Sydney van Hooijdonk Transferred to Estrella Amadora: Implications for NAC’s Future

This week, Sydney van Hooijdonk was sold by NEC to Estrella Amadora in Portugal. Speculation is growing that his father, Pierre van Hooijdonk, may also soon leave NAC Breda, as reported by Voetbalzone.

Sydney’s departure comes as a surprise, particularly as he was the club’s top scorer with five goals, despite not frequently playing under coach Carl Hoefkens. The coach has remarked, “His story at NAC was far from over.” There are indications that Pierre van Hooijdonk exerted pressure regarding Sydney’s transfer, leading to reports that his influence has disrupted the balance within the team’s locker room. Voetbal International notes that although Pierre holds the title of advisor, he has effectively taken on more of a supervisory role.

The abrupt transfer of Sydney, which was not well received internally, has seemingly tarnished Pierre’s credibility in his current position, as journalist Joost Blaauwhof has pointed out.