The final match before the Eredivisie winter break carries a unique psychological weight. It is the result that players, fans, and managers have to sit with for weeks. In his “De Warming Up” column for the December 22 fixture against NEC Nijmegen, FC Groningen manager Erwin van de Looi captures this pressure perfectly with a brilliantly honest headline: “Bepalend hoe ik onder de kerstboom zit” (Determines how I sit under the Christmas tree).
Van de Looi uses the column to reflect on a frustrating recent dip in home form. He notes that the last league victory at the Euroborg dated back to October 20th. Since then, the team had suffered a string of disappointing draws and a loss, alongside a recent, bitter cup exit against Feyenoord in Rotterdam, where they failed to convert massive chances. The manager admits that despite sitting in a respectable position in the league table, the recent lack of home wins was gnawing at him.
He frames the upcoming 90 minutes against a struggling NEC side as an absolute must-win, not just for the points, but for the mental health of the entire club during the holidays. “The results, the number of points, the atmosphere in the team and the club… All positive. Yet today’s match determines how I will sit under the Christmas tree. That’s just how it works,” he confesses. It is a rare, unvarnished look at the personal toll football management takes on a human being.
A Look into the Future
Fortunately for Van de Looi’s family, Christmas dinner in 2013 was a joyous occasion. FC Groningen responded to their manager’s ultimatum by absolutely dismantling NEC Nijmegen in a thrilling 5-2 victory that afternoon. The win broke the home curse, secured their spot in the upper half of the table, and allowed the squad to enter the winter break with massive confidence. Van de Looi would use that winter reset to fine-tune his tactics, eventually leading the club to historic cup success the following season. But on this specific December day, all that mattered was securing peace of mind for the holidays.