It can hardly be called a surprise, after years of good performances in the Eredivisie, but also this season PEC Zwolle seems a certainty for the left row. And that for a club that played in the Jupiler League in the 2011-2012 season.
Ron Jans
Since its return to the Eredivisie, PEC has been performing above expectations. It won the KNVB Cup, the Johan Cruijff Schaal, finished 11th twice and last season the team even finished sixth. Architect of the Zwolle success is coach Ron Jans. The trainer of the team from Overijssel made his debut as a player with PEC in 1976 and returned there in 2013 after wanderings as a player with FC Groningen, Roda JC Kerkrade, Mazda Sport (Japan) and later as a trainer with sc Heerenveen and Standard Liège, among others. Since his return, PEC has developed into a stable premier league club.
Ron Jans is one of the architects of PEC Zwolle's successful period
Veldwijk on the hunt for recovery
With his eight goals, Lars Veldwijk is PEC's club top scorer. The striker played last season in England at Nottingham Forest, but did not make it past eleven games without a single goal and is now rented by PEC. Veldwijk, born in Uithoorn, started playing football at Legmeervogels and came via Argon to the youth academy of FC Volendam where he ended up at PEC via FC Utrecht, FC Dordrecht and Forest.
Lars Veldwijk had a disappointing adventure in England and is chasing honor in Zwolle | © Pics United