AZ

The AFAS Stadion is the modern home of AZ Alkmaar, located at Stadionweg 1 in Alkmaar, North Holland. The stadium holds 19,500 spectators and was inaugurated in 2006, replacing the historic Alkmaarderhout ground that had served the club for many decades. The new venue was built on a site to the south-west of the city centre following a period in which AZ temporarily shared De Goffert in Nijmegen after the partial roof collapse of their old ground in 2019. Named after the HR software company AFAS, the stadium is a modern, compact venue designed specifically for football, with steep covered stands and excellent facilities.

AZ Alkmaar are one of Dutch football's most interesting stories - a relatively small city club that has repeatedly punched above its weight through excellent youth development, shrewd management, and smart commercial relationships. The club won the Eredivisie in 1980-81 under Louis van Gaal and again in 2008-09, the latter under co-head coaches Ron Jans and Dick Advocaat's successor Marco van Basten's assistant team, but primarily under Louis van Gaal's protege's footballing philosophy. AZ have participated regularly in European competition including the UEFA Cup and Europa League, reaching the semi-finals of the former in 2004-05. The club produced notable Dutch internationals including Ron Vlaar and later in the academy the Coutinho generation.

The AFAS Stadion's compact design creates a consistently vocal and intense atmosphere that makes it one of the Eredivisie's better environments for home teams. The north stand is the most energetic section of the ground. AZ's supporter culture and the regional pride of North Holland football are palpable at the ground. The club's strong youth academy, the AZ Academie, is one of the Netherlands' most respected development systems and regularly produces players for the Dutch national team and European clubs. Alkmaar itself is famous for its traditional cheese market and historic windmills, and AZ's presence as a Champions League qualifier adds a modern sporting dimension to the city's rich heritage.