N.E.C. Nijmegen is ready for the Champions League, but the organization is not yet ready for the big challenge. General director Wilco van Schaik speaks about the big differences between the Europa League and the Champions League. 'It's really big. Everyone takes the word Champions League already very nicely in their mouth', starts Van Schaik in the podcast The Boardroom. 'I have already said internally, and that is also the lesson we learned from Go Ahead: 'I find it really nice that European football and for the supporters who travel are very nice, but next year it will really be about the competition again'. We must play in the first eight, because then you can also prolong success and again participate in European football. That is the most important. In Europe we also want to pick up points, like Go Ahead Eagles. But we must not have a big decline.' With the composition of the selection we take that into account, continues the director. 'We are thinking a lot. We are in close contact with Go Ahead Eagles about what the organization has to offer. People are really going full speed again. We had two people from the UEFA visit us this week to visit the stadium. If you play in the Europa League, you are almost as good as Europa League-proof. The Champions League is really a completely different level. We are totally not ready for that yet. For the first qualifying round we are not yet subject to those rules, but in the playoffs it must be Champions League-worthy.' The other directors at the table agree with Van Schaik. A lot is asked of a club like N.E.C. Nijmegen. 'If you already know what you have to arrange for the Europa League', interjects Jan Willem van Dop, general director of Go Ahead Eagles, 'in a way, a shower for the coach of the opponent. That goes very far.' Van Schaik continues: 'We have now learned what else is needed for the Champions League. That is unprecedented. There must be a lot of space for media. I believe in eight TV compounds, multiple skyboxes. We will have to use the entire forecourt. Also, business rooms must be multiple. They were shocked by us. But it's a big game. If we get through that qualifying round, which will be very heavy, we will get 4.5 million euros, while the qualification prize for the Europa League is also 4.5 million. The differences are bizarre.'