From our football correspondent
Uneasy
Match10 Nov 2027
The cup run ends for Heracles
3-4 against Twente , and the road stops here. Cup exits are quick deaths — no second leg, no next week, just the league from now until May.
Squad15 Nov 2027
Some afternoons a goalkeeper is the team. 6 saves, several of them the sort nobody expects to see stopped, and a scoreline that flatters everybody in front of him.
Squad15 Nov 2027
Jayden Holtman : that is not what I was promised“Things were said to me before I signed. I am not going to repeat them, but I remember all of them.” Heracles have not answered, which is an answer of sorts.
Squad15 Nov 2027
Jur Schipper lets one through his handsA defender's mistake gets tidied up by somebody else; a goalkeeper's ends up in the net. He knew before the ball crossed the line, and so did everybody in the ground.
Squad15 Nov 2027
The manager makes an example of Jan Žambůrek
“If you cannot run for the shirt, somebody else will wear it.” No name was used and none was needed; every player in that room knew who it was for.
Match13 Nov 2027
It finished 1-1, and it somehow always looked like it would. One of those afternoons where the table moves less than the tempers.
Back issues
From our football correspondent
Steady
Market8 Nov 2027
“I have nothing bad to say about this place. I just need to be somewhere else.” It is in writing now, which changes what Heracles can pretend not to have heard.
Squad8 Nov 2027
“I was told what my role would be, and I signed on that basis. It has not happened.” A grievance with a date attached is the hardest kind to settle.
Squad8 Nov 2027
Some afternoons a goalkeeper is the team. 6 saves, several of them the sort nobody expects to see stopped, and a scoreline that flatters everybody in front of him.
Squad8 Nov 2027
Axel Kompany gets it from the manager“Nobody here is above being told.” It was not said with a name attached, but the dressing room can count, and so can everybody who was listening.
Squad8 Nov 2027
“The easiest signature of my career.” Lorenzo Milani and Heracles agree another 3 years, and the manager can plan around him rather than about him.
Loan watch8 Nov 2027
“I did not go to Roda to sit and watch. I want to come back to Heracles and fight for my place.” 0 appearances in 9 matches say the rest.
From our football correspondent
Upbeat
Squad1 Nov 2027
Jordy Steins : that is not what I was promised“Things were said to me before I signed. I am not going to repeat them, but I remember all of them.” Heracles have not answered, which is an answer of sorts.
Match30 Oct 2027
Heerenveen made Heracles work for it, but the scoreboard read 2-1 at the end and the table does not ask how.
Squad1 Nov 2027
“If you cannot run for the shirt, somebody else will wear it.” No name was used and none was needed; every player in that room knew who it was for.
From our football correspondent
Crisis
Match23 Oct 2027
Beaten 1-2, and beaten fairly. The manager kept his words short afterwards, which was probably wise.
Squad25 Oct 2027
“Nobody here is above being told.” It was not said with a name attached, but the dressing room can count, and so can everybody who was listening.
Squad25 Oct 2027
“I would rather say it to his face than read about it.” The meeting was requested by the player, which tells you most of what you need to know.
From our football correspondent
Steady
Squad18 Oct 2027
“Nobody here is above being told.” It was not said with a name attached, but the dressing room can count, and so can everybody who was listening.
Match16 Oct 2027
Heracles and AZ take a point apieceIt finished 1-1, and it somehow always looked like it would. One of those afternoons where the table moves less than the tempers.
Squad18 Oct 2027
“It had gone on long enough. I would rather have it out than leave it sitting there.” Ten minutes behind a closed door at Heracles , and both men came out saying it was fine.
From our football correspondent
Upbeat
Match9 Oct 2027
Rarely has this fixture seen a display like it: 4-1 against Cambuur , and it could have been more.
Market11 Oct 2027
“I have nothing bad to say about this place. I just need to be somewhere else.” It is in writing now, which changes what Heracles can pretend not to have heard.
Squad11 Oct 2027
There were 8 saves in it, and at least three that had no business being saves at all. The ten outfield players owe him a drink and they know it.
Squad11 Oct 2027
The manager makes an example of Nicky Souren
“If you cannot run for the shirt, somebody else will wear it.” No name was used and none was needed; every player in that room knew who it was for.
Loan watch11 Oct 2027
“I did not go to Roda to sit and watch. I want to come back to Heracles and fight for my place.” 0 appearances in 5 matches say the rest.
Squad11 Oct 2027
Sem Scheperman knocks on the manager's door“It had gone on long enough. I would rather have it out than leave it sitting there.” Ten minutes behind a closed door at Heracles , and both men came out saying it was fine.
From our football correspondent
Steady
Squad4 Oct 2027
A one-man rearguard from Jur Schipper
There were 9 saves in it, and at least three that had no business being saves at all. The ten outfield players owe him a drink and they know it.
Squad4 Oct 2027
The medical room confirms 42 days on the sidelines for Sem Scheperman , and a plan built around him now has to be rebuilt.
Match2 Oct 2027
A 3-1 win over Excelsior , earned rather than given, and the sort of afternoon that sends everyone home talking about next week instead of this one.
Squad4 Oct 2027
The manager makes an example of Jessy Basfielt
“If you cannot run for the shirt, somebody else will wear it.” No name was used and none was needed; every player in that room knew who it was for.
Loan watch4 Oct 2027
“I did not go to Campobasso to sit and watch. I want to come back to Heracles and fight for my place.” 4 appearances in 9 matches say the rest.
Squad4 Oct 2027
Sem Scheperman asks for a word with the manager“I would rather say it to his face than read about it.” The meeting was requested by the player, which tells you most of what you need to know.
From our football correspondent
Crisis
Match25 Sep 2027
Twente left with the points after a 1-2 defeat that will take some explaining on the terraces.
Squad27 Sep 2027
Jur Schipper gets it from the manager“Nobody here is above being told.” It was not said with a name attached, but the dressing room can count, and so can everybody who was listening.
Squad27 Sep 2027
“I would rather say it to his face than read about it.” The meeting was requested by the player, which tells you most of what you need to know.
From our football correspondent
Steady
Squad20 Sep 2027
“Things were said to me before I signed. I am not going to repeat them, but I remember all of them.” Heracles have not answered, which is an answer of sorts.
Match18 Sep 2027
Still nobody has beaten Heracles
The unbeaten run reaches 6. Some of them were wins and some were escapes, but a side that refuses to lose is a side other dressing rooms talk about.
Squad20 Sep 2027
“Nobody here is above being told.” It was not said with a name attached, but the dressing room can count, and so can everybody who was listening.
Match18 Sep 2027
It finished 1-1, and it somehow always looked like it would. One of those afternoons where the table moves less than the tempers.
Squad20 Sep 2027
“It had gone on long enough. I would rather have it out than leave it sitting there.” Ten minutes behind a closed door at Heracles , and both men came out saying it was fine.
Squad20 Sep 2027
He wheeled away like a man who had been carrying it for months, because he had. Heracles have their signing off the mark and one press-conference question retired.
From our football correspondent
Steady
Squad13 Sep 2027
There were 9 saves in it, and at least three that had no business being saves at all. The ten outfield players owe him a drink and they know it.
Market13 Sep 2027
“I have nothing bad to say about this place. I just need to be somewhere else.” It is in writing now, which changes what Heracles can pretend not to have heard.
Squad13 Sep 2027
“I was told what my role would be, and I signed on that basis. It has not happened.” A grievance with a date attached is the hardest kind to settle.
Squad13 Sep 2027
The manager makes an example of Nicky Souren
“If you cannot run for the shirt, somebody else will wear it.” No name was used and none was needed; every player in that room knew who it was for.
Match11 Sep 2027
Honours even between Heracles and NEC
2-2, and both dressing rooms will call it two points lost. A draw that asked plenty of questions and answered none of them.
Squad13 Sep 2027
At 18 years old, Jayden Holtman became the latest name off the academy production line to be handed a senior shirt.
From our football correspondent
Steady
Squad6 Sep 2027
Mario Engels : that is not what I was promised“Things were said to me before I signed. I am not going to repeat them, but I remember all of them.” Heracles have not answered, which is an answer of sorts.
Match4 Sep 2027
Heracles get the job done against Roda A 2-1 win over Roda , earned rather than given, and the sort of afternoon that sends everyone home talking about next week instead of this one.
Squad6 Sep 2027
“If you cannot run for the shirt, somebody else will wear it.” No name was used and none was needed; every player in that room knew who it was for.
Market6 Sep 2027
“We are a long way apart, and pretending otherwise helps nobody.” Neither side is close, and the calendar is not on the club's side.
Loan watch6 Sep 2027
“I am grateful for the games, but I did not become a footballer to be somebody else's spare part.” He wants to be at Heracles , and 1 appearances in 5 say he has earned the hearing.
Squad6 Sep 2027
“It had gone on long enough. I would rather have it out than leave it sitting there.” Ten minutes behind a closed door at Heracles , and both men came out saying it was fine.
Squad6 Sep 2027
Heracles will explain it as a decision about the team, and it may well be one. A dressing room has never once read it that way.
The terraces6 Sep 2027
He is the name in every column and on every phone-in, which is a heavy thing to carry at any age. Some footballers thrive on it; others are quietly finished by it.
Market6 Sep 2027
The name of Tristan van Gilst keeps appearing in other people's back pages. Heracles say nothing, which says plenty.
From our football correspondent
Uneasy
Squad30 Aug 2027
“I was told what my role would be, and I signed on that basis. It has not happened.” A grievance with a date attached is the hardest kind to settle.
Market30 Aug 2027
The offer was not close and it was refused without much discussion. Whether the second one is refused as quickly is another matter.
Squad30 Aug 2027
“Nobody here is above being told.” It was not said with a name attached, but the dressing room can count, and so can everybody who was listening.
Axel Kompany Axel Kompany says Heracles went back on their word
Market30 Aug 2027
Lumezzane are about to pick up the phoneA conversation is coming this week. Heracles will put a number on him, and from there it stops being football and becomes arithmetic.
Squad30 Aug 2027
“The easiest signature of my career.” Tsuyoshi Watanabe and Heracles agree another 3 years, and the manager can plan around him rather than about him.
Market30 Aug 2027
Jessy Basfielt is 20, and Heracles have signed him for the player he will be rather than the one he is. The first team can wait; the point of a deal like this is the years it buys.
From our football correspondent
Uneasy
Squad23 Aug 2027
Some afternoons a goalkeeper is the team. 7 saves, several of them the sort nobody expects to see stopped, and a scoreline that flatters everybody in front of him.
Market23 Aug 2027
The fee is $3.6M, the contract is signed, and the argument about whether he is worth it can begin. Feyenoord drove a hard bargain; time will say who won it.
Market23 Aug 2027
Altamura come back empty-handedThe bid was some way short and Heracles did not need long over it. Nobody in the game reads a first refusal as the end of anything.
Match21 Aug 2027
A 2-0 win over Willem II , earned rather than given, and the sort of afternoon that sends everyone home talking about next week instead of this one.
Squad23 Aug 2027
The manager makes an example of Dirk Abels
“If you cannot run for the shirt, somebody else will wear it.” No name was used and none was needed; every player in that room knew who it was for.
Market23 Aug 2027
Leart Bekolli is 19, and Heracles have signed him for the player he will be rather than the one he is. The first team can wait; the point of a deal like this is the years it buys.
Market23 Aug 2027
Titi is free to find somewhere else“I was told straight, and I would rather have it straight.” The manager at Heracles has been clear about where Titi stands, which is more than many ever get.
Squad23 Aug 2027
He wheeled away like a man who had been carrying it for months, because he had. Heracles have their signing off the mark and one press-conference question retired.
Squad23 Aug 2027
The competition arrived without a word said to him about it. Djevencio van der Kust keeps the shirt for now, at Heracles 's convenience rather than his own.
From our football correspondent
Uneasy
Market16 Aug 2027
“I have nothing bad to say about this place. I just need to be somewhere else.” It is in writing now, which changes what Heracles can pretend not to have heard.
Match14 Aug 2027
No end in sight to Heracles 's wait for a win
7 matches now without a victory, and the excuses have worn thinner than the patience. Somebody at Heracles has to find a result from somewhere.
Squad16 Aug 2027
Some afternoons a goalkeeper is the team. 6 saves, several of them the sort nobody expects to see stopped, and a scoreline that flatters everybody in front of him.
Market16 Aug 2027
The offer was not close and it was refused without much discussion. Whether the second one is refused as quickly is another matter.
Market16 Aug 2027
The shirt still fits. Guus De Roon is back at Heracles , and half the ground remembers him in these colours already. Some signings need selling to the town; this one sold itself.
Market16 Aug 2027
He left as a boy and has come back still knowing where the away end is. Most signings have to be explained to a town; this one needed a photograph and nothing else.
Squad16 Aug 2027
“Nobody here is above being told.” It was not said with a name attached, but the dressing room can count, and so can everybody who was listening.
Match14 Aug 2027
A 2-2 draw with Ajax leaves the dressing room somewhere between relief and regret.
The terraces16 Aug 2027
Everybody has an opinion about Luka Kulenović
He is the name in every column and on every phone-in, which is a heavy thing to carry at any age. Some footballers thrive on it; others are quietly finished by it.
From our football correspondent
Uneasy
Market9 Aug 2027
The name of Mario Engels has come up in conversations Heracles were not part of. Nothing formal, nothing signed — but nothing about it accidental either.
Squad9 Aug 2027
“I never wanted to be anywhere else. There is unfinished business here.” Mike te Wierik commits to Heracles for another 2 years.
Squad9 Aug 2027
The manager makes an example of Mario Engels
“If you cannot run for the shirt, somebody else will wear it.” No name was used and none was needed; every player in that room knew who it was for.
From our football correspondent
Uneasy
Boardroom2 Aug 2027
The silence upstairs is getting loud at Heracles
Nobody on the board has said anything against the manager, which is the point — they have stopped saying anything for him either.
Squad2 Aug 2027
“The easiest signature of my career.” Mike te Wierik and Heracles agree another 2 years, and the manager can plan around him rather than about him.
Market2 Aug 2027
Both sides expect a conversation in the coming days. Heracles will name a price, and everything after that is arithmetic.
Squad2 Aug 2027
“I would rather say it to his face than read about it.” The meeting was requested by the player, which tells you most of what you need to know.
Squad2 Aug 2027
Jordy Steins gets it from the manager“Nobody here is above being told.” It was not said with a name attached, but the dressing room can count, and so can everybody who was listening.
Market2 Aug 2027
The list is a quiet document with a loud meaning. Sem Scheperman may talk to anybody who asks, and everybody at the club understands what that means.
From our football correspondent
Uneasy
Market26 Jul 2027
Campobasso are about to pick up the phoneA conversation is coming this week. Heracles will put a number on him, and from there it stops being football and becomes arithmetic.
Squad26 Jul 2027
The manager makes an example of Jan Žambůrek
“If you cannot run for the shirt, somebody else will wear it.” No name was used and none was needed; every player in that room knew who it was for.
Squad26 Jul 2027
Luka Kulenović asks for a word with the manager“I would rather say it to his face than read about it.” The meeting was requested by the player, which tells you most of what you need to know.
From our football correspondent
Uneasy
Market19 Jul 2027
“I have nothing bad to say about this place. I just need to be somewhere else.” It is in writing now, which changes what Heracles can pretend not to have heard.
Market19 Jul 2027
The interest is real enough to have reached print. Heracles have said nothing, which in a transfer window is its own kind of answer.
Squad19 Jul 2027
“Nobody here is above being told.” It was not said with a name attached, but the dressing room can count, and so can everybody who was listening.
From our football correspondent
Uneasy
Squad12 Jul 2027
Titi : that is not what I was promised“Things were said to me before I signed. I am not going to repeat them, but I remember all of them.” Heracles have not answered, which is an answer of sorts.
Squad12 Jul 2027
“Nobody here is above being told.” It was not said with a name attached, but the dressing room can count, and so can everybody who was listening.
Squad12 Jul 2027
Sem Scheperman asks for a word with the manager“I would rather say it to his face than read about it.” The meeting was requested by the player, which tells you most of what you need to know.
Titi Titi: that is not what I was promised
From our football correspondent
Uneasy
Boardroom5 Jul 2027
The silence upstairs is getting loud at Heracles
Nobody on the board has said anything against the manager, which is the point — they have stopped saying anything for him either.
Market5 Jul 2027
“There is a gap, and pretending there is not helps nobody.” Neither side has moved, and the calendar is working for exactly one of them.
Squad5 Jul 2027
“If you cannot run for the shirt, somebody else will wear it.” No name was used and none was needed; every player in that room knew who it was for.
Nicky Souren Heracles and Nicky Souren are talking past each other
Squad5 Jul 2027
“It had gone on long enough. I would rather have it out than leave it sitting there.” Ten minutes behind a closed door at Heracles , and both men came out saying it was fine.
Squad5 Jul 2027
A new face in his position, and Djevencio van der Kust suddenly has to win back what he thought he owned. Heracles have promised nothing — clubs rarely do at this stage.
Market5 Jul 2027
The best deals are the ones the accountants never notice. Nicky Souren arrives at Heracles with his wages the only cost and something to prove the only clause.
From our football correspondent
Uneasy
Market28 Jun 2027
Jan Žambůrek hands in a written request“I have nothing bad to say about this place. I just need to be somewhere else.” It is in writing now, which changes what Heracles can pretend not to have heard.
Squad28 Jun 2027
“Nobody here is above being told.” It was not said with a name attached, but the dressing room can count, and so can everybody who was listening.
Squad28 Jun 2027
Titi knocks on the manager's door“It had gone on long enough. I would rather have it out than leave it sitting there.” Ten minutes behind a closed door at Heracles , and both men came out saying it was fine.
From our football correspondent
Uneasy
Market21 Jun 2027
“I have nothing bad to say about this place. I just need to be somewhere else.” It is in writing now, which changes what Heracles can pretend not to have heard.
Market21 Jun 2027
Groningen pay $67.0K, and the deal is done. The number reads well on a balance sheet; whether it reads well on the pitch is next season's question.
Squad21 Jun 2027
“Nobody here is above being told.” It was not said with a name attached, but the dressing room can count, and so can everybody who was listening.
Squad21 Jun 2027
“It had gone on long enough. I would rather have it out than leave it sitting there.” Ten minutes behind a closed door at Heracles , and both men came out saying it was fine.
Market21 Jun 2027
Another week, another link, another denial nobody quite believes. Heracles know the market decides these things, not the back pages — but the back pages are louder.
Loan watch21 Jun 2027
25 appearances at De Graafschap and the goals keep coming. Heracles are watching this more closely than the borrowing club would like.
From our football correspondent
Uneasy
Squad14 Jun 2027
“Things were said to me before I signed. I am not going to repeat them, but I remember all of them.” Heracles have not answered, which is an answer of sorts.
Market14 Jun 2027
He is 19, and nobody at Heracles signed him for this season. Deals like this are judged in four years, by people who may not still be in the building.
Squad14 Jun 2027
The manager makes an example of Jan Žambůrek
“If you cannot run for the shirt, somebody else will wear it.” No name was used and none was needed; every player in that room knew who it was for.
Squad14 Jun 2027
International call for Naci Ünüvar
Naci Ünüvar joins up with his country. Heracles lose him for the window and would like him back in one piece.
Squad14 Jun 2027
Erik Ahlstrand joins up with his country. Heracles lose him for the window and would like him back in one piece.
Market14 Jun 2027
A season-long audition: Parma still own him, but the shirt and the minutes are Heracles 's to give. A loan is a bet both clubs believe they are winning.
From our football correspondent
Uneasy
Boardroom7 Jun 2027
The silence upstairs is getting loud at Heracles
Nobody on the board has said anything against the manager, which is the point — they have stopped saying anything for him either.
Market7 Jun 2027
The offer was not close and it was refused without much discussion. Whether the second one is refused as quickly is another matter.
Squad7 Jun 2027
The manager makes an example of Luka Kulenović
“If you cannot run for the shirt, somebody else will wear it.” No name was used and none was needed; every player in that room knew who it was for.
Boardroom7 Jun 2027
Heracles pull $684.0K back off the tableThe money that was there in the summer is not there now. Nobody upstairs calls this a change of ambition, and everybody downstairs reads it as one.
Squad7 Jun 2027
The competition arrived without a word said to him about it. Luka Kulenović keeps the shirt for now, at Heracles 's convenience rather than his own.
Market7 Jun 2027
Heracles have made Jan Žambůrek available for transfer. A career at this club is over in all but paperwork.
From our football correspondent
Uneasy
Squad31 May 2027
“Nobody here is above being told.” It was not said with a name attached, but the dressing room can count, and so can everybody who was listening.
Squad31 May 2027
Luka Kulenović asks for a word with the manager“I would rather say it to his face than read about it.” The meeting was requested by the player, which tells you most of what you need to know.
Squad31 May 2027
The message was aimed at the stands as much as the dressing room: Djevencio van der Kust plays, and the argument is closed until the manager decides otherwise.
From our football correspondent
Uneasy
Squad24 May 2027
“I was told what my role would be, and I signed on that basis. It has not happened.” A grievance with a date attached is the hardest kind to settle.
Squad24 May 2027
Titi gets it from the manager“Nobody here is above being told.” It was not said with a name attached, but the dressing room can count, and so can everybody who was listening.
Market24 May 2027
Another week, another link, another denial nobody quite believes. Heracles know the market decides these things, not the back pages — but the back pages are louder.
Dirk Abels Dirk Abels says Heracles went back on their word
From our football correspondent
Uneasy
Squad17 May 2027
The manager makes an example of Jan Žambůrek
“If you cannot run for the shirt, somebody else will wear it.” No name was used and none was needed; every player in that room knew who it was for.
Squad17 May 2027
Dirk Abels knocks on the manager's door“It had gone on long enough. I would rather have it out than leave it sitting there.” Ten minutes behind a closed door at Heracles , and both men came out saying it was fine.
Squad17 May 2027
Mario Engels keeps his manager's voteThe message was aimed at the stands as much as the dressing room: Mario Engels plays, and the argument is closed until the manager decides otherwise.
From our football correspondent
Uneasy
Market10 May 2027
“I have given everything here and I need a new challenge.” The request is formal, and the relationship will never be quite the same again.
Squad10 May 2027
“If you cannot run for the shirt, somebody else will wear it.” No name was used and none was needed; every player in that room knew who it was for.
Squad10 May 2027
Damon Mirani asks for a word with the manager“I would rather say it to his face than read about it.” The meeting was requested by the player, which tells you most of what you need to know.
Titi Titi asks to leave Heracles
From our football correspondent
Uneasy
Squad3 May 2027
Titi : that is not what I was promised“Things were said to me before I signed. I am not going to repeat them, but I remember all of them.” Heracles have not answered, which is an answer of sorts.
Squad3 May 2027
“Nobody here is above being told.” It was not said with a name attached, but the dressing room can count, and so can everybody who was listening.
Market3 May 2027
Yannick Dodo is 20, and Heracles have signed him for the player he will be rather than the one he is. The first team can wait; the point of a deal like this is the years it buys.
Titi Titi: that is not what I was promised
From our football correspondent
Uneasy
Squad26 Apr 2027
“Nobody here is above being told.” It was not said with a name attached, but the dressing room can count, and so can everybody who was listening.
Market26 Apr 2027
Another week, another link, another denial nobody quite believes. Heracles know the market decides these things, not the back pages — but the back pages are louder.
Squad26 Apr 2027
Mike te Wierik knocks on the manager's door“It had gone on long enough. I would rather have it out than leave it sitting there.” Ten minutes behind a closed door at Heracles , and both men came out saying it was fine.
From our football correspondent
Uneasy
Squad19 Apr 2027
Luka Kulenović : that is not what I was promised“Things were said to me before I signed. I am not going to repeat them, but I remember all of them.” Heracles have not answered, which is an answer of sorts.
Squad19 Apr 2027
“If you cannot run for the shirt, somebody else will wear it.” No name was used and none was needed; every player in that room knew who it was for.
Squad19 Apr 2027
“I would rather say it to his face than read about it.” The meeting was requested by the player, which tells you most of what you need to know.
From our football correspondent
Uneasy
Squad12 Apr 2027
The manager makes an example of Dirk Abels
“If you cannot run for the shirt, somebody else will wear it.” No name was used and none was needed; every player in that room knew who it was for.
Squad12 Apr 2027
Luka Kulenović asks for a word with the manager“I would rather say it to his face than read about it.” The meeting was requested by the player, which tells you most of what you need to know.
Squad12 Apr 2027
The selectors could not leave Jordy Bawuah out
6.64 across ninety minutes and a place in the division's team of the week. He was the best player on that pitch and everybody there knew it.
Dirk Abels The manager makes an example of Dirk Abels
From our football correspondent
Crisis
Match3 Apr 2027
6 matches without a win for Heracles
The run now stands at 6, and the questions being asked around Heracles are no longer polite ones.
Match3 Apr 2027
Beaten 0-1, and beaten fairly. The manager kept his words short afterwards, which was probably wise.
Squad5 Apr 2027
“Nobody here is above being told.” It was not said with a name attached, but the dressing room can count, and so can everybody who was listening.
From our football correspondent
Crisis
Match27 Mar 2027
5 matches without a win for Heracles
The run now stands at 5, and the questions being asked around Heracles are no longer polite ones.
Squad29 Mar 2027
The manager makes an example of Titi
“If you cannot run for the shirt, somebody else will wear it.” No name was used and none was needed; every player in that room knew who it was for.
Match27 Mar 2027
0-1 to Groningen , and no complaints worth printing. The performance asked for nothing more than it got.
Titi The manager makes an example of Titi
The terraces29 Mar 2027
He is the name in every column and on every phone-in, which is a heavy thing to carry at any age. Some footballers thrive on it; others are quietly finished by it.
Squad29 Mar 2027
Dirk Abels knocks on the manager's door“It had gone on long enough. I would rather have it out than leave it sitting there.” Ten minutes behind a closed door at Heracles , and both men came out saying it was fine.
Market29 Mar 2027
The name of Tristan van Gilst keeps appearing in other people's back pages. Heracles say nothing, which says plenty.
From our football correspondent
Crisis
Squad22 Mar 2027
“I was told what my role would be, and I signed on that basis. It has not happened.” A grievance with a date attached is the hardest kind to settle.
Match20 Mar 2027
4 matches without a win for Heracles
The run now stands at 4, and the questions being asked around Heracles are no longer polite ones.
Match20 Mar 2027
Utrecht left with the points after a 0-1 defeat that will take some explaining on the terraces.
Jordy Steins Jordy Steins says Heracles went back on their word
From our football correspondent
Uneasy
Squad15 Mar 2027
Some afternoons a goalkeeper is the team. 7 saves, several of them the sort nobody expects to see stopped, and a scoreline that flatters everybody in front of him.
Squad15 Mar 2027
Aaron Bibout : that is not what I was promised“Things were said to me before I signed. I am not going to repeat them, but I remember all of them.” Heracles have not answered, which is an answer of sorts.
Squad15 Mar 2027
No place for Titi on the big day
He found out with everybody else, an hour before kick-off, from a sheet of paper on a wall. Nobody at Heracles pretended it was anything other than a decision about him.
From our football correspondent
Crisis
Squad8 Mar 2027
Titi signs a new deal“I never wanted to be anywhere else. There is unfinished business here.” Titi commits to Heracles for another 2 years.
Match6 Mar 2027
Beaten 0-2, and beaten fairly. The manager kept his words short afterwards, which was probably wise.
Squad8 Mar 2027
“Nobody here is above being told.” It was not said with a name attached, but the dressing room can count, and so can everybody who was listening.
Titi Titi signs a new deal
From our football correspondent
Crisis
Market1 Mar 2027
Mario Engels hands in a written request“I have nothing bad to say about this place. I just need to be somewhere else.” It is in writing now, which changes what Heracles can pretend not to have heard.
Squad1 Mar 2027
“Nobody here is above being told.” It was not said with a name attached, but the dressing room can count, and so can everybody who was listening.
Match27 Feb 2027
Beaten 0-1, and beaten fairly. The manager kept his words short afterwards, which was probably wise.
From our football correspondent
Steady
Match20 Feb 2027
Three points for Heracles , 2-1 the final word against Vitesse in a contest settled by the finer margins.
Squad22 Feb 2027
“If you cannot run for the shirt, somebody else will wear it.” No name was used and none was needed; every player in that room knew who it was for.
Squad22 Feb 2027
Luka Kulenović knocks on the manager's door“It had gone on long enough. I would rather have it out than leave it sitting there.” Ten minutes behind a closed door at Heracles , and both men came out saying it was fine.
From our football correspondent
Uneasy
Squad15 Feb 2027
There were 7 saves in it, and at least three that had no business being saves at all. The ten outfield players owe him a drink and they know it.
Match13 Feb 2027
No end in sight to Heracles 's wait for a win
4 matches now without a victory, and the excuses have worn thinner than the patience. Somebody at Heracles has to find a result from somewhere.
Squad15 Feb 2027
“Nobody here is above being told.” It was not said with a name attached, but the dressing room can count, and so can everybody who was listening.
Squad15 Feb 2027
4 goals and a season average of 7.33. Form like that gets noticed well beyond this town.
Market15 Feb 2027
He is 20, and nobody at Heracles signed him for this season. Deals like this are judged in four years, by people who may not still be in the building.
Match13 Feb 2027
Honours even between Heracles and AZ
1-1, and both dressing rooms will call it two points lost. A draw that asked plenty of questions and answered none of them.
From our football correspondent
Crisis
Match6 Feb 2027
Beaten 1-2, and beaten fairly. The manager kept his words short afterwards, which was probably wise.
Squad8 Feb 2027
Titi left out for the big oneA player who expected to start watched it instead. The manager will call it a decision for the team; Titi will call it something else in private.
Squad8 Feb 2027
Jan Žambůrek gets it from the manager“Nobody here is above being told.” It was not said with a name attached, but the dressing room can count, and so can everybody who was listening.
Titi Titi left out for the big one
Squad8 Feb 2027
A season average of 7.28 with 3 goals behind it. Opponents have started planning around him, which is the sincerest compliment football pays.
The terraces8 Feb 2027
Every touch is being weighed now, in print and everywhere else. Some players grow into that and some are quietly ruined by it, and nobody knows which in advance.
Squad8 Feb 2027
The first one is the one every signing is asked about until it arrives. It has arrived, and he can stop being asked.
From our football correspondent
Crisis
Market1 Feb 2027
Zwolle come back empty-handedThe bid was some way short and Heracles did not need long over it. Nobody in the game reads a first refusal as the end of anything.
Match30 Jan 2027
Beaten 0-1, and beaten fairly. The manager kept his words short afterwards, which was probably wise.
Squad1 Feb 2027
The manager makes an example of Mario Engels
“If you cannot run for the shirt, somebody else will wear it.” No name was used and none was needed; every player in that room knew who it was for.
Squad1 Feb 2027
One booking too many, and Jeff Reine-Adélaïde sits out. Heracles lose him for the sort of avoidable reason that makes a manager's week longer.
Squad1 Feb 2027
Mimeirhel Benita asks for a word with the manager“I would rather say it to his face than read about it.” The meeting was requested by the player, which tells you most of what you need to know.
Squad1 Feb 2027
Titi has company in his positionThe competition arrived without a word said to him about it. Titi keeps the shirt for now, at Heracles 's convenience rather than his own.
From our football correspondent
Steady
Market25 Jan 2027
“I have given everything here and I need a new challenge.” The request is formal, and the relationship will never be quite the same again.
Squad25 Jan 2027
The manager makes an example of Luka Kulenović
“If you cannot run for the shirt, somebody else will wear it.” No name was used and none was needed; every player in that room knew who it was for.
Match23 Jan 2027
It finished 1-1, and it somehow always looked like it would. One of those afternoons where the table moves less than the tempers.
From our football correspondent
Steady
Match13 Jan 2027
The cup run ends for Heracles
0-1 against Feyenoord , and the road stops here. Cup exits are quick deaths — no second leg, no next week, just the league from now until May.
Squad18 Jan 2027
Some afternoons a goalkeeper is the team. 7 saves, several of them the sort nobody expects to see stopped, and a scoreline that flatters everybody in front of him.
Match16 Jan 2027
Zwolle made Heracles work for it, but the scoreboard read 3-2 at the end and the table does not ask how.
Market18 Jan 2027
The name of Thomas Bruns has come up in conversations Heracles were not part of. Nothing formal, nothing signed — but nothing about it accidental either.
Squad18 Jan 2027
The manager makes an example of Titi
“If you cannot run for the shirt, somebody else will wear it.” No name was used and none was needed; every player in that room knew who it was for.
Squad18 Jan 2027
The competition arrived without a word said to him about it. Fabian de Keijzer keeps the shirt for now, at Heracles 's convenience rather than his own.
From our football correspondent
Uneasy
Match9 Jan 2027
Still nobody has beaten Heracles
The unbeaten run reaches 7. Some of them were wins and some were escapes, but a side that refuses to lose is a side other dressing rooms talk about.
Match9 Jan 2027
Heracles get the job done against NEC A 2-1 win over NEC , earned rather than given, and the sort of afternoon that sends everyone home talking about next week instead of this one.
Squad11 Jan 2027
Jan Žambůrek gets it from the manager“Nobody here is above being told.” It was not said with a name attached, but the dressing room can count, and so can everybody who was listening.
Squad11 Jan 2027
3 goals and a season average of 7.29. Form like that gets noticed well beyond this town.
Squad11 Jan 2027
“It had gone on long enough. I would rather have it out than leave it sitting there.” Ten minutes behind a closed door at Heracles , and both men came out saying it was fine.
Squad11 Jan 2027
The competition arrived without a word said to him about it. Luka Kulenović keeps the shirt for now, at Heracles 's convenience rather than his own.
From our football correspondent
Uneasy
Match2 Jan 2027
9 matches without a win for Heracles
The run now stands at 9, and the questions being asked around Heracles are no longer polite ones.
Market4 Jan 2027
“I have given everything here and I need a new challenge.” The request is formal, and the relationship will never be quite the same again.
Match2 Jan 2027
Still nobody has beaten Heracles
The unbeaten run reaches 6. Some of them were wins and some were escapes, but a side that refuses to lose is a side other dressing rooms talk about.
Match2 Jan 2027
Heracles and Roda take a point apieceIt finished 2-2, and it somehow always looked like it would. One of those afternoons where the table moves less than the tempers.
Squad4 Jan 2027
The manager makes an example of Mario Engels
“If you cannot run for the shirt, somebody else will wear it.” No name was used and none was needed; every player in that room knew who it was for.
Squad4 Jan 2027
The first one is the one every signing is asked about until it arrives. It has arrived, and he can stop being asked.
Market4 Jan 2027
“We are a long way apart, and pretending otherwise helps nobody.” Neither side is close, and the calendar is not on the club's side.
Market4 Jan 2027
The name of Tristan van Gilst keeps appearing in other people's back pages. Heracles say nothing, which says plenty.
Squad4 Jan 2027
Shifted about, taken off before the hour, asked to do somebody else's running — Jeff Reine-Adélaïde has had enough of being useful and would like to be picked. Heracles know, and have known for weeks.
From our football correspondent
Uneasy
Match26 Dec 2026
8 matches without a win for Heracles
The run now stands at 8, and the questions being asked around Heracles are no longer polite ones.
Squad28 Dec 2026
“If you cannot run for the shirt, somebody else will wear it.” No name was used and none was needed; every player in that room knew who it was for.
Match26 Dec 2026
Ninety minutes, two goalkeepers with clean gloves, and not one finish worth keeping. ADO Den Haag will be the happier side with the point.
From our football correspondent
Uneasy
Match19 Dec 2026
7 matches without a win for Heracles
The run now stands at 7, and the questions being asked around Heracles are no longer polite ones.
Squad21 Dec 2026
The manager makes an example of Titi
“If you cannot run for the shirt, somebody else will wear it.” No name was used and none was needed; every player in that room knew who it was for.
Match19 Dec 2026
A 1-1 draw with Willem II leaves the dressing room somewhere between relief and regret.
Titi The manager makes an example of Titi
From our football correspondent
Uneasy
Match12 Dec 2026
6 matches without a win for Heracles
The run now stands at 6, and the questions being asked around Heracles are no longer polite ones.
Squad14 Dec 2026
“If you cannot run for the shirt, somebody else will wear it.” No name was used and none was needed; every player in that room knew who it was for.
Squad14 Dec 2026
3 goals and a season average of 7.27. Form like that gets noticed well beyond this town.
From our football correspondent
Uneasy
Squad7 Dec 2026
“I was told what my role would be, and I signed on that basis. It has not happened.” A grievance with a date attached is the hardest kind to settle.
Match5 Dec 2026
5 matches without a win for Heracles
The run now stands at 5, and the questions being asked around Heracles are no longer polite ones.
Squad7 Dec 2026
“If you cannot run for the shirt, somebody else will wear it.” No name was used and none was needed; every player in that room knew who it was for.
From our football correspondent
Uneasy
Match28 Nov 2026
4 matches without a win for Heracles
The run now stands at 4, and the questions being asked around Heracles are no longer polite ones.
Squad30 Nov 2026
The manager makes an example of Luka Kulenović
“If you cannot run for the shirt, somebody else will wear it.” No name was used and none was needed; every player in that room knew who it was for.
Match28 Nov 2026
1-1, and both dressing rooms will call it two points lost. A draw that asked plenty of questions and answered none of them.
From our football correspondent
Crisis
Match21 Nov 2026
1-5 to Utrecht , and it was every bit as bad as the number suggests. There are defeats you argue about and defeats you apologise for; this was the second kind.
Squad23 Nov 2026
31 days, the medical staff say, and medical staff are optimists by profession. The team sheet will look wrong without him.
Squad23 Nov 2026
“If you cannot run for the shirt, somebody else will wear it.” No name was used and none was needed; every player in that room knew who it was for.
From our football correspondent
Steady
Match11 Nov 2026
Cup progress for Heracles
A 0-0 win over Twente , a place in the next round, and the quiet arithmetic every supporter does on the walk home: how many more until a final?
Squad16 Nov 2026
1 kept out in the shoot-out, and a stadium that will still be describing them in twenty years. A goalkeeper only needs one of these to be remembered forever.
Squad16 Nov 2026
“If you cannot run for the shirt, somebody else will wear it.” No name was used and none was needed; every player in that room knew who it was for.
Match14 Nov 2026
1-1, and both dressing rooms will call it two points lost. A draw that asked plenty of questions and answered none of them.
Squad16 Nov 2026
3 goals and a season average of 7.27. Form like that gets noticed well beyond this town.
The terraces16 Nov 2026
He is the name in every column and on every phone-in, which is a heavy thing to carry at any age. Some footballers thrive on it; others are quietly finished by it.
From our football correspondent
Steady
Squad9 Nov 2026
Some afternoons a goalkeeper is the team. 11 saves, several of them the sort nobody expects to see stopped, and a scoreline that flatters everybody in front of him.
Match7 Nov 2026
Heracles get the job done against PSV A 4-2 win over PSV , earned rather than given, and the sort of afternoon that sends everyone home talking about next week instead of this one.
Squad9 Nov 2026
The manager makes an example of Mario Engels
“If you cannot run for the shirt, somebody else will wear it.” No name was used and none was needed; every player in that room knew who it was for.
Squad9 Nov 2026
Erik Ahlstrand unhappy with how he is being usedAsked to play a role that is not his, or taken off before the hour once too often — Erik Ahlstrand has let it be known that he does not like the way Heracles are using him. Managers hear this long before the press does.
Squad9 Nov 2026
“I would rather say it to his face than read about it.” The meeting was requested by the player, which tells you most of what you need to know.
Boardroom9 Nov 2026
Heracles were not finished after allWritten off a fortnight ago, the squad has closed ranks and answered on the pitch. Something was said behind that door, and so far it is holding.
From our football correspondent
Crisis
Squad2 Nov 2026
The manager makes an example of Luka Kulenović
“If you cannot run for the shirt, somebody else will wear it.” No name was used and none was needed; every player in that room knew who it was for.
Match31 Oct 2026
Beaten 0-1, and beaten fairly. The manager kept his words short afterwards, which was probably wise.
The terraces2 Nov 2026
Everybody has an opinion about Luka Kulenović
He is the name in every column and on every phone-in, which is a heavy thing to carry at any age. Some footballers thrive on it; others are quietly finished by it.
From our football correspondent
Steady
Squad26 Oct 2026
63 days, the medical staff say, and medical staff are optimists by profession. The team sheet will look wrong without him.
Squad26 Oct 2026
The manager makes an example of Titi
“If you cannot run for the shirt, somebody else will wear it.” No name was used and none was needed; every player in that room knew who it was for.
Match24 Oct 2026
Vitesse made Heracles work for it, but the scoreboard read 1-0 at the end and the table does not ask how.
From our football correspondent
Crisis
Squad19 Oct 2026
There were 6 saves in it, and at least three that had no business being saves at all. The ten outfield players owe him a drink and they know it.
Match17 Oct 2026
4 matches without a win for Heracles
The run now stands at 4, and the questions being asked around Heracles are no longer polite ones.
Match17 Oct 2026
Heracles come up short against AZ AZ left with the points after a 0-1 defeat that will take some explaining on the terraces.
From our football correspondent
Uneasy
Match10 Oct 2026
It finished 2-2, and it somehow always looked like it would. One of those afternoons where the table moves less than the tempers.
Squad12 Oct 2026
The manager makes an example of Mario Engels
“If you cannot run for the shirt, somebody else will wear it.” No name was used and none was needed; every player in that room knew who it was for.
Squad12 Oct 2026
“It had gone on long enough. I would rather have it out than leave it sitting there.” Ten minutes behind a closed door at Heracles , and both men came out saying it was fine.
From our football correspondent
Uneasy
Squad5 Oct 2026
36 days, the medical staff say, and medical staff are optimists by profession. The team sheet will look wrong without him.
Squad5 Oct 2026
The manager makes an example of Luka Kulenović
“If you cannot run for the shirt, somebody else will wear it.” No name was used and none was needed; every player in that room knew who it was for.
Boardroom5 Oct 2026
Wages eat 118% of everything Heracles earn
There is a figure at which a wage bill stops being ambitious and becomes the reason nothing else is possible, and this club has reached it. Nothing is left over for a transfer, a stand or a rainy afternoon.
Match3 Oct 2026
A 1-1 draw with Excelsior leaves the dressing room somewhere between relief and regret.
Squad5 Oct 2026
“I would rather say it to his face than read about it.” The meeting was requested by the player, which tells you most of what you need to know.
The terraces5 Oct 2026
Every touch is being weighed now, in print and everywhere else. Some players grow into that and some are quietly ruined by it, and nobody knows which in advance.
From our football correspondent
Crisis
Squad28 Sep 2026
The medical room confirms 92 days on the sidelines for Mike te Wierik , and a plan built around him now has to be rebuilt.
Match26 Sep 2026
Twente left with the points after a 1-3 defeat that will take some explaining on the terraces.
Squad28 Sep 2026
The manager makes an example of Titi
“If you cannot run for the shirt, somebody else will wear it.” No name was used and none was needed; every player in that room knew who it was for.
From our football correspondent
Uneasy
Match19 Sep 2026
Zwolle made Heracles work for it, but the scoreboard read 2-1 at the end and the table does not ask how.
Squad21 Sep 2026
Dirk Abels gets it from the manager“Nobody here is above being told.” It was not said with a name attached, but the dressing room can count, and so can everybody who was listening.
Squad21 Sep 2026
He wheeled away like a man who had been carrying it for months, because he had. Heracles have their signing off the mark and one press-conference question retired.
From our football correspondent
Uneasy
Match12 Sep 2026
5 matches without a win for Heracles
The run now stands at 5, and the questions being asked around Heracles are no longer polite ones.
Match12 Sep 2026
Heracles share the spoils with NEC A 1-1 draw with NEC leaves the dressing room somewhere between relief and regret.
Squad14 Sep 2026
Titi knocks on the manager's door“It had gone on long enough. I would rather have it out than leave it sitting there.” Ten minutes behind a closed door at Heracles , and both men came out saying it was fine.
Titi Titi knocks on the manager's door
From our football correspondent
Uneasy
Match5 Sep 2026
4 matches without a win for Heracles
The run now stands at 4, and the questions being asked around Heracles are no longer polite ones.
Squad7 Sep 2026
66 days, the medical staff say, and medical staff are optimists by profession. The team sheet will look wrong without him.
Squad7 Sep 2026
Damon Mirani gets it from the manager“Nobody here is above being told.” It was not said with a name attached, but the dressing room can count, and so can everybody who was listening.
From our football correspondent
Uneasy
Squad31 Aug 2026
There were 6 saves in it, and at least three that had no business being saves at all. The ten outfield players owe him a drink and they know it.
Squad31 Aug 2026
The medical room confirms 122 days on the sidelines for Mike te Wierik , and a plan built around him now has to be rebuilt.
Market31 Aug 2026
Jordy Bawuah is 19, and Heracles have signed him for the player he will be rather than the one he is. The first team can wait; the point of a deal like this is the years it buys.
Squad31 Aug 2026
The manager makes an example of Mario Engels
“If you cannot run for the shirt, somebody else will wear it.” No name was used and none was needed; every player in that room knew who it was for.
Market31 Aug 2026
He is 20, and nobody at Heracles signed him for this season. Deals like this are judged in four years, by people who may not still be in the building.
Market31 Aug 2026
Both sides expect a conversation in the coming days. Heracles will name a price, and everything after that is arithmetic.
From our football correspondent
Crisis
Squad24 Aug 2026
The manager makes an example of Luka Kulenović
“If you cannot run for the shirt, somebody else will wear it.” No name was used and none was needed; every player in that room knew who it was for.
Match22 Aug 2026
Beaten 0-1, and beaten fairly. The manager kept his words short afterwards, which was probably wise.
Market24 Aug 2026
Talks stall between Heracles and Titi
“We are a long way apart, and pretending otherwise helps nobody.” Neither side is close, and the calendar is not on the club's side.
Market24 Aug 2026
Experience through the door at Heracles
Titi arrives at 38 with nothing left to prove and plenty left to pass on. Legs are a young man's currency; knowing where to stand never ages.
Squad24 Aug 2026
Mike te Wierik knocks on the manager's door“It had gone on long enough. I would rather have it out than leave it sitting there.” Ten minutes behind a closed door at Heracles , and both men came out saying it was fine.
Squad24 Aug 2026
Somebody is after Titi ’s shirt
A new face in his position, and Titi suddenly has to win back what he thought he owned. Heracles have promised nothing — clubs rarely do at this stage.
From our football correspondent
Crisis
Match15 Aug 2026
Beaten 1-2, and beaten fairly. The manager kept his words short afterwards, which was probably wise.
Squad17 Aug 2026
The manager makes an example of Jan Žambůrek
“If you cannot run for the shirt, somebody else will wear it.” No name was used and none was needed; every player in that room knew who it was for.
Squad17 Aug 2026
Naci Ünüvar finally opens his accountHe wheeled away like a man who had been carrying it for months, because he had. Heracles have their signing off the mark and one press-conference question retired.
From our football correspondent
Steady
Market10 Aug 2026
Roda come back empty-handedThe bid was some way short and Heracles did not need long over it. Nobody in the game reads a first refusal as the end of anything.
Squad10 Aug 2026
“I never wanted to be anywhere else. There is unfinished business here.” Djevencio van der Kust commits to Heracles for another 3 years.
Squad10 Aug 2026
97 days, the medical staff say, and medical staff are optimists by profession. The team sheet will look wrong without him.
Squad10 Aug 2026
“If you cannot run for the shirt, somebody else will wear it.” No name was used and none was needed; every player in that room knew who it was for.
Market10 Aug 2026
48 months to run and not a word offered. A club that lets the calendar negotiate for it usually ends up losing to the calendar.
Market10 Aug 2026
Jasper Hateboer is 16, and Heracles have signed him for the player he will be rather than the one he is. The first team can wait; the point of a deal like this is the years it buys.
From our football correspondent
Steady
Squad3 Aug 2026
“I never wanted to be anywhere else. There is unfinished business here.” Jeff Reine-Adélaïde commits to Heracles for another 4 years.
Market3 Aug 2026
49 months to run and not a word offered. A club that lets the calendar negotiate for it usually ends up losing to the calendar.
Market3 Aug 2026
“There is a gap, and pretending there is not helps nobody.” Neither side has moved, and the calendar is working for exactly one of them.