FC Groningen captain Stije Resink sustained a torn anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) during a match against FC Volendam on Sunday, effectively ending his season, the club confirmed Monday.
The injury occurred shortly before halftime following a challenge with FC Volendam forward Robert Mühren, according to reports. Resink immediately clutched his knee and was visibly in pain before being stretchered off the pitch.
“He will travel to the hospital tomorrow, but it didn’t look good,” Groningen manager Dick Lukkien told ESPN following the 3-2 defeat, which marked the club’s sixth consecutive loss. “We had about twenty minutes of trouble with it, you could see it on everyone around him.”
Resink, 22, had captained Groningen since joining from Almere City in the summer of 2024 for a reported fee of approximately one million euros. He had featured in 50 competitive matches for the club, scoring 10 goals. The midfielder was reportedly attracting interest from Portuguese club Benfica prior to the injury, with a potential transfer anticipated this summer.
The typical recovery time for an ACL tear is estimated to be between nine and twelve months, meaning Resink is unlikely to return to action before the autumn of 2026. Goalkeeper Etienne Vaessen noted the impact of the injury on the team, stating that Resink’s potential transfer to a larger club made the situation particularly difficult. “It’s very sad, because it doesn’t look good. Stije is such a good footballer and you know he would probably develop a step up in the summer. So you sympathize with him, but you have to keep going as a team.”
Resink announced the injury himself via social media on Monday afternoon. FC Groningen are currently evaluating their options as they navigate a difficult run of form and the absence of their captain.
