Thousands of supporters from AZ (based in Alkmaar) and NEC (based in Nijmegen) are travelling to De Kuip stadium in Rotterdam on Wednesday for the KNVB Bekerfinale, the Dutch football cup final, with around 166 buses departing from Alkmaar and roughly 210 from Nijmegen. Both cities have been draped in club colours for days, with flags, balloons, and themed food products appearing across local shops and streets. The stakes are high for both sides: AZ last won the cup in 2013, while NEC reached the final as recently as 2024 only to lose to Feyenoord.
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Tuesday, 21 April 2026
Thousands of AZ and NEC fans descend on Rotterdam for Dutch Cup final[Updated]
Sunday, 19 April 2026, 12:11 · 1 min read
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AZ claimed the KNVB Bekerfinale title with a commanding 5-1 victory over NEC at De Kuip, lifting the cup for the fifth time in the club's history and ending their trophy drought since 2013. The result was a painful one for NEC, who have now lost six cup finals without ever winning the trophy, having previously fallen short in 1973, 1983, 1994, 2000, and 2024. AZ coach Leeroy Echteld had deliberately deprioritised the club's Conference League match against Shakhtar Donetsk, set for Thursday, in order to field his strongest eleven, including captain Jordy Clasie and Sven Mijnans in a free role on the right wing.
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