While the home side was riding a wave of three consecutive victories, the mood in the away dressing room on April 11, 2014, was one of sheer panic. Page 6 of the matchday programme features the guest column of NAC Breda manager Nebojša Gudelj, whose team was staring directly into the abyss of Eredivisie relegation.
Gudelj’s column is a masterclass in trying to project calm while standing on a sinking ship. His team was sitting in 15th place, just barely above the relegation playoff spots, with rivals RKC Waalwijk breathing down their necks. “With the name RKC, NAC feels them breathing down their neck,” the editorial introduction bluntly states. Gudelj tries to remain positive: “The atmosphere and mood in the player group is still good. We know what we have to do and remain positive.”
When analyzing FC Groningen, Gudelj is highly complimentary, specifically naming Tjaronn Chery, Filip Kostić, and Eric Botteghin as the pillars of the team. He also recalls the reverse fixture, where his team blew a 2-0 lead to draw 2-2. “We gave away the goals too easily. We got a penalty against us in injury time, which was naturally a shame,” he remembers bitterly. For Gudelj, a trip to the Euroborg was the last thing he needed, but he had no choice but to fight for a result.
A Look into the Future
Nebojša Gudelj managed to perform a minor miracle, guiding NAC Breda to safety by the skin of their teeth at the end of the 2013/2014 season, avoiding the relegation playoffs entirely. However, the structural issues at the club were too deep to fix. Gudelj was fired early in the following season, and NAC Breda was ultimately relegated to the Eerste Divisie in 2015. Reading his column in this Groningen programme captures the exhausting, week-to-week anxiety of managing a club that is constantly fighting for its Eredivisie life.