You’ve probably seen the erratic swings. One week, Almere City FC looks like they’re absolutely cruising toward the top of the table, and the next, they’re dropping points to teams they should be dominating. It’s the classic Eerste Divisie rollercoaster. After being relegated from the Eredivisie in 2025, the pressure was on for them to bounce back immediately. But football is rarely that simple.
Honestly, if you’re just checking the almere city fc standings once a month, you’re missing the actual story of their season.
As of mid-January 2026, Almere sits in a respectable but frustrating 6th place. They’ve played 21 matches, racking up 32 points. That sounds decent, right? Well, it’s complicated. They are currently 20 points behind the league leaders, ADO Den Haag, who are basically playing on a different planet this year.
The Numbers That Actually Matter
Let’s look at the raw data. Out of those 21 games, they’ve won 10, drawn 2, and lost 9. It’s that "9" in the loss column that keeps fans up at night. You can’t really expect to hunt down teams like SC Cambuur or De Graafschap when you’re losing nearly half of your matches.
The goal difference is +10 (45 goals for, 35 against). They can score. Julian Rijkhoff has been a revelation, clinical in front of the net with 10 goals so far. Byron Burgering isn't far behind with 8. When those two are on, Almere is a nightmare to defend against. But the backline? Sorta shaky. They’ve conceded 1.67 goals per game on average, which is way too high for a team with promotion ambitions.
📖 Related: NFL Football Teams in Order: Why Most Fans Get the Hierarchy Wrong
Why the almere city fc standings Are Deceiving
If you just look at the rank, you might think they’re stuck. But look at the recent form. They just came off a massive 4-2 win against FC Emmen and a gritty 3-2 victory over Jong PSV. Before a match against MVV Maastricht was postponed, they were building real momentum.
Home Turf vs. The Road
There is a massive divide in how this team performs based on where the bus parks.
- At the Yanmar Stadion: They are a force. 6 wins, 2 draws, and only 3 losses. They’ve banked 20 points at home.
- Away from home: It’s a different story. 4 wins and 6 losses. No draws. It’s all or nothing when they travel, and usually, it's nothing.
Manager Jeroen Rijsdijk, who took over in early 2025 after the Hedwiges Maduro era ended in disappointment, has been trying to stabilize the defense. It’s been a work in progress. They keep clean sheets in only about 27% of their matches. That’s a stat that’ll kill a promotion dream faster than anything else.
The Battle for the Playoffs
The reality is that catching ADO Den Haag (52 points) is a pipe dream at this stage. But the Eerste Divisie is unique because of the "Period" system. Even if you aren't first in the overall almere city fc standings, you can punch a ticket to the promotion playoffs by winning a specific block of games.
👉 See also: Why Your 1 Arm Pull Up Progression Isn't Working (And How to Fix It)
Right now, Almere is neck-and-neck with FC Den Bosch. Both have 32 points. Den Bosch has a much worse goal difference (+1), while Almere sits at +10. That could be the tiebreaker that matters in May.
Key Players Keeping the Dream Alive
Junior Kadile has been the engine in the midfield. He’s got 5 goals and 4 assists, but his real value is the 2.6 successful dribbles per 90 minutes. He breaks lines. Then you have James Lawrence at the back, who’s trying to organize a relatively young defense. He’s averaging 7.0 clearances per game—basically a human magnet for the ball in the box.
Is the current 6th place a failure? Not necessarily. After the trauma of finishing last in the Eredivisie just a year ago, stabilizing the ship was the first priority. They are comfortably in the playoff zone.
What’s Next for the Black and Red?
The schedule coming up is brutal. They have De Graafschap on January 18th. That is a "six-pointer" in every sense of the word. If they win, they start breathing down the necks of the top three. If they lose, they risk falling into the messy mid-table scrap with VVV-Venlo and Willem II.
✨ Don't miss: El Salvador partido de hoy: Why La Selecta is at a Critical Turning Point
Also, don't ignore the KNVB Beker. They are currently facing Telstar in the Round of 16. A deep cup run is great for morale, but it can also exhaust a squad that already looks thin in certain positions.
If you’re tracking the almere city fc standings for betting or just pure fandom, keep an eye on the second-half scoring trends. This team scores most of its goals after the 60th minute. They have stamina, but they often start games like they forgot to drink their coffee.
To stay ahead of the curve, watch the injury report for Milan de Haan. He’s played over 1,500 minutes this season and is the primary playmaker. If he sits, the service to Rijkhoff dries up immediately.
Monitor the "Period 3" standings specifically. Almere often thrives in the late-winter months when the pitches get heavy and their physical style of play wears down the "Jong" (academy) teams like Ajax U21 and AZ U21. If they can sweep their games in February, that 6th place ranking will jump very quickly. Focus on the away form—if they can steal even two draws on the road in the next month, they’ll be locks for the postseason.