Women of De Zaan return to familiar territory for Euro Cup quarterfinal

Following an unbeaten streak last weekend, this morning saw the Euro Cup quarterfinal draw take place. ZV De Zaan is preparing for two matches against Greek team Panionios, a familiar opponent for Coach Mick van den Bree's team. The Zaan women will play in Athens on November 16, with the return leg scheduled at their home pool, De Slag, on November 30. 

In early October, De Zaan faced the same opponent during the Champions League qualification tournament in Athens. They secured a comfortable 7-14 victory, with captain Lieke Rogge contributing five goals. Van den Bree is satisfied with the draw and the fact that the return leg will be held in the Netherlands.

'We are looking forward to the matches against Panionios. After winning the match in the Champions League qualifiers, we are considered favorites for the victory, although we remain cautious. They performed well in their games against FTC and Sant Andreu, so we know it won't be easy. We are alerted. Last weekend, many supporters traveled to Berlin, so it's nice to play the return leg in the Netherlands with the support of our home crowd.'

By winning two matches in the Euro Cup qualifiers, Panionios finished third in the group behind Glyfada (Greece) and Keruleti (Hungary). De Zaan won bronze in the Euro Cup last season and emerged as group winners last weekend by winning all four matches. If they beat Panionios, they will face the winner of Ethnikos and Glyfada in the semifinals. The semifinals are scheduled for January and February 2025, with the finals in March and April 2025.