Den Bosch to Face Excelsior Route After Clinching Sixth Play-Off Ticket

FC Den Bosch qualified for the Eredivisie promotion play-offs

FC Den Bosch secured the final Dutch promotion play-off ticket despite losing 3-1 to ADO Den Haag. Bizarre period standings rules saw fans celebrate defeat as Cambuur and Willem II wins helped Den Bosch through.

Play-off spot confirmed with loss to ADO Den Haag. With other results going their way, a 3-1 loss earned Den Bosch the final play-off ticket...

FC Den Bosch have officially claimed the final promotion play-off ticket after losing to ADO Den Haag, making a bizarre scenario come true in the Dutch second division.

FC Den Bosch lost 3-1 to Keuken Kampioen Divisie champions ADO Den Haag, while Cambuur beat Vitesse and Willem II beat FC Dordrecht. The results made Den Bosch the sixth and final team from the Dutch second tier to grab a play-off ticket.

FC Den Bosch fans celebrated going down to ADO Den Haag after Sekou Sylla scored the opener in the 25th minute, singing “We are going up!” in unison.

Ahead of Friday’s final regular-season games of the Keuken Kampioen Divisie, FC Den Bosch were better off losing to ADO Den Haag. A win for ADO would likely keep Vitesse from claiming a play-off ticket via the period standings.

With the confusing promotion play-off rules in their favour, FC Den Bosch needed two of ADO Den Haag, Willem II, and Almere City FC to finish above Vitesse in the fourth-period standings. All three of those teams were already promoted or guaranteed a spot in the play-offs.

Vitesse chased ADO Den Haag and Willem II in the fourth period and needed a top-two finish to claim the final ticket. That would have left FC Den Bosch, already guaranteed a ninth-placed finish in the regular standings, empty-handed.

𝐏𝐋𝐀𝐘-𝐎𝐅𝐅𝐒 𝟐𝟎𝟐𝟔. 😍 pic.twitter.com/HMT4M8ExpO

— FC Den Bosch (@mijnfcdenbosch) April 24, 2026

With their ninth-placed finish now handing them a play-off ticket, FC Den Bosch will be the sixth second-tier side to enter the fight for promotion to the Eredivisie. They join Willem II, De Graafschap, Almere City FC, RKC Waalwijk, and Roda JC.

The 16th-placed Eredivisie team, currently Excelsior, also heads into the play-offs. They will face one of the six second-tier teams in a two-legged final on Wednesday, May 20th, and Saturday, May 23rd.