another big move in Cruyff's renaissance piece.
However, never count Feyenoord out in the title race. Like in Amsterdam, a breath of fresh air has filled Rotterdam with optimism. Robin van Persie and director Dennis te Kloese are out, while Giovanni van Bronckhorst returned as manager and Devy Rigaux and Robert Eenhoorn make up the new directors' duo.
They've already made changes in the squad, with Tjark Ernst (Hertha BSC), Nacho Ferri (Westerlo), Charles Vanhoutte (Nice), and Mika Marmol (Las Palmas) having joined Feyenoord, while Timon Wellenreuther (Wolfsburg), In-beom Hwang (Porto), Ramiz Zerrouki (FC Twente), Calvin Stengs (free agent), Leo Sauer (Stuttgart), and Chris-Kevin Nadje (Eupen) all left and earned Feyenoord about €23 million.
Shaqueel van Persie, meanwhile, looks like the real deal, and more youth players (Thijs Kraaijeveld, Tobias van den Elshout, Jivayne Zinhagel) could also make an impact. Van Bronckhorst is also no stranger to winning in Rotterdam, having laid claim to one league title, two Dutch Cups, and two Johan Cruyff Shields in his first spell at Feyenoord. Exciting things to come.
Aiming for Europe
AZ, FC Groningen, FC Twente, FC Utrecht, NEC, sc Heerenveen
Behind the top dogs, most of the usual suspects will try to break into the top 3. Ideally, they'd like to emulate NEC's success from last season.
The Nijmegen side were the revelation of the Eredivisie, finishing third and qualifying for the UEFA Champions League qualifiers by showcasing an aggressively attacking style of play. Manager Dick Schreuder has stayed in Nijmegen and has been joined by Dusan Tadic, Emre Mor, Perr Schuurs, Clement Bischoff, Jamiro Monteiro, Tobias Storm, Kaj Sierhuis, and Adam Tahaui. All for a combined fee of €2.1 million. Their 0-0 draw against Olympiacos was impressive and showed they're not afraid of anyone or anything. Keep an eye on NEC.
AZ also had a strong start to the season, not just beating, but overpowering champions PSV in the Johan Cruyff Shield with a resounding 4-0 win. Leeroy Echteld's team looked promising, comfortably attacking in the counter, while also showing remarkable patience and maturity for such a young side - their oldest starters were 26-year-olds Jari De Busser and Peer Koopmeiners.
FC Twente are also still active in Europe and look primed to qualify for the UEFA Conference League play-offs after a 6-0 win over Dunajska Streda. Manager John van den Brom saw just one starter leave in Mats Rots, who joined Hoffenheim for €12 million. In return, Twente got Ramiz Zerrouki back on a permanent basis and acquired Aske Adelgaard from Go Ahead Eagles. Twente looked shaky against Ferencvaros in the UEFA Europa League play-offs, but looked as strong as anyone against Dunajska Streda and have great squad depth.
Last year's European voyagers, FC Utrecht, are building. Manager Ron Jans retired and made way for former Telstar boss Anthony Correia, who pulled off an incredible feat by surviving the drop with Telstar last season. There won't be a European competition for Correia to worry about after last year's play-off defeat to Ajax, and preseason didn't look too fancy with four losses in six games. And how will Correia replace the departed Souffian El Karouani, who provided 11 assists in the Eredivisie last season? Will Arthur Zagre fill the gap?
FC Groningen did very well by reaching the play-offs last year and started the season in hot form, but cooled down and finished ninth. They didn't look bad whatsoever, but had room for improvement. Manager Dick Lukkien hopes that Younes Taha (5 goals, 9 assists) can be replaced, while captain Stije Resink won't be back until 2027. A disappointing preseason will not have filled the hearts of Groningen fans with hope...
Northern rivals sc Heerenveen, meanwhile, are looking to build on last season's upward trend. Jacob Trenskow has stayed put so far, as well as striker Dylan Vente, Ringo Meerveld, and right-back Oliver Braude. The only notable departure was Joris van Overeem, who joined FC Utrecht. Robin Veldman had his team play good football, with which they finished eighth. There's a strong core present in Heerenveen, which includes the aforementioned and the likes of Maxence Rivera, Marcus Linday, and Vasilios Zagaritis.
Gray mice
Fortuna Sittard, Go Ahead Eagles, PEC Zwolle, Sparta Rotterdam
For Fortuna Sittard, it's a matter of continuing the way they've been going. They're stable; they still have Mohammed Ihattaren in Sittard, and Kaj Sierhuis left as the only household name. Danny Buijs has built a good foundation with Fortuna, and the job is now to reach the next level and firmly get in the play-off fight.
Go Ahead Eagles came crashing down after a historic year. The KNVB Beker victory was followed by a year of struggle, in which relegation was a long-time threat. They survived, but manager Melvin Boel didn't. He's been replaced by Joseph Oosting, who'll have to do without star midfielder Jakob Breum. Can Oosting bring Go Ahead Eagles back to the top 8?
PEC Zwolle finished 15th, just five points above the relegation zone after a disastrous second half of the season, when they won just four games. It's a massive rebuilding task for Henry van der Vegt, who saw a host of star players - Anselmo Garcia MacNulty, Kaj de Rooij, Jamiro Monteiro, Zico Buurmeester, Shola Shoretire - leave the club. Top scorer Koen Kostons stayed and might have to carry the team on his shoulders once again.
Sparta Rotterdam are entering a new era with Rogier Meijer as the new manager. Maurice Steijn left the club after missing the play-offs by five points and winning just one game between February and May. It's up to Meijer, who led NEC to the KNVB Beker final in 2024, to lead a squad renewed with Bas Kuipers, Nick Verschuren, Robin van Cruijsen, and Casper Terho to bigger heights.
Likely to struggle
ADO Den Haag, Cambuur Leeuwarden, Excelsior, Telstar, Willem II
The category of teams who'll have to fight to avoid the drop, though PEC Zwolle is on the brink, too.
ADO Den Haag won the Keuken Kampioen Divisie in dominating fashion, finishing on 89 points, 11 points more than nearest chasers Cambuur and 21 more than third-placed Willem II. The Eredivisie is a different beast, especially without the Eerste Divisie Player of the Year, Jari Vlak, who moved to Castellon in Spain. Maybe Yannick Eduardo can bring the fire that keeps ADO Den Haag up in their first season in the top tier since 2020/21.
Fellow promoted outfit SC Cambuur are giving their brand-new stadium its debut in the Eredivisie. An extremely young team - Cambuur's current squad has an average age of 22.2 years - is being led by a new manager: Johan Plat. The Dutchman led Castellon to the LaLiga2 play-offs last season, but failed to win promotion to the top tier. Plat's philosophy is akin to that of Dick Schreuder; he lives and dies by attacking football. Will that hold up in the Eredivisie with a squad of youngsters?
Excelsior survived the drop last season after a spectacular final sprint, in which they stayed unbeaten in 6 of their last 7 games. After a great preseason with five wins over fellow Dutch teams, without winger Derensili Sanches Fernandes but with several new names, and top scorer Noah Naujoks still in the squad, it's not unthinkable that Ruben den Uil can repeat last year's trick in Rotterdam.
Telstar lost manager Anthony Correia and replaced him with Heerenveen assistant Henk Brugge. Brugge inherited a decimated squad, which lost all of Tyrese Noslin, Danny Bakker, Cedric Hatenboer, Neville Ogidi Nwankwo, Sem van Duijn, Guus Offerhaus, Dylan Mertens, Dion Malone, Dewon Koswal, Adil Lechkar, and star forward Jochem Ritmeester van de Kamp during the summer. It will be a mammoth task to keep Telstar up, even with the players they brought in.
Willem II beat the odds and promoted to the Eredivisie after beating FC Volendam on penalties in the play-offs. The Tilburg outfit have welcomed several players into the squad, including Hidde ter Avest and Finn Stam on permanent deals and Kasper Boogaard, Eser Gurbuz, and Jaden Slory on loans. Top scorer Devin Haen stayed put, which will make manager John Stegeman hopeful of replicating Telstar's success from last season.
It's going to be another unforgettable Eredivisie season, with 34 rounds of sensation, shock, surprise, and shining stars. Don't miss a beat of the 2026/27 Eredivisie season by following the Eredivisie on Flashscore News.
Paul Winters is Flashscore's Netherlands country manager, having previously worked for Flashscore's Netherlands desk. Paul is an expert on the Eredivisie and also specialises in the NFL, as well as a plethora of other sports. Residing in 'sunny' Katwijk, you can follow all of the news from the Netherlands here.
You can find Paul on X and LinkedIn.
