Schreuder puts Champions League honour above NEC bonus money

NEC coach Dick Schreuder says the opportunity to reach the Champions League matters more to him than the financial bonuses attached to qualification. His side are two matches away from the competition’s group stage after overcoming Olympiakos Piraeus and advancing to a play-off against Norwegian club Bodø/Glimt.

Businessman and prominent NEC supporter Marcel Boekhoorn visited the dressing room after the European victory. Schreuder was not present for the conversation but joked that players tend to discuss money whenever Boekhoorn appears. The coach confirmed that bonuses for both the squad and staff had already been agreed and put in writing.

Schreuder nevertheless played down the personal financial incentive. “This is a much greater honour than the money,” he told De Telegraaf, stressing the significance of potentially leading NEC into European club football’s leading competition. He also described Boekhoorn as hugely important to the Nijmegen side, both now and historically.

Attention has already turned to Bodø/Glimt, whom Schreuder views as a major challenge. He has watched several of their matches, partly because NEC may be interested in one of the Norwegian club’s players. Schreuder highlighted Bodø/Glimt’s strong Champions League campaign last season, their greater match rhythm because their domestic season is further advanced, and the artificial pitch in Norway. Despite the difficulty of the tie, he intends to retain the attacking philosophy that worked against Olympiakos rather than adopt a defensive approach.