Cambuur are back in the Eredivisie after three years away, opening the new campaign at home to Excelsior on 7 August 2026 at the Kooi Stadion. Promoted as runners-up in the 2025 26 Eerste Divisie, Leeuwarden are determined to make an immediate impression against a side that finished 13th last season. Neither club faces European commitments or obvious relegation anxiety heading in, so this is a fixture where the opening result shapes how each squad settles into what is, for one of them, a very different level of football.
Johan Plat takes charge of Cambuur in the top flight for the first time, having been appointed in July 2026 on a two year deal with an option for a third. Rik Reinsma is his assistant, with Henk de Jong shifting into a supporting role after steering the promotion. Ruben den Uil remains at the Excelsior helm, having been in post since July 2024 with his contract running until 2027. There is no meaningful head to head record between the two managers given how recently both arrived at their respective clubs, so tactical philosophy is more informative than personal track record here.
Cambuur's pre season has been less than reassuring, with their 3 1 defeat to Bologna on 1 August 2026 exposing defensive gaps that Plat will need addressed before Friday, while Excelsior's preparations have been less publicly documented. Neither side arrives in anything like peak competitive shape, which makes this opener hard to call.
No suspensions are expected to affect either side and Cambuur are integrating youth after several departures, with Ilyes Hamache and Fabian Kvam the names to watch in that emerging generation, while Excelsior are managing Kasey Boss's shoulder concern and leaning on Gyan de Regt and Irakli Yegoian in attack.
Both teams are projected in a 4 3 3. Cambuur are set to line up with Jansen in goal, Baouf and Amofa at centre back and Hamache, Apkakou and Souren in midfield ahead of a front line including Henstra and Kvam. Excelsior are expected to start Van Gassel behind Meissen, Widell, Cairo and Henderikx, with Naujoks, Hartjes and Yegoian in the middle and De Regt, Groen and Tielemans leading the line.
What the Bologna defeat made clear is that Cambuur's defensive shape is not yet where it needs to be and Plat will likely demand more conservative positioning on the night rather than risk an early thrashing on their first top flight appearance in three years. Several of the forwards who carried them to promotion have left, meaning younger options like Kvam need to contribute quickly in a harder division. Den Uil's Excelsior look to move the ball quickly and get their forwards running in behind, which is exactly what Cambuur's back four will be bracing for. If Excelsior can control the midfield, they give their forwards the time and space to run in behind, if Cambuur's engine room can disrupt that supply, the hosts have the better of the game.
Excelsior have the better of the all time record across 64 meetings, winning 28 to Cambuur's total with the rest drawn and recent editions have tended to go their way too, though those results carry less weight given the three year gap since Cambuur were last in the top flight. Cambuur will be keen to end that run on the night they come back.
Set pieces could end up being disproportionately important given how little open play data exists from pre season for either side and Cambuur in particular need to tighten up from their Bologna showing. Conditions in Leeuwarden in early August are usually mild enough to be irrelevant but a packed Kooi Stadion on a promotion return carries its own energy.
We are going with a 2 2 draw. Cambuur's home advantage and the emotion of their top flight return should be enough to create two goals but the defensive vulnerabilities that showed up against Bologna are a real concern against an Excelsior attack that finished 13th in the Eredivisie last season while posing consistent problems for opposing defences. Cambuur's back four being tested early by Excelsior's forwards and at least one goal from each side, feels like the most likely shape of the game.
Ryan Baldi
Football Writer
Ryan Baldi is a professional football writer with years of experience and has been featured by respected outlets such as the BBC, The Guardian, Sky Sports, DAZN, FourFourTwo, ESPN, Yahoo Sport and Football365. He has also written several books including Arsène Who?.
