The Dutch Women's Football League Starts a Month Earlier Than in Recent Years Due to a New Format

FC Utrecht and Ajax kick off the new Eredivisie Vrouwen season on Sunday at 12:15 PM. The Dutch women's football league starts a month earlier than in recent years due to a new format. The KNVB has reduced the number of clubs from twelve to ten this season, with teams now facing each other three times, bringing the total to 27 match rounds.

PSV, which won its first-ever league title last season, has lost several key players. Renate Jansen, the 35-year-old right winger known as 'Miss Eredivisie', has retired from football. Club top scorer Riola Xhemaili moved to Italian club Como, while Nina Nijstad transferred to Portland Thorns in the United States for a record fee of €600,000 in Dutch women's football.

PSV did strengthen by signing Rosalie Renfurm, captain of the Netherlands under-19 team, from FC Utrecht. The Eindhoven club also brought in midfielder Josefine Funch (26) and forward Princess Marfo (22) from Danish side FC Nordsjaelland. Julia Hickelsberger (26), who joined from Galatasaray, already experienced a classic Dutch phenomenon this summer: her bicycle was stolen, as the Austrian international shared on social media.

The Eredivisie Vrouwen continues to serve as a breeding ground for bigger clubs. Feyenoord players Mao Itamura and Celainy Obispo left for Liverpool and HSV respectively. The 17-year-old Maren Groothoff moved from PEC Zwolle to Paris Saint-Germain without making her debut.

Ajax lost goalkeeper Regina van Eijk to Bayern Munich and Renee van Asten made a top transfer to Champions League winner FC Barcelona. However, the Amsterdam club appears ready to challenge for the title with a refreshed squad featuring Nadine Noordam (Brighton Hove Albion), Katja Snoeijs (Everton), Femke Liefting (Chelsea) and Sari Kees (Leicester City). Youth players Lina Touzani (18) and Elisa van Dijk (16) hope to break through.

Ajax also signed Sophie te Brake and Anna Knol from FC Twente, who lost Sophie Proost and Lieske Carleer to Bayern Munich and Wolfsburg. The 18-year-old Liv Pennock joined FC Barcelona's second team. Three clubs were relegated: Excelsior, NAC Breda and Hera United, the latter having debuted last season but dropping on the final matchday. De Graafschap, led by coach Timo Kleinhesselink, is the only newcomer with a young squad that has existed only since 2024. Hera aims to return stronger, but with only one club being relegated next year, promotion will become harder.