Dutch football season kicks off with 0-0 draw between Heerenveen and Sparta

The opening match in the Eredivisie between SC Heerenveen and Sparta Rotterdam resulted in no winner and no goals (0-0). Both clubs barely managed to create opportunities in the Abe Lenstra stadium. Heerenveen also opened the competition last season, when it won 1-0 at the newly promoted Go Ahead Eagles.

Kees van Wonderen, the trainer who was on the bench at Go Ahead at the time, made his debut as head coach of Heerenveen on Friday evening. He started two summer acquisitions: goalkeeper Andries Noppert and attacker Mats Köhlert. Sparta, which escaped relegation last season thanks to an impressive final sprint under trainer Maurice Steijn, attracted no fewer than 12 new players this summer. Five of them were in the starting line-up in Friesland, including former international Jonathan de Guzman.

Smooth attacks were scarce in the first league game of the 2022-2023 season. Sparta played better football, but Steijn's team barely managed to create opportunities.

Heerenveen was only dangerous once before half time via Köhlert, whose shot in the short corner was parried by the new Sparta keeper Nick Olij. In the second half Sydney van Hooijdonk got a free shooting chance, but the striker wasn't able to fully get the ball.