AZ’s protest at UEFA against the KNVB’s decision to give Ajax the best Champions League ticket came as a thunderbolt for Eric Gudde. The director of professional football knew nothing about the dissatisfaction in Alkmaar.
AZ hoped with the action to enter the Champions League as number one in the Netherlands. “Gijs de Jong and I heard through UEFA that AZ challenged our decision,” Gudde responds in an extensive interview with Voetbal International. “We ourselves had not heard from AZ. I thought that was special.”
“AZ was one of the clubs that wanted clarity quickly in April,” says the KNVB director. “In the Netherlands, it is simply arranged that goal difference takes precedence over mutual results. At UEFA, after all those letters from Alkmaar and Utrecht, they will sometimes have thought: What is going on there in the Netherlands? While it was quite simple. Like many sectors, we are faced with force majeure. I understand the frustration, but at some point it is a pity if the answer is not accepted. “
Gudde can also do little with the AZ accusation that the KNVB did not respond to anything. “It seemed logical to me not to respond to everything at that stage. I did not want to be influenced. We received many e-mails and letters. Each club has its point of view, of course. I could hardly answer them all, what did I have to report? By distance I wanted to ensure that the integrity of my decisions was not questioned. “
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