Original Quick football jacket AZ Alkmaar 2010/11

In the 2010/11 season, AZ played in the Eredivisie. AZ also participated in the KNVB Cup and UEFA Europa League tournaments this season.

After a poor start to the competition (three points from the first five games), AZ eventually managed to finish fourth and the goal of qualifying for European football was achieved. Due to this fourth place, AZ reached the third qualifying round of the Europa League in the 2011/12 season. In the KNVB Cup, AZ was eliminated by Ajax in the eighth finals. In the Europa League, AZ (as group leader) reached the group stage, but was eliminated.

This season was the first of the three-year plan presented in June with which AZ should be made healthy, after the bankruptcy of main sponsor and owner DSB Bank and DSB Beheer in October 2009. After the 2012/13 season, AZ should be completely debt-free and back on track after the 2012/13 season. can stand on its own two feet.

On December 1, 2010, AZ was classified in category 1 by the KNVB licensing committee. Clubs in this category had to draw up an action plan and have their budget in order within three years, on penalty of, for example, points being deducted. The reigning 2009 national champion believed that it should have been classified in category 2 based on the budget, but appealed against the decision in vain.

AZ made a profit of 5.9 million euros in the 2009/10 season. These additional revenues mainly came from the UEFA Champions League. "All announced transfers have been realized. AZ has a healthy balance sheet and hardly any debts," the club management said. AZ was unlucky that the KNVB stuck to June 1 as the reference date. On that very day, the curator transferred shares to AZ, with which the club could demonstrate that it had emerged from the danger zone financially.