:AZ Alkmaar (women)

{{short description|Dutch women's association football club}}

{{Infobox football club

| clubname = AZ

| image = File:AZ Alkmaar.svg

| fullname = Alkmaar Zaanstreek

| nickname =

| short name = AZ

| ground = *{{interlanguage link|AFAS Trainingcomplex|nl}}

• AFAS Stadion (select matches)

| chairman =

| founded = {{Start date and age|2007}}

| manager = Mark de Vries

| league = Azerion Vrouwen Eredivisie

| season = 2023–24

| position = 9th

| website = {{URL|http://www.az.nl/}}

}}

AZ or AZ Vrouwen is a women's association football club based in Alkmaar, the Netherlands. They are affiliated with the AZ men's team. They were founding members of the Eredivisie Vrouwen in 2007 and won the league's first three championships. In February 2011, AZ announced they were withdrawing support for their women's club for financial reasons.{{cite web|title=AZ stopt met vrouwenvoetbal |url=http://www.az.nl/index.php?id=27&newsid=254728&folderid=222 |publisher=AZ.nl |date=22 February 2011 |accessdate=23 February 2011 |url-status=dead |archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20110227070723/http://www.az.nl/index.php?id=27&newsid=254728&folderid=222 |archivedate=27 February 2011 }}

As AZ folded, Telstar fielded a team in the 2011–12 season, and most of the AZ players signed with the newly formed club.{{cite web|title=Telstar vrouwen in eredivisie |url=http://www.ijmuidercourant.nl/nieuws/sport/sport_regionaal/telstar/article9389851.ece/Telstar-vrouwen-in-eredivisie |publisher=I J Muider Courant |date=27 May 2011 |accessdate=9 October 2011 |url-status=dead |archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20120331223007/http://www.ijmuidercourant.nl/nieuws/sport/sport_regionaal/telstar/article9389851.ece/Telstar-vrouwen-in-eredivisie |archivedate=31 March 2012 }} Telstar was replaced in the region by VV Alkmaar in 2017.{{Cite web |date=2017-03-01 |title=Vrouwen van Telstar zoeken hun heil onder de vlag van Alkmaar |url=https://nos.nl/artikel/2160763-vrouwen-van-telstar-zoeken-hun-heil-onder-de-vlag-van-alkmaar.html |access-date=2024-09-10 |website=nos.nl |language=nl}}

In January 2022, AZ announced they were exploring restarting a women's club.{{Cite web|url=https://www.vrouwenvoetbalnieuws.nl/keert-az-terug-in-vrouwenvoetbal-serieus-aan-het-onderzoeken/|title = Keert AZ terug in vrouwenvoetbal? "Serieus aan het onderzoeken"}} Two months later, AZ announced they were going to financially support and were working closely with VV Alkmaar.{{Cite web|url=https://www.vrouwenvoetbalnieuws.nl/az-maakt-stappen-met-vv-alkmaar-in-heel-goede-harmonie/|title = AZ maakt stappen met VV Alkmaar: "In heel goede harmonie"}} As AZ and VV Alkmaar intensified their collaboration in 2022, AZ took the place of VV Alkmaar in the Women's Eredivisie starting in the 2023–24 season.{{Cite web|url=https://www.az.nl/nl/nieuws/az-vrouwen-selectie-voorbereiding-meer|title = AZ Vrouwen: selectie, voorbereiding & meer}}

On 23 March 2023, Mark De Vries was named the team's manager.{{Cite web |title=Trainer Mark de Vries verhuist mee van VV Alkmaar naar AZ Vrouwen |url=https://www.nhnieuws.nl/nieuws/316985/trainer-mark-de-vries-verhuist-mee-van-vv-alkmaar-naar-az-vrouwen |access-date=2023-10-23 |website=www.nhnieuws.nl |language=nl}}{{Cite web |last=Diamond |first=Drew |date=2023-10-16 |title=Vrouwen Eredivisie: Telstar take hard earned 1-0 victory over AZ Alkmaar |url=https://herfootballhub.com/vrouwen-eredivisie-telstar-defeat-az-alkmaar/ |access-date=2023-10-23 |website=Her Football Hub |language=en-GB}} The club finished 9th out of 12 teams in its first year back in the Eredivisie.

File:AZ Vrouwen landskampioen 2008.jpg first time in 2008]]