AZ come up against the highly popular Brian Brobbey, who can still improve in one area | Goal.com

Veröffentlicht am 15 Sep 2026 | Lesezeit: 4 Minuten

AZ begin their Europa League campaign on Wednesday away at Sunderland. Their English opponents fell away badly and for years were known mainly because of the Netflix series Sunderland 'Til I Die. Now, though, their performances are doing the talking. Football Zone speaks ahead of the European cracker with club watcher Philip Smith of the Sunderland Echo about the people's club from north-east England.

By Rian Rosendaal

Popular DutchmenRobin Roefs and Brian Brobbey are especially popular with Sunderland supporters, Smith says in the interview ahead of the Europa League meeting at the Stadium of Light. ''Roefs played excellently last season and the fans were pleased that he recently signed a new contract. There were fears that his good form would attract the attention of Champions League clubs. He radiates calm and reliability, exactly what every supporter wants from a goalkeeper.''

Smith also has nothing but praise for Brobbey, who joined from Ajax in 2025 for €20 million. ''Brobbey has grown into a real cult hero among the fans, partly because he scored the winning goal in stoppage time in the away match against arch-rivals Newcastle United last season. In addition, the supporters greatly appreciate that he is an old-fashioned striker, a type that is rarely seen in modern football any more.''

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Brobbey is under contract at Sunderland until 30 June 2029, with the club having lost 0-2 at home to reigning champions Arsenal last Saturday in a turbulent match. He could still leave before then. ''It is possible, because several very big clubs are closely monitoring his development,'' Smith knows. ''Not only in the Premier League, but also during the World Cup. If we look at the step towards becoming an established striker in the Champions League, scoring more often is probably what Brobbey still needs to add to his game. Of course Sunderland need to create more clear-cut chances for him to do that, but this is probably the area in which he can still take another step forward.''

As a promoted side, Sunderland finished last season in a creditable seventh place in the Premier League. That earned them a place in the league phase of the Europa League. It is an enticing prospect, but the packed schedule could also become a problem. ''There is both enthusiasm and some concern. The priority clearly lies with finding stability in the Premier League and it is difficult to assess what we can expect in Europe, although English clubs do have an excellent track record in these competitions thanks to their financial advantage. I think most supporters would be very satisfied with a mid-table place in the league and a successful adventure in the Europa League,'' predicts the club watcher from the local newspaper.

Are Sunderland up for AZ?

For now, all eyes are on AZ's visit to the Stadium of Light, with the Dutch side joint leaders in the VriendenLoterij Eredivisie. The game has certainly captured the imagination among The Black Cats, even if it is not Ajax, PSV or Feyenoord making the trip to England. ''Very much so,'' laughs Smith. ''This is Sunderland's first European match in 53 years. So it is a special evening. Not only for the club but also for the city. There will be a special atmosphere and everyone is hugely looking forward to the match. As for AZ: it is true that most of us do not know a great deal about the club, but there is a lot of respect for their start to the season and for the fact that they have far more European experience than Sunderland.''

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Régis Le Bris is the manager charged with delivering European success this season. The 50-year-old Frenchman arrived at Sunderland in 2024 and had already secured promotion to the Premier League a year later. The first season back at the top level was a resounding success. Sunderland picked up 54 points, their highest total in the Premier League since 2001. The Stadium of Light also became an almost impregnable fortress, which sealed a European ticket. For the fans, the clear high point was the two victories over rivals Newcastle United. Le Bris is therefore held in extremely high regard by supporters of the current number fourteen, Smith also knows.

''Without doubt he is one of Sunderland’s best managers of the modern era. A quarter of a century ago, after promotion, Peter Reid achieved seventh place in the Premier League twice. But the gap between the Championship and the Premier League is much bigger nowadays. Le Bris’s achievement last season was therefore astonishing. Most would probably still put Reid at the top of their list, but Le Bris belongs in that same company. And if he has another good season, he may even be regarded as the best manager ever,'' Smith also holds the French coach in extremely high esteem.

Drama run in EnglandAZ are still chasing their first ever win on English soil on Wednesday. In the past, the Alkmaar side suffered heavy defeats to Arsenal and Manchester United, among others. In 2023, AZ were no match for West Ham United in the semi-finals of the Conference League, a European tournament West Ham eventually went on to win. That same year, Aston Villa also proved too strong. In the 2024/25 season, they lost twice to Tottenham Hotspur in the Europa League. Last season, Leeroy Echteld’s team lost 3-1 to eventual winners Crystal Palace in the Conference League despite a goal from Sven Mijnans, who has since moved to PSV.

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