NEC Nijmegen coach criticises club over transfers after 1‑0 loss

Dutch side NEC Nijmegen were beaten 1‑0 by German club Elversberg in their penultimate pre‑season friendly, a match that precedes the Champions League third‑qualifying round against Greek side Olympiacos. The defeat was highlighted by coach Nick Sreder, who voiced frustration with the club’s transfer policy, saying the squad needed additional defenders and a goalkeeper and stressing the importance of retaining Japanese forward Sano.

Sreder’s comments came as NEC prepares for a final friendly against Sevilla on 31 July, before the first leg of the Olympiacos tie on 4 August at the Georgios Karaiskakis Stadium and the return leg a week later in the Netherlands. The coach called for earlier signings to give new players time to gel with the team, pointing to recent injuries and limited playing time for recent arrivals as concerns ahead of the European fixtures.