AZ 4–0 PSV in the Johan Cruijff Schaal
Joey Veerman was sent off inside ten minutes for planting his studs in an opponent's face, and AZ tore PSV apart from there (1) (6). The reigning champions conceded four without reply in the season curtain-raiser. It was the worst possible start to the title defence.
Bosz: no reason for concern
Peter Bosz is not reaching for the alarm. After the 4–0 loss on Sunday, the coach told the press there was no reason to panic (2) (12). "I can imagine that," he said of Veerman's red card, accepting the referee's call without complaint (13).
The penalty was a different story. Bosz called Serdar Gözübüyük's decision to point to the spot "a very strange one" (14). By then the damage was already done.
Get the next PSV Eindhoven brief by email
This article went out to subscribers as a brief. Get the next one straight to your inbox, free.
Free · No spam · Unsubscribe anytime
Mijnans debut goes wrong
Sven Mijnans started against his old club AZ and got a brutal introduction to life at PSV (11). He confirmed Veerman told him immediately on the pitch that he knew the red card was coming (1). Mijnans called the result a wake-up call for the squad.
Drommel to Twente, Bouhoudane to Cambuur
Joël Drommel is heading back to FC Twente after five seasons in Eindhoven (4) (5). A four-year deal is waiting for the goalkeeper, who will compete with Lars Unnerstall for the starting spot (5) (9).
Sami Bouhoudane is also out the door. The young attacker moves definitively to SC Cambuur after PSV gave the green light (8). He had little path to first-team minutes.
Bosz on Ajax: shivering in bed
One lighter note from the press conference: Bosz joked that Ajax's transfer business this summer has him "lying shivering in bed every night" (16). The rivalry is alive and well.
Fan reactions
The mood on the PSV subreddit is grim after the 4–0. One fan posted three statements, arguing Mijnans will not succeed at the top level and that PSV will spend the whole season chasing (see the full thread). A separate post also flagged provocative and racist behaviour from a PSV supporter at the match, which has left others in the community shocked and disappointed (see the discussion).
