NEC Nijmegen (foto: Uradni Twitter profil kluba/zveze)
NEC Nijmegen reached the Champions League for the first time after a historic Eredivisie season and a remarkable rise from the second division.
Football still produces stories that feel impossible.
NEC Nijmegen, a club once associated with modest ambitions and an unusual nickname, have secured the greatest achievement in their history by qualifying for the Champions League for the first time.
On the final day of the Eredivisie season, NEC defeated Go Ahead Eagles 2-1 at home and climbed into third place after Twente suffered defeat against champions PSV Eindhoven.
The result completed the best league finish the club has ever recorded.
For supporters, the moment carries extra meaning.
NEC have long been associated with the nickname "Nooit eersteklaaser", loosely translated as "Never a First Divisioner", reflecting the club’s historical reputation for falling short of the very top.
Now they stand on the edge of European football’s biggest stage.
The achievement becomes even more remarkable when considering where NEC were only a few years ago.
Five years ago, the club was playing in the Eerste Divisie, the second level of Dutch football.
Their previous appearance in European competition came 17 years ago.
This season’s rise was built on attacking football.
NEC scored 75 league goals, placing them among Europe’s most productive attacking teams.
Only a handful of clubs matched or exceeded that total, including Bayern Munich, PSV Eindhoven, Barcelona, Inter and Manchester City.
For a club operating on a fraction of those budgets, the comparison underlines how extraordinary the campaign has been.
While Nijmegen celebrated, the season brought frustration elsewhere.
Ajax finished only fifth after drawing with Heerenveen and will now need to fight for European qualification through additional rounds.
For NEC, though, attention already turns toward next summer.
The club once known for never belonging at the top now has a chance to stand among Europe’s elite.