Van den Brom turns Twente’s focus to Cambuur after European qualification

FC Twente coach John van den Brom has urged his players to refocus quickly after securing a place in the Conference League league phase. Twente cleared their final qualifying hurdle by defeating Qarabağ FK 4-1 in Azerbaijan on Thursday, with the match requiring an additional 30 minutes.

The club will begin its six-match European programme in October, but Van den Brom has made Sunday’s domestic game away to SC Cambuur the immediate priority. Speaking to FC Twente’s official website, he described qualification as fully deserved while acknowledging that the demanding schedule leaves little time to enjoy the achievement.

Cambuur have lost their opening three matches, although Van den Brom said that record carried little weight in his preparations. He pointed to their strong start against Feyenoord in the previous round and expects Twente to face similarly determined opposition. He also criticised the decision preventing travelling Twente supporters from attending the game, calling the situation “a bad thing”.

Twente were due to complete their final training session in Hengelo before the coaching staff assessed who was fit to travel to Friesland. Van den Brom said the intensity and extra time against Qarabağ had consumed considerable energy. Sunday’s match in Leeuwarden kicks off at 20:00 and will be refereed by Erwin Blank.