Excelsior officially started its new season, with training held on the fields of the amateur club Rotterdam Swift Boys. As happens every year, until the end of August the team will be able to see the arrival and departure of players, but the first stages of the new season have already started. Swift Boys, which breathes amateur football from the 80s, offers a welcoming environment. In the canteen, the atmosphere is typical Rotterdam, and the club has been an exemplary host to Excelsior since last season, with good pitches and a relaxed atmosphere that matches the humility of the Eredivisie team. Before nine in the morning, the Excelsior players were already warming up on the field in front of the canteen, either on bicycles, on mats or simply stretching. Warming up your muscles is essential, and coach Ruben den Uil and his team chose to start at nine o'clock due to the tropical heat in the Netherlands. "Just use common sense," said the coach when asked about adapting to the conditions. A light breeze brought a little coolness, but in truth, the term "freshness" didn't apply. Noah Naujoks, still sweaty and panting after training, commented that the temperature was acceptable. And it soon became clear why: "I live at the top of a building with a flat roof. That's what's hot. I fled to my parents' house two weeks ago to escape the heat with air conditioning."