Feyenoord is a
DutchThe Netherlands is a country in Northwestern Europe, constituting the major portion of the Kingdom of the Netherlands. It is a parliamentary democratic constitutional monarchy. The Netherlands borders the North Sea to the north and west, Belgium to the south, and Germany to the east...
professional
footballAssociation football, more commonly known as football or soccer, is a team sport played between two teams of eleven players using a spherical ball...
clubA football team is the collective name given to a group of players selected together in the various team sports known as football.Such teams could be selected to play in a against an opposing team, to represent a football club, group, state or nation, an All-star team or even selected as a...
located in
RotterdamRotterdam ; city and municipality in the Dutch province of South Holland, situated in the west of the Netherlands. The municipality is the second largest in the country, with a population of 584,046 as of January 2007...
. With Ajax and
PSVPhilips Sport Vereniging , widely known either as PSV or PSV Eindhoven, is a Dutch sports club from Eindhoven, Netherlands. It is best known for its professional football department....
, Feyenoord is one of the "big three" clubs in the Netherlands. One or another of these three clubs has won every Dutch League Championship since 1965 – with the exception of AZ '67's 1981 and 2009 titles – and they are, together with FC Utrecht and
Roda JCRoda JC is a Dutch football club located in Kerkrade, Netherlands. Roda JC plays in the Dutch Eredivisie.-History:Roda JC came into being by the merger of several football clubs from Kerkrade. In 1954, SV Kerkrade and SV Bleijerheide merged to form Roda Sport...
, the only clubs never to have relegated from Dutch first division football. In domestic competition, Feyenoord has won 14
Dutch ChampionshipsFor the Eredivisie for female football see: Eredivisie The Eredivisie is the highest football league in the Netherlands.The top division consists of 18 clubs. Each club faces every other club twice during the season, once at home and once away...
, 11
Dutch CupsThe KNVB Cup is a competition in the Netherlands organized by the Royal Netherlands Football Association since 1899. It was based on the format of the English FA Cup. Outside of the Netherlands, it is often referred to as the Dutch Cup...
and 2
Dutch SupercupsThe Johan Cruijff Shield is a football trophy in the Netherlands named after legendary Dutch football player Johan Cruyff, also often referred to as the Dutch Super Cup. The winner is decided in one match only, played by the winner of the national football league and the winner of the national...
to go with the
European CupThe UEFA Champions League is an annual association football cup competition organised by UEFA since 1955 for the top football clubs in Europe...
, two
UEFA CupThe UEFA Europa League is a competition for eligible European football clubs; the second most prestigious European football contest after the UEFA Champions League. It is an annual football cup competition for European club teams organised by the Union of European Football Associations...
s and the
Intercontinental CupThe European/South American Cup, commonly referred to as the Intercontinental Cup or Toyota Cup, was a football competition endorsed by UEFA and CONMEBOL, contested between the winners of the European Cup and the South American Copa Libertadores...
.
Location
Feyenoord are located in the
Feijenoord districtFeijenoord is a district in Rotterdam and is located south of the Nieuwe Maas. As of 1 January 2004 there were 72,320 citizens. The area is 6.44 km² . It is the home of the city's main football club, Feyenoord....
of southern Rotterdam after the district in which the team was founded. More frequent appearances in international tournaments led the team to change its name in 1974 because foreign fans unfamiliar with the Dutch language did not know how to pronounce
ij.
Besides Feyenoord, there are two other professional football teams in Rotterdam:
SpartaSparta Rotterdam is the oldest professional football team in the Netherlands, established on April 1, 1888. Until the 2002/2003 season Sparta Rotterdam had always played at the highest level, but they were relegated from the top-level Eredivisie in 2002. Sparta returned to the Eredivisie for the...
and Excelsior. Feyenoord and Sparta play in the
EredivisieFor the Eredivisie for female football see: Eredivisie The Eredivisie is the highest football league in the Netherlands.The top division consists of 18 clubs. Each club faces every other club twice during the season, once at home and once away...
, but Excelsior was relegated in the 2007-08 season.
1908-1939
The football club
Wilhelmina were founded in the pub
De Vereeniging on 19 July 1908 and played in blue-sleeved red shirts and white shorts. Between 1908 and 1912 the club underwent a series of changes of name and team colours, becoming
Hillesluise Football Club in 1909 and then
RVV Celeritas. Upon earning promotion to the
National football associationThe Royal Netherlands Football Association is the governing body of football in the Netherlands. It organises the main Dutch football leagues , the amateur leagues, the KNVB Cup, and the Dutch national football team...
in 1912, the club renamed to become SC Feijenoord, after the city district in which the team was founded and again changed uniform, adopting the red and white shirts, black shorts and black socks they still wear today. In 1917 Feijenoord were promoted to the highest level of Dutch football, 1e klasse (1st division) and moved to the ground
Kromme Zandweg.
Sixteen years after the formation of the club and a mere three years after they were promoted to the highest level of Dutch football Feijenoord earned their first honours by capturing the national league championship in 1924. The team enjoyed a string of successes in the latter half of the decade, taking divisional titles in 1926, 1927, 1928 and 1929, and winning their second national championship in 1928.
Feijenoord won their first Dutch Cup in 1930 by scoring the only goal in a
derbyIn many countries the term local derby, or simply just derby means a sporting fixture between two rivals, particularly in association football...
final against Excelsior. They continued to dominate their division with three consecutive titles, but were winless in subsequent championship finals. Five years after their first cup win, Feijenoord took the prize for a second time in 1935 by beating
Helmond SportHelmond Sport is a Dutch football club, playing in the Dutch Eerste Divisie and located in Helmond, Noord-Brabant. The club was founded on July 27, 1967, as a breakaway from the local professional club Helmondia '55, which had gone bankrupt....
.
Feijenoord started to attract more fans to their stadium at Kromme Zandweg, and in 1933 decided to build a new facility. The club moved to the
Feijenoord StadionThe Feijenoord Stadion, better known by its nickname De Kuip , is a stadium in Rotterdam, Netherlands that was completed in 1937. The name is derived from the area "Feijenoord" in Rotterdam, and from the club with the same name .Capacity at completion: 64,000. Maximum capacity: 69,000...
(nicknamed "De Kuip" or "the Tub") in 1937, playing the first match there on 27 March against
BeerschotK.F.C. Germinal Beerschot is a Belgian football club based in Antwerp. This club was established in 1999 as a result of the merger between K.F.C. Germinal Ekeren and K. Beerschot V.A.C..- History :...
. During this period Feijenoord won three consecutive division titles from 1936 to 1938, with their third and fourth national championships coming in 1936 and 1938.
1940-1969
During
World War IIWorld War II, or the Second World War , was a global military conflict which involved a majority of the world's nations, including all great powers, organized into two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
Feijenoord played their matches at
Sparta RotterdamSparta Rotterdam is the oldest professional football team in the Netherlands, established on April 1, 1888. Until the 2002/2003 season Sparta Rotterdam had always played at the highest level, but they were relegated from the top-level Eredivisie in 2002. Sparta returned to the Eredivisie for the...
's
KasteelSparta-Stadion Het Kasteel is a football stadium in Rotterdam, Netherlands. It is the home ground of Sparta Rotterdam. It has a capacity of 11,026....
, as the
NazisNazism, known officially in German as National Socialism , is the totalitarian ideology and practices of the Nazi Party or National Socialist German Workers’ Party under Adolf Hitler, and the policies adopted by the dictatorial government of Nazi Germany from 1933 to 1945.Nazism is often considered...
had occupied De Kuip. When Het Kasteel was unavailable due to clashes with Sparta fixtues, Feijenoord played at their former ground, the Kromme Zandweg.
Feijenoord's again won a division title with a national championship in 1940, their fifth Dutch title. During the German occupation of the Netherlands play continued in Dutch football leagues, though the 1945 championship was cancelled as the war came to its conclusion. During this period Feijenoord's only trophy was a divisional championship in 1943. After the war Feijenoord did not perform as well as they had in previous decades, not seriously challenging in their division and so missing the national playoff rounds.
on 30 June 1954 the chairmen of the three biggest Rotterdam teams organised a meeting in
UtrechtUtrecht city and municipality is the capital and most populous city of the Dutch province of Utrecht. It is located in the eastern end of the Randstad, and is the fourth largest city of the Netherlands, with a population of 300,030 in 2007...
, which was attended by several chairmen of other clubs and a delegation of the
KNVBThe Royal Netherlands Football Association is the governing body of football in the Netherlands. It organises the main Dutch football leagues , the amateur leagues, the KNVB Cup, and the Dutch national football team...
to discuss the start of professional football in the Netherlands. The professional era commenced with the first
EredivisieFor the Eredivisie for female football see: Eredivisie The Eredivisie is the highest football league in the Netherlands.The top division consists of 18 clubs. Each club faces every other club twice during the season, once at home and once away...
season in 1954/1955. Feijenoord were one of the clubs participating in the inaugural Eredivisie and have never been relegated. One of the most memorable matches in these first years of professional football was the clash between Feijenoord and the
VolewijckersDe Volewijckers is a football club from Amsterdam, Netherlands. They are one of a number of Dutch clubs that were successful in post-war leagues before being forced to merge to cope with the popularity of the big teams such as Ajax and Feyenoord....
at 2 April 1956, which Feijenoord won 11-4 with nine goals by
Henk SchoutenHenk Schouten is a retired Dutch footballer who was active as a midfielder. Schouten made his debut at Excelsior Rotterdam and also played for Holland Sport and Feijenoord.-Honours:...
. Feijenoord would grow an intense rivalry with AFC Ajax. Matches between the two clubs quickly were dubbed as 'de Klassieker' (The Classic). The first memorable
KlassiekerDe Klassieker is the national football derby of the Netherlands. It is between Ajax, of Amsterdam and Feyenoord, of Rotterdam, highly contested. The record attendance was on 9 January 1966, when 65,562 watched in Rotterdam. -Violence:...
from a Feijenoord point of view took place at 11 November 1956, when
Daan den BleijkerDaan den Bleijker is a former Dutch footballer who was active as a forward. Den Bleijker made his debut at Feijenoord, but also played for DHC.-References:*...
scored four times to give Feijenoord a 7-3 win over their arch rivals.
Feijenoord claimed their first professional Eredivisie Championship and their sixth Dutch Championship in history in 1961. On the road to the title Ajax were beaten 9-5 in De Kuip, four of Feijenoord's goals were scored by Henk Schouten. The following season, they played their first
European CupThe UEFA Champions League is an annual association football cup competition organised by UEFA since 1955 for the top football clubs in Europe...
match facing
IFK GöteborgIFK Göteborg is a Swedish professional football club based in Gothenburg. The club can be referred to as IFK, although this can be confusing as there are many other clubs in Sweden who use the abbreviation as part of their name. The club is more usually known in Sweden as "Blåvitt" , in reference...
. The Swedes were beaten 0-3 in Gothenburg and 8-2 in Rotterdam. Feijenoord were eliminated by
Tottenham HotspurTottenham Hotspur Football Club, , commonly referred to as Spurs, is an English professional football club based in Tottenham, North London which currently plays in the Premier League...
in the following round. In 1962 Feijenoord successfully defended their Dutch Championship title and reached the final of the
Intertoto Cup 1961-62The 1961–62 Intertoto Cup was the first Intertoto Cup, a football tournament for European clubs that would otherwise not have a European competition to compete in. The inaugural tournament was won by Ajax, who defeated Feyenoord in the final...
. Feijenoord faced arch-rivals Ajax in the final, which was won by the Amsterdam team 4-2.
On 12 December 1962 Feyenoord played a decisive match versus
Vasas SCVasas SC is one of Hungary's major sports clubs. Most of its facilities are situated in Budapest's 13th district in the north of the town. Members of the Hungarian Union of Iron Workers founded the club as Vas-és Fémmunkások Sport Clubja, the "Sport Club of Iron and Steel Workers", on 16 March 1911...
in the second round of the
European Cup 1962-63The season 1962–63 of the European Cup football club tournament was won by A.C. Milan for the first time, in a final match against Benfica, who were appearing in a third consecutive final.-Preliminary round:|}...
. The first two legs, in Rotterdam and
BudapestBudapest is the capital of Hungary. As the largest city of Hungary, it serves as the country's principal political, cultural, commercial, industrial, and transportation center and is considered an important hub in Central Europe. In 2009, Budapest had 1,712,210 inhabitants, down from a mid-1980s...
both ended in 1-0 home victories, and a replay on a neutral ground took place. The match was played in
Antwerp||-||-||-||}Antwerp is a city and municipality in Belgium and the capital of the Antwerp province in Flanders, one of Belgium's three regions. Antwerp's total population is 472,071 and its total area is , giving a population density of 2,308 inhabitants per km²...
,
BelgiumThe Kingdom of Belgium is a country in northwest Europe. It is a founding member of the European Union and hosts its headquarters, as well as those of other major international organizations, including NATO...
and 30,000 Feijenoord fans travelled by bus to see their team play. For the third time the final score was 1-0, with the only goal scored by
Rinus BennaarsRinus Bennaars is a retired Dutch footballer who was active as a right midfielder.Bennaars started his career at the time that professional football in the Netherlands did not yet exist. On 25 November 1951, when playing for SV Dosko Bennaars played his first match for the Dutch national football...
who was immediately nicknamed "The hero of Deurne" (the neighbourhood in Antwerp where the match was played). The events in Antwerp resulted in an enduring friendly relationship between the fans of Feyenoord and Royal Antwerp FC.
In 1963 hundreds of thousands of people stood ashore by the
Nieuwe MaasThe Nieuwe Maas is a river branch of the Rhine-Meuse delta in the Netherlands. It runs from the confluence of the rivers Noord and Lek, and flows west through Rotterdam. It ends west of the city where it meets the Oude Maas , near Vlaardingen, to form Het Scheur...
and the
Nieuwe WaterwegThe Nieuwe Waterweg is a ship canal in the Netherlands from het Scheur west of the town of Maassluis to the North Sea at Hook of Holland...
to wave two ships, de
Groote Beer and the
Waterman goodbye. The ships transported thousands of Feijenoord fans to
LisbonLisbon is the capital and largest city of Portugal. It is also the seat of the district of Lisbon and the main city of the Lisbon region...
where the club faced Benfica on 8 May 1963 in the European Cup semi-finals. The first leg, held in Rotterdam a month earlier, finished 0-0. Feijenoord eventually lost the match against Benfica 3-1, but this turned out to be the start of the most successful period in the club's history. Feijenoord won the double for the first time in their history in 1965 and managed to win another double a few years later in 1969. The 1965 title secured Feijenoord a spot in the
European Cup 1965-66The 1965–66 season of the European Cup football club tournament was won by Real Madrid for the sixth time in a close final against FK Partizan.-Preliminary round:|}-First round:|}-Quarter-finals:|}-Semi-finals:|}...
where they faced multiple cup champions
Real MadridReal Madrid Club de Fútbol is a professional football club based in Madrid, Spain. It is the most successful team in Spanish football and was voted by FIFA as the most successful club of the 20th century, having won a record thirty-one La Liga titles, seventeen Spanish Cups, a record nine European...
on 8 September 1965 in the preliminaries. During the match
Hans KraayHans Kraay is a retired Dutch footballer who was active as a defender and then in football management and television.Born in Utrecht, Kraay made his professional debut at DOS and also played for Feijenoord....
had to leave the pitch injured after 31 minutes, without being substituted. He returned at the start of the second half and scored the goal which resulted in a 2-1 win. Later during the match fans' favourite
Coen MoulijnCoenraad Moulijn is a former Dutch footballer who played for Feyenoord and was part of their European Cup victory in 1970. He earned 38 caps and scored 4 goals for the Netherlands national football team....
was attacked roughly by a Spanish defender. Moulijn then chased the defender all over the pitch. Several other players did the same, as did some fans who entered the pitch. The referee could do nothing but suspend the match at 2-1 in Feijenoord's favour. Two weeks later Real comfortably beat Feyenoord 5-0, and eventually won the European Cup that season.e dhajti man fund ki gjokator ene dihet
1970-1999
As the 1969 Dutch champions, Feijenoord participated in the
European Cup 1969-70The season 1969–70 of the European Cup football club tournament was won by Feyenoord in an extra time final victory against Celtic FC. It was the first time the cup went to the Netherlands, and beginning a run of four consecutive years the trophy went there...
. After thrashing
Knattspyrnufélag ReykjavíkurKnattspyrnufélag Reykjavíkur, , for short KR or KR Reykjavík, is an Icelandic athletic club based in the capital, Reykjavík. KR is the oldest and most successful club in Icelandic football.-History:...
16-2 on aggregate in the first round the team faced AC Milan. Feijenoord lost the first leg 1-0 in Italy, but overcame the deficit in their own stadium following a 2-0 win, securing a place in the quarter finals where they faced
ASK Vorwärts BerlinFC Viktoria 91 Frankfurt is a German football club based in Frankfurt , Brandenburg.-History:The club was originally founded as the army club KVP Vorwärts Leipzig in 1951...
.
The tie followed the same pattern as the previous round, Feijenoord losing the first match 1-0 away, then winning 2-0 at home. In the semi-finals
Legia WarszawaLegia Warszawa is a Polish professional football club based in Warsaw, Poland. It was founded in March, 1916 in the neighborhood of Maniewicze in Volhynia as the football club of the Polish Legions...
were beaten 2-0 on aggregate, earning Feijenoord their first European final. Ajax had reached the same final in 1969 but were not able to win. Feijenoord faced
CelticThe Celtic Football Club is a Scottish football club based in the Parkhead area of Glasgow, which currently plays in the Scottish Premier League. Since the club's formation in 1888, Celtic have won the Scottish championship on 42 occasions, most recently in the 2007/08 season, and the Scottish...
in the final, held in the
San SiroThe Stadio Giuseppe Meazza, originally and commonly referred to as simply San Siro because of its location, is a football stadium located in the San Siro district in Milan, Italy. It is the home of Associazione Calcio Milan and Football Club Internazionale Milano...
stadium in
MilanMilan in Italy, is the capital of the region of Lombardia and of the province of Milan. The city proper has a population of about 1.3 million, while the urban area is the fifth largest in the E.U. with an estimated population of 4.3 million...
. Goals by
Tommy GemmellThomas Gemmell is a former Scottish footballer and manager.He played as left-sided fullback and had powerful shooting ability. In October 1961, he joined Celtic from Coltness United. He was one of the 'Lisbon Lions' who won the European Cup in 1967. In the final he scored a spectacular goal that...
and
Rinus IsraëlMarinus David Israël is a former Dutch football player, manager and currently scout....
resulted in a 1-1 draw after 90 minutes. Three minutes before the end of extra time,
Ove KindvallOve Kindvall is a former Swedish footballer .He started his career at IFK Norrköping, where he played until he joined Feyenoord in and became professional. The same year, he won the Guldbollen, as the best Swedish footballer of the year.With Feyenoord he won two national championships as well as...
scored Feijenoord's winning goal to make them the first Dutch team to claim a major European trophy.
As the cup holders, Feijenoord participated in the
European Cup 1970-71The 1970–71 season of the European Cup football club tournament was won by Ajax in the final against Panathinaikos FC. It was the first time the cup went to Ajax, beginning a three-year period of domination. UEFA had introduced for first time the penalty shoot-out as a way of deciding drawn ties -...
despite relinquishing the Dutch title, which was won by Ajax. Feijenoord were eliminated in the first round following a surprise defeat by the Romanian team UT Arad. However, as reigning European champions, Feijenoord faced Estudiantes La Plata in the
Intercontinental CupThe European/South American Cup, commonly referred to as the Intercontinental Cup or Toyota Cup, was a football competition endorsed by UEFA and CONMEBOL, contested between the winners of the European Cup and the South American Copa Libertadores...
. The first match in
Buenos AiresBuenos Aires is the capital, and largest city, of Argentina, currently the second-largest metropolitan area in South America, after São Paulo. It is located on the eastern shore of the Río de la Plata, on the southeastern coast of the South American continent...
'
La BomboneraThe Estadio Alberto J. Armando is a stadium located in the La Boca district of Buenos Aires. Widely known as La Bombonera due to its shape, with a "flat" stand on one side of the pitch and three steep stands round the rest of the stadium...
finished in a 2-2 draw. Back in Rotterdam, Feijenoord managed a 1-0 victory (winning goal by
Joop van DaeleJoop van Daele is a retired Dutch footballer who was active as a defender.Van Daele started his career in his town of birth, Rotterdam where he played for RVAV Overmaas, before he joined Eredivisie side Feijenoord...
) to win the world club crown, the first Dutch team to do so. Estudiantes player
Oscar MalbernatOscar Miguel Malbernat is a retired Argentine footballer, who was the captain of Estudiantes de La Plata between 1967 and 1972, when the team won a local championship in 1967, three consecutive Copa Libertadores titles and one Intercontinenal Cup , where he marked Manchester United's George...
got frustrated and grabbed Van Daele's glasses and trampled on them. "You are not allowed to play with glasses... at least not in South America" was his excuse. In 1971, Feijenoord won their 10th Dutch Championship.
In 1973, the club decided to change their name to
Feyenoord, as people from outside the Netherlands found it difficult to pronounce the "ij" in Feijenoord. Under their new name they played in the
UEFA Cup 1973-74The UEFA Cup 1973–74 was won by Feyenoord Rotterdam over Tottenham Hotspur 4–2 on aggregate.-First round:|}-Second round:|}-Third round:|}-Quarter-finals:|}-Semi-finals:...
, reaching the final following a 4-3 aggregate win over
VfB StuttgartVerein für Bewegungsspiele Stuttgart 1893 e. V., commonly known as VfB Stuttgart, is a German sports club based in Stuttgart, Baden-Württemberg. The club is best known for its football team, which has participated in all but two Bundesliga seasons...
in the semi finals. The opponent in the final was Tottenham Hotspur. Spurs took a 2-1 lead in the first leg at
White Hart LaneWhite Hart Lane is an all-seater football stadium in Tottenham, England. Built in 1899, it is the home of Tottenham Hotspur and, after numerous renovations, the stadium has a capacity of 36,310....
, but
Theo de JongTheodorus de Jong is a former Dutch footballer, and now coach.During his career he played for NEC Nijmegen and Feyenoord Rotterdam He earned 15 caps and scored 3 goals for the Netherlands national football team, and played in the 1974 FIFA World Cup where the Dutch finished second.De Jong was a...
equalised after 85 minutes and the match ended in a 2-2 draw. Feyenoord then won their match in Rotterdam 2-0 thanks to goals by
Wim RijsbergenWilhelmus Gerardus Rijsbergen is a football manager and former defender from the Netherlands. Rijsbergen, an assistant to Leo Beenhakker at the 2006 World Cup in Germany, assumed control of the Trinidad and Tobago national team in his own right following the World Cup...
and
Peter ResselPeter Helmut Ressel is a retired football winger from the Netherlands, who obtained three caps for the Dutch national team. He won the UEFA Cup with Feyenoord Rotterdam in 1974 by defeating Tottenham Hotspur, scoring the 2-0 in the 84th minute of the second leg, which secured Feyenoord's win...
, and became the first Dutch team to win the
UEFA CupThe UEFA Europa League is a competition for eligible European football clubs; the second most prestigious European football contest after the UEFA Champions League. It is an annual football cup competition for European club teams organised by the Union of European Football Associations...
. As a result, Spurs fans started to riot, introducing Dutch football to the spectre of
hooliganismHooliganism refers to unruly and destructive behaviour. Such behaviour is commonly associated with sports fans, particularly supporters of association football and university sports. In some countries, the hooligan elements of a group of supporters are known as Category C...
in the process. The remainder of the decade saw Feyenoord win only one more honour: the Dutch Championship in 1974. In 1978 the club divided their professional and amateur sides to form two separate teams, Feyenoord for professionals and Sportclub Feyenoord for amateurs.
Feyenoord won their fifth Dutch Cup in 1980 by beating Ajax 3-1 in the final.
In 1984, Feyenoord had another bright season, winning the double for the third time in their history. Key players in the squad from this period included
Johan CruijffHendrik Johannes Cruijff , commonly known as Johan Cruyff, is a former Dutch footballer and manager. He was named European Footballer of the Year three times which is a record jointly held with Michel Platini, and Marco van Basten...
,
Ruud Gullitis a Dutch football coach and former player, who played professionally in the 1980s and 1990s. He was the captain of the Netherlands national team that was victorious at Euro 88 and was also a member of the squad for the 1990 World Cup...
and
Peter HoutmanPeter Houtman is a retired football striker from the Netherlands, who obtained eight caps for the Dutch national team in the 1980s, scoring seven goals....
(who later became the Feyenoord stadium announcer). Cruijff reacted to Ajax's decision not to offer him a new contract at the start of the season and signed for arch rivals Feyenoord instead. Cruijffs move to Rotterdam was criticised and increased Ajax's motivation to beat Feyenoord. In the Olympic Stadium of Amsterdam Feyenoord suffered their heaviest ever defeat: 8-2. However, Feyenoord later defeated Ajax in Rotterdam 4-1 and Ajax were subsequently beaten a second time in the Dutch Cup. Feyenoord proceeded to win a league and cup double by beating
Fortuna SittardFortuna Sittard is a football club in Sittard, The Netherlands. The club currently plays its football in the 13,000 capacity Wagner & Partners Stadion and features in the Dutch Eerste Divisie. The club was a merger of former clubs 'Fortuna 54' and 'Sittardia' to merge as the Fortuna Sittard...
in the cup final.
After the successful season Feyenoord experienced a lean period and were unable to finish the season in a higher position than third. In the 1989/1990 season, the club struggled to remain in the Eredivisie, but eventually managed to avoid relegation. The club had financial problems, the staff was not able to recover and their main sponsor HCS went bankrupt.
When
Wim JansenWilhelmus Marinus Anthonius Jansen is a former Dutch association football player and manager.- Playing career :...
was appointed as the interim manager to replace
Günder BengtssonGunder Bengtsson is a former Swedish association football coach.Bengtsson started his career as assistant coach under Sven-Göran Eriksson at IFK Göteborg. In 1982, after Eriksson won the UEFA Cup 1981-82 and left the club for Benfica, Bengtsson became head coach for a few months...
and
Pim VerbeekPeter Tim Verbeek , more commonly known as Pim Verbeek is a Dutch football manager who is the head coach of the Australia national football team...
after a 6-0 defeat against PSV, the outlook began to improve for the club. PSV, the strongest Dutch club of the period, were knocked out of the KNVB Cup by a
Henk FräserHenk Fräser is a former football defender from The Netherlands, who earned seven caps for the Netherlands national football team, in which he scored one goal. He was a member of the Dutch team at the 1990 FIFA World Cup in Italy under manager Leo Beenhakker...
goal in
EindhovenEindhoven is a municipality and a city located in the province of Noord-Brabant in the south of the Netherlands, originally at the confluence of the Dommel and Gender streams...
. Feyenoord progressed to the 1991 final where they beat BVV Den Bosch 1-0 to win the competition. As the cup holders, they faced champions PSV again, this time in the 1991
Dutch SupercupThe Johan Cruijff Shield is a football trophy in the Netherlands named after legendary Dutch football player Johan Cruyff, also often referred to as the Dutch Super Cup. The winner is decided in one match only, played by the winner of the national football league and the winner of the national...
, the first Supercup held since 1949. PSV were beaten 1-0 by a
Marian DamaschinMarian Damaschin is a retired Romanian footballer who was active as a striker. Damaschin made his professional debut at Rapid Bucureşti and also played for FC Politehnica Iaşi, Dinamo Bucureşti, Victoria Bucureşti, Feyenoord Rotterdam and Grenoble Isère.-Honours:* 1985-86 : Romanian Cup winner...
goal to add another honour to the club's achievements. They went on to win another Dutch Cup in 1992, beating
Roda JCRoda JC is a Dutch football club located in Kerkrade, Netherlands. Roda JC plays in the Dutch Eredivisie.-History:Roda JC came into being by the merger of several football clubs from Kerkrade. In 1954, SV Kerkrade and SV Bleijerheide merged to form Roda Sport...
3-0 in the final. The same year Feyenoord reached the semi finals in the
UEFA Cup Winners' Cup 1991-92The 1991–92 season of the European Cup Winners' Cup was won by Werder Bremen in the final against AS Monaco. Both were first time finalists in the competition.-Qualifying round:|}-First round:|}-Second round:|}...
beating Tottenham Hotspur in the quarter final before being knocked out by
AS MonacoAssociation Sportive de Monaco Football Club are a Monégasque football club based in the Principality of Monaco. They play in the Ligue 1 and are one of the most successful clubs in French football, having won seven league titles and five Coupe de France trophies...
on away goals after two draws.
In 1993, Feyenoord secured another Dutch Championship by beating
FC GroningenFC Groningen is a football club from Groningen in the Netherlands.- History :The club was founded in June 16, 1971 by the Groningen Football and Athletics Association...
5-0 in the last league match of the season. The match was played at the
Oosterpark StadionOosterpark Stadion was the stadium of football club FC Groningen until December 2005. The all-seater stadium in Groningen's Oosterpark neighbourhood was inaugurated on September 30, 1933, and renovated in 1960, 1984 and 1987/88...
in
Groningen||-| |-| |-| |-| |-| |-| |-| |-| |}Groningen is the capital city of the province of Groningen in the Netherlands. With a population of 185,000, it is by far the largest city in the north of the Netherlands....
, so 40.000 Feyenoord fans watched the game on giant screens in De Kuip. The title was followed by another two Dutch Cups in 1994 (beating
N.E.C.Nijmegen Eendracht Combinatie, commonly abbrieviated to N.E.C., is a Dutch football club from the city of Nijmegen.The oldest predecessor of the club, "Eendracht" , was established on 15 November 1900. In 1903, Eendracht merged with Nijmegen to form the Nijmegen Eendracht Combinatie. The team's...
(2-1)) and 1995 (beating
FC VolendamFC Volendam is a Dutch football club.-History:FC Volendam was founded as Victoria on June 1, 1920 by local fishermen. By 1923, the club had already been renamed FC Volendam. Being from the piously catholic village of Volendam, FC Volendam quickly joined the Catholic Football Association of the...
(2-1)). During the
UEFA Cup Winners' Cup 1994-95The season 1994-95 of the UEFA Cup Winners' Cup was won by Real Zaragoza in the final against defending champions Arsenal FC, Zaragoza famously winning thanks to a spectacular last-minute goal by ex-Tottenham Hotspur midfielder Nayim with a lob from 40 yards that went over the head of the...
, Feyenoord reached the quarter finals after beating
Werder BremenWerder Bremen is a German sports club best known for its football team playing in Bremen, in the northwest German federal state of the same name. The club was founded on 4 February 1899 as Fußballverein Werder by a group of sixteen vocational high school students who had won a prize of sports...
in the second round. They eventually lost to
Real ZaragozaReal Zaragoza, S.A.D. is a Spanish football team from Zaragoza in Aragon. Founded on 18 March 1932, Real Zaragoza have this season gained promotion in the 2008-09 Liga Adelante to the Spanish top-flight. They play in white shirts with royal blue shorts...
. In the quarter-final in the
1995 KNVB CupThe KNVB Cup is a competition in the Netherlands organized by the Royal Netherlands Football Association since 1899. It was based on the format of the English FA Cup. Outside of the Netherlands, it is often referred to as the Dutch Cup...
Feyenoord visited Ajax, the team that would win the
UEFA Champions League 1994-95The 1994–95 UEFA Champions League was the 40th edition of UEFA's premier European club football tournament, and the third since its rebranding as the UEFA Champions League. The tournament was won by Ajax of the Netherlands with a late goal in the final against A.C. Milan of Italy...
later that season. Ajax was leading 1-0 when
Ruud HeusRuud Heus is a retired Dutch footballer who was active as a defender. Heus made his professional debut at AZ'67 but played the majority of his career at Feyenoord Rotterdam.-Honours:...
equalised with a penalty just before time. In the extra time Feyenoord became the only team to beat Ajax the season they won the Eredivisie and the Champions League unbeaten. The goal scored by Mike Obiku was the decider as the new
golden goalThe golden goal is a method used to decide the winner of games in elimination matches which end in a draw after the end of regulation time. Golden goal rules allow the team that scores the first goal during extra time to be declared the winner. The game finishes when a golden goal is scored. The...
rule became in use. During the
UEFA Cup Winners' Cup 1995-96The season 1995-96 of the UEFA Cup Winners' Cup was won by Paris Saint-Germain 1-0 in the final against Austrian entrants SK Rapid Wien in Brussels on 8 May 1996.-Qualifying round:-First round:-Second round:-Quarter-finals:-Semi-finals:-Final:...
EvertonEverton Football Club are an English professional football club from the city of Liverpool. Having competed in the top division for a record 107 seasons, they have played more top-flight league games than any other English team and have won the League Championship 9 times — the fourth highest...
and
Borussia MönchengladbachBorussia Mönchengladbach, is a German football club based in Mönchengladbach, North Rhine-Westphalia. The team plays in the first division 1. Bundesliga and is one of the country's most well-known, best-supported, and successful teams. Borussia Mönchengladbach has over 40,000 members and is the...
were beaten. A total of 14,000 Feyenoord fans travelled to Germany to support the team against Mönchengladbach. Feyenoord were knocked out in the semi-finals by a
Carsten JanckerCarsten Jancker is a German professional footballer who is currently unattached. He played for Germany at Euro 2000 and the 2002 FIFA World Cup and has earned 33 caps, scoring 10 goals, for his country....
inspired
SK Rapid WienThe Sportklub Rapid Wien is an Austrian football club playing in the country's capital city of Vienna. Rapid is Austria's most successful side with 32 championships to its credit, as well as a German title captured when the country was part of Germany. It is one of the two best known sides in...
.
Feyenoord made their
UEFA Champions LeagueThe UEFA Champions League is an annual association football cup competition organised by UEFA since 1955 for the top football clubs in Europe...
debut during the
UEFA Champions League 1997-98The 1997–98 UEFA Champions League was the 43rd edition of UEFA's premier club football tournament, and the sixth since its rebranding as the UEFA Champions League. The tournament was won 1–0 by Real Madrid, beating Juventus who were playing in a third consecutive final...
, finishing third in their group behind
Manchester UnitedManchester United Football Club is an English football club, one of the most popular football clubs in the world, based at Old Trafford in Greater Manchester. The club was a founding member of the Premier League in 1992, and has played in the top division of English football since 1938, with the...
and
JuventusJuventus Football Club , commonly referred to as Juventus and familiarly as Juve, is an Italian professional football club based in Turin, Piedmont...
. However, Juventus were beaten 2-0 in Rotterdam, both goals scored by
Julio Ricardo CruzJulio Ricardo Cruz is an Argentine footballer who currently plays for Lazio in the Italian Serie A.-Club career:...
. In 1998, the
FIOD-ECDThe Fiscal Information and Investigation Service/Economic Investigation Service, in Dutch Fiscale inlichtingen- en opsporingsdienst en Economische controledienst and abbreviated almost always as FIOD-ECD and usually still referred to as the FIOD, is the Dutch Anti-Fraud agency.- Role :The FIOD main...
(Fiscal Information and Investigation Service/Economic Investigation Service) visited Feyenoord because of suspected fraud, mainly based on the signings of
Aurelio VidmarAurelio Vidmar is an Australian football player and previous captain of the Australian national team. He currently coaches A-league club Adelaide United...
,
Christian GyanChristian Attah Gyan is a Ghanaian footballer who currently without a club after being released by Wrexham.- Career :...
and
Patrick AlloteyPatrick Allotey was a football defender from Ghana.- Career :Born in Accra, Allotey played five official matches for Feyenoord Rotterdam...
. This became an ongoing scandal in the years to come with chairman
Jorien van den HerikJorien van den Herik is a Dutch business man and was chairman of Feyenoord Rotterdam till 2006.Van den Herik helped Feyenoord to purchase some players in 1984 as chairman of the "Friends of Feyenoord Group". In a few years time he had invested 3 million Dutch guldens in the club. In 1989 be became...
as the main suspect. On 25 April 1999, Feyenoord secured their 14th Dutch Championship. 250,000 fans celebrated with the team in the center of Rotterdam. However, later in the evening heavy rioting started. Before the start of the new 1999/2000 season, Ajax were beaten in their own stadium when Feyenoord won their second Dutch Supercup after a free kick by
Patrick PaauwePatrick Paauwe is a professional football player from The Netherlands, currently playing for VVV-Venlo.- Career :...
, which secured a 3-2 win.
Recent history
During the
UEFA Champions League 1999-00The 1999-2000 UEFA Champions League was the eighth edition of the UEFA Champions League, UEFA's premier European club football tournament, since its rebranding from the European Cup, and the 45th edition overall. The competition was won by Real Madrid C.F., who clinched an historic eighth title win...
Feyenoord participated in the UEFA Champions League for the second time. This time the club managed to finish second in their group behind Rosenborg BK, but in front of
Borussia DortmundBV Borussia Dortmund is a German sports club based in Dortmund, North Rhine-Westphalia and is best known as one of the most successful clubs in German football...
. Feyenoord reached the second group stage and secured wins versus
Olympique MarseilleOlympique de Marseille Olympique de Marseille Olympique de Marseille (also known as l'OM, is a professional French football club based in Marseille. Founded in 1899, they play in Ligue 1 and have spent most of their history in the top tier of French football...
(at home) and
LazioSocietà Sportiva Lazio, commonly referred to as simply Lazio, is an Italian professional sports club most noted for its football section, founded in 1900 and based in Rome...
(away).
ChelseaChelsea Football Club Chelsea Football Club Chelsea Football Club (are a professional English football club based in West London. The team, founded in 1905, play in the Premier League and have spent most of their history in the top tier of English football...
won both clashes and as a result Feyenoord had to win their last group match away to Marseille to reach the knock-out stages. The final result was 0-0 and Feyenoord were eliminated.
Feyenoord again participated in the Champions League in
2001-02The 2001-02 UEFA Champions League was the tenth season of UEFA's premier club football tournament, the UEFA Champions League, since its rebranding from the European Cup in 1992. The tournament was won by Real Madrid, who beat Bayer Leverkusen in the final to claim their ninth European Cup title...
, finishing third in a group containing
FC Bayern MunichFC Bayern Munich is a German sports club based in Munich, Bavaria. It is best known for its professional football team, which is the most successful club in German football, having won 21 German titles and 14 cups....
,
AC Sparta PrahaAC Sparta Prague is a top Czech football club.It is the most successful club in the Czech Republic. Sparta was long the main source for the Czech Republic national football team, however lately this has ceased to be the case, as the best Czech players almost all now play in higher-paying foreign...
and
FC Spartak MoscowFC Spartak Moscow is a football club from Moscow, Russia. They are nicknamed "Meat" because in Soviet era the club was owned by the Collective Production Farms ....
. This meant Feyenoord had to continue their European season in the UEFA Cup 2001-02 instead of the 2nd Champions League group stage. The disappointment of failing to reach the second group stage eventually resulted in optimism and celebration. By winning over
SC FreiburgSport-Club Freiburg, commonly known as SC Freiburg, is a German football club, based in the city of Freiburg in the Breisgau district of Baden-Württemberg...
and
RangersRangers Football Club are an association football team based in Glasgow, Scotland, who currently play in the Scottish Premier League. The club are nicknamed the Gers, Teddy Bears and the Light Blues, and the fans are known to each other as bluenoses...
, Feyenoord faced fellow Dutch team PSV in the quarter finals. Both matches ended in 1-1 draws, and the clash went into extra time and a penalty shoot-out.
Pierre van HooijdonkPetrus Ferdinandus Johannes "Pierre" van Hooijdonk is a retired Dutch football player who played as a striker. His last spell was at Feyenoord Rotterdam. Van Hooijdonk was capped 46 times for the Dutch national team, scoring 14 goals, and played in the 1998 FIFA World Cup, Euro 2000 and Euro 2004...
who had a superb season by scoring many goals from free kicks secured Feyenoord's win by scoring in the 90th minute equalizer before finishing PSV off by scoring the last goal in the penalty shoot-out. A win in
MilanMilan in Italy, is the capital of the region of Lombardia and of the province of Milan. The city proper has a population of about 1.3 million, while the urban area is the fifth largest in the E.U. with an estimated population of 4.3 million...
(0-1) over
InterFootball Club Internazionale Milano, commonly referred to as Internazionale and as just Inter in Italy, is an Italian professional football club based in Milan, Lombardy, founded in 1908...
and a 2-2 return match in Rotterdam earned Feyenoord their spot in the final, in which Borussia Dortmund was the opponent. The final was held in De Kuip and as a result most spectators inside the stadium were Feyenoord fans. Feyenoord took a 2-0 lead thanks to another free kick and a penalty by Pierre van Hooijdonk. Early in the second half
Jan KollerJan Koller is a Czech footballer who currently plays for Russian Premier League club Krylya Sovetov Samara and formally played as a striker for the Czech national team. He is the all-time leading goal scorer for either the Czech Republic or the former Czechoslovakia, with 55 goals in 90 caps as of...
scored a goal to make it 2-1.
Jon Dahl TomassonJon Dahl Tomasson is a Danish professional footballer, who plays for the Dutch side Feyenoord in the Dutch Eredivisie. Playing either as a striker or an attacking midfielder, Tomasson is known for his positional strength and fine finishing...
then made it 3-1 and things looked good for Feyenoord. Dortmund only managed to score one more goal and the cup was won by
Bert van MarwijkLambertus "Bert" van Marwijk is a Dutch football coach and former player.He played for, among others, Go Ahead Eagles, AZ, MVV and Fortuna Sittard.He also played for the Dutch national team....
's Feyenoord.
A huge party erupted in and outside De Kuip not only because of the title, but also because the final was held several days after Rotterdam's political
hero Pim FortuynWilhelmus Simon Petrus "Pim" Fortuyn Wilhelmus Simon Petrus "Pim" Fortuyn Wilhelmus Simon Petrus "Pim" Fortuyn was a charismatic Dutch politician, author, columnist, public servant, sociologist and professor who formed his own party, Pim Fortuyn List (Lijst Pim...
was murdered. Lots of fans were still full of emotion before and after the match. As a result of Fortuyn's murder, the cup was not officially celebrated in the city center.
The 2002 UEFA Cup win was the start of a long dry spell for Feyenoord. In the 2002/03 season the club managed to finish 3rd in the national league, as well as reach the final of the Dutch Cup (which was lost 1-4 to FC Utrecht), but in the following years Feyenoord disappointed in both the national league and the Dutch Cup.
In between, Feyenoord and chairman Jorien van den Herik were found to be
not guiltyIn the common law tradition, an acquittal formally certifies the innocence of the accused, as far as the criminal law is concerned. This is so even where the prosecution is abandoned nolle prosequi...
in 2002. The Public Prosecutor however appealed, but in 2005, after three years of investigations the results stayed the same. Still, the prosecution has not given up the case yet.
The 2005/06 season ended in disappointment for Feyenoord. The team challenged for the Dutch Championship for most of the season, but eventually lost out to PSV. The newly created Dutch play-offs then proved to be gloomy for Feyenoord. Ajax, which finished several points behind in the regular league, were Feyenoord's opponent in the play-offs. Ajax ouclassed them and Feyenoord lost out on a Champions League place.
In the 2006-07 season the nightmare grew even bigger. The supporters saw their two star players leave to Chelsea (
Salomon KalouSalomon Kalou is an Ivorian football player, who currently plays for Chelsea and formerly for the Dutch club Feyenoord.He is a forward, often used on the wings at Chelsea...
) and Liverpool (
Dirk KuytDirk Kuijt , commonly known as Dirk Kuyt is a Dutch professional footballer who currently plays for English club Liverpool...
). At the same time it became clear that Feyenoord were in an appaling financial state despite earlier comments made by chairman
Van den HerikJorien van den Herik is a Dutch business man and was chairman of Feyenoord Rotterdam till 2006.Van den Herik helped Feyenoord to purchase some players in 1984 as chairman of the "Friends of Feyenoord Group". In a few years time he had invested 3 million Dutch guldens in the club. In 1989 be became...
who claimed that the club was financially healthy. Supporters unrest grew into anger when Feyenoord bought
CharisteasAngelos Charisteas is a Greek football striker who currently plays for German club 1. FC Nuremberg...
, a back-up striker of arch rivals Ajax with a poor track record, as a replacement for Kuyt. After continuous protests chairman Van den Herik resigned and the club started managerial reforms. The worst was not over though. Feyenoord were expelled from European competition following hooliganism prior to and during a match with
AS NancyAS Nancy-Lorraine is a French football club, based in Nancy, The team was founded in 1967 as a successor of the defunct FC Nancy, which collapsed in 1965....
, despite an appeal by the club. The season ended in bitter disappointment with a 7th place finish, causing Feyenoord to miss European football for the first time in 16 years.
While desperate supporters started preparing for a dark age, the club surprised friend and foe in the 2007 summer transfer window. A brilliant performance of young left back
Royston DrentheRoyston Ricky Drenthe is a Dutch footballer who currently plays for Real Madrid.- Biography :Drenthe started his professional career mainly playing as a left back, although has been used mainly as a left winger at Real Madrid....
at the
2007 UEFA European Under-21 Football ChampionshipThe UEFA U-21 Championship 2007 were held from June 10, 2007, to June 23, 2007. It is the 16th staging of UEFA's European Under-21 Football Championship....
had investors flocking to the new investment schemes Feyenoord had set up. The club appointed former coach
Bert van MarwijkLambertus "Bert" van Marwijk is a Dutch football coach and former player.He played for, among others, Go Ahead Eagles, AZ, MVV and Fortuna Sittard.He also played for the Dutch national team....
and was able to make a number of high profile signings amongst which
Giovanni van BronckhorstGiovanni Christiaan van Bronckhorst , known as Gio for short, is a Dutch footballer of South Moluccan ancestry who plays for Dutch Eredivisie club Feyenoord and the Dutch national team....
and
Roy MakaayRudolphus "Roy" Antonius Makaay is a Dutch footballer who is a striker for Feyenoord and has been capped for the Netherlands...
. Despite the efforts, Feyenoord underperformed once again in the national league, finishing in a disappointing 6th place. The pain was relieved by claiming the first prize in 6 years: 100 years after the foundation of the club, Feyenoord managed to win the Dutch Cup, beating
Roda JCRoda JC is a Dutch football club located in Kerkrade, Netherlands. Roda JC plays in the Dutch Eredivisie.-History:Roda JC came into being by the merger of several football clubs from Kerkrade. In 1954, SV Kerkrade and SV Bleijerheide merged to form Roda Sport...
by 2-0. As Feyenoord coach
Bert van MarwijkLambertus "Bert" van Marwijk is a Dutch football coach and former player.He played for, among others, Go Ahead Eagles, AZ, MVV and Fortuna Sittard.He also played for the Dutch national team....
accepted a job as coach of the national team, Feyenoord appointed
Gertjan VerbeekGertjan Verbeek is a former football defender from the Netherlands, who played for SC Heerenveen and Heracles Almelo....
as their new coach for the 2008/09 season.
In the 2008-09 season, Feyenoord will officially celebrate their 100th birthday and will organise many events throughout the year. The old "golden logo" will return as Feyenoord's official logo, which was presented at the 2007 new years brunch. During the summer a historical tournament will be held between Feyenoord and the three opponents they met in the European Cup finals they played, Borussia Dortmund, Tottenham Hotspur and Celtic FC (
Feyenoord Jubilee TournamentThe Feyenoord Jubilee Tournament is a friendly tournament between August 1 2008 to August 3 2008 to celebrate the centenary of the Dutch football club Feyenoord. The tournament includes four teams, they are: Feyenoord, Celtic, Tottenham Hotspur and Borussia Dortmund...
). Mid-way through the season manager Verbeek was fired because of disappointing league results.
After the firing of coach Gertjan Verbeek, his assistant Leon Vlemmings took over the job as head coach. The results in this period were not significantly better than they were under Gertjan Verbeek but the squad nevertheless managed to secure a spot in the playoffs for the final dutch Europa League slot.
For the 2009/2010 season Feyenoord appointed ex-assistant coach and former Feyenoord player Mario Been to take over from Leon Vlemmings. Been, after achieving minor European successes with NEC Nijmegen, was considered the ideal man for the job. Former coach Leo Beenhakker, at the time coach of the Polish national squad, took over the role as Technical Director. Partly because of this position he was able to attract more investors to the club leading to some unexpected signings such as Sekou Cissé, Dani Fernandez and Stefan Babovic.
Stadium
The club's
Feijenoord StadionThe Feijenoord Stadion, better known by its nickname De Kuip , is a stadium in Rotterdam, Netherlands that was completed in 1937. The name is derived from the area "Feijenoord" in Rotterdam, and from the club with the same name .Capacity at completion: 64,000. Maximum capacity: 69,000...
, located in the IJsselmonde district of Rotterdam, is nicknamed
De Kuip, Dutch for
The Tub. It was built in 1937 and is one of the major European stadiums. It has 51,117 seats and has hosted a record of 10 finals of
UEFAThe Union of European Football Associations is the administrative and controlling body for European football. It is almost always referred to by its acronym UEFA ....
club competitions, including the 2002
UEFA CupThe UEFA Europa League is a competition for eligible European football clubs; the second most prestigious European football contest after the UEFA Champions League. It is an annual football cup competition for European club teams organised by the Union of European Football Associations...
Final which was won by Feyenoord.
When driving over the
Van BrienenoordbrugThe Van Brienenoordbrug is an arch bridge for car traffic over the river Nieuwe Maas, which is a major distributary of the river Rhine. The bridge is located at the east side of Rotterdam, The Netherlands. The bridge exists of two almost identical arches laying parallel and next to each other,...
every Feyenoord supporter always looks aside to have a look at the stadium. Feyenoord supporters are known to love their stadium as much as their club and are very proud of it. Also for (former) Feyenoord players De Kuip is something special. Mike Obiku once said "Every time you enter the pitch, you're stepping into a lion's home." Feyenoord does not own the stadium, it is an organisation on its own.
In 1935 Feijenoord player
Puck van HeelGerardus Henricus "Puck" van Heel was a Dutch footballer born in Rotterdam. He earned 64 caps for the Netherlands national football team, and played in the 1934 and 1938 World Cups...
hit the first pole on their way into their new stadium. The stadium was opened on 27 March 1937 and
BeerschotK.F.C. Germinal Beerschot is a Belgian football club based in Antwerp. This club was established in 1999 as a result of the merger between K.F.C. Germinal Ekeren and K. Beerschot V.A.C..- History :...
was beaten by 5 goals to 2,
Leen VenteLeendert Roelof Jan "Leen" Vente was a Dutch footballer born in Rotterdam. He earned 21 caps and scored 19 goals for the Netherlands national football team, and played in the 1934 and 1938 World Cups....
scored the first goal in De Kuip. Already in the very beginning the stadium was sold out on several occasions and other events held at de Kuip also gained lots of attendance. During the second World War the stadium was one of the few locations which was not bombed, however the Nazis occupied the stadium. After the war De Kuip became popular location once again. In 1949 the attendance record was broken during the match to decide the Dutch championship between
SVV SchiedamFC Dordrecht is a football club from the city of Dordrecht in the Netherlands, currently playing in the Eerste Divisie.- History :Founded on August 16, 1883 as Dordrechtsche Football Club , it became a professional club in 1954 upon the introduction of professional football to the Netherlands...
and
SC Heerenveensc Heerenveen is a Dutch football club currently playing in the Eredivisie.-History:sc Heerenveen was founded on July 20 1920 in the town of Heerenveen, Friesland as Athleta. They changed name twice, to Spartaan, and then to v.v. Heerenveen in 1922...
; 64,368 fans visited the match.
Besides football there were also
boxingBoxing is a combat sport where two participants, generally of similar weight, fight each other with their fists. Boxing is supervised by a referee and is typically engaged in during a series of one to three-minute intervals called rounds. There are three ways to win...
and
motorcycle speedwayMotorcycle speedway, usually referred to as speedway or flat track motorcycle racing , is a motorcycle sport involving four and sometimes up to six riders competing over four anti-clockwise laps of an oval circuit...
races in De Kuip, which were also gaining popularity. In 1953 people had to hide inside the stadium during the
North Sea flood of 1953The North Sea flood of 1953 and the associated storm combined to create a major natural disaster which affected the coastlines of the Netherlands and England on the night of 31 January – 1 February 1953...
. On 27 November 1957 Feyenoord played versus
Bolton WanderersBolton Wanderers Football Club is an English professional football club based in Horwich, in the Metropolitan Borough of Bolton, Greater Manchester, England. They are currently in the Premier League....
during an evening match. It was the first time the
floodlightsFloodlights are broad-beamed, high intensity artificial lights often used to illuminate outdoor playing fields while an outdoor sports event is being held during low-light conditions....
were taken in use. The players entered the pitch in the dark and the fans were asked to light their matchsticks when the floodlights were activated. Since that evening, that match at De Kuip has always been special among Feyenoord fans.
In 1963, De Kuip hosted their first European final (Cup winners' Cup) between
Tottenham HotspurTottenham Hotspur Football Club, , commonly referred to as Spurs, is an English professional football club based in Tottenham, North London which currently plays in the Premier League...
and Atlético Madrid. Nine more European finals would follow in the years after with Feyenoord's win over Borussia Dortmund in the 2002 UEFA Cup final being the 10th and latest. The attendance record of 1949 was broken in 1968 when 65,427 fans visited the Feyenoord-
FC TwenteFC Twente is a Dutch professional football club from the city of Enschede, playing in the Eredivisie. The club was formed in 1965 by the merger of 1926 Eredivisie Champions, Sportclub Enschede and Enschedese Boys. The new club has never won the league, but has finished as runners-up twice, were...
match.
New stadium
In December 2006, Feyenoord director
Chris WoertsChris Woerts is a Dutch business man and currently marketing manager as well as commercial director of Feyenoord Rotterdam....
announced that Feyenoord were developing plans to build a new stadium which would have a capacity of roughly 90,000 seats. The stadium would most likely be placed on the Meuse river, the river that runs through Rotterdam, and should be completed by 2016.
In May 2008 Woerts announced further details: the club is aiming for a stadium with a capacity of around 100.000 seats . If possible, a capacity of over 130.000 should be realized according to Woerts, which would earn the title of biggest stadium in Europe. The club emphasized its efforts to make it a true football stadium with seats close to the pitch. The stadium will get a retractable roof so that other events can be held as well. According to plans, the stadium should be ready in 2016.
Unofficial Feyenoord hymn
Feyenoord's unofficial hymn since 1961 is called "Hand in Hand". Its melody was written in the 19th century by
GermanGermany , officially the Federal Republic of Germany , is a country in Central Europe. It is bordered to the north by the North Sea, Denmark, and the Baltic Sea; to the east by Poland and the Czech Republic; to the south by Austria and Switzerland; and to the west by France, Luxembourg, Belgium,...
Wilhelm Speidel. In 1961
Jaap ValkhoffJacobus Valkhoff was a Dutch musician, componist and text writer.His most famous text he wrote in 1961 on demand of Johnny Hoes called "Hand in hand kameraden"...
wrote the lyrics which became popular among Feyenoord supporters who adopted the song as their unofficial hymn. Valkhoff wrote lyrics on the same melody for several other teams as well. Among them were Feyenoord's arch rivals Ajax. Nowadays the song is heard wherever Feyenoord play their matches, but also fans of
MVVMVV is a Dutch professional football club from the city of Maastricht, founded on April 2, 1902. Because their logo is based on the city's coat of arms, an armed angel holding a red shield with a white star, they are nicknamed "de Sterrendragers" and, in local dialect, "Us MVV'ke" .-The early...
and Club Brugge have their own version that they sing.
Other songs
When a goal is scored by Feyenoord in their home matches the song
I Will Survive"I Will Survive" is a song first performed by Gloria Gaynor, released in October 1978. It was written by Freddie Perren and Dino Fekaris.The song's lyrics describe a narrator who finds personal strength while recovering from a breakup; it has often been used as an anthem of female empowerment, and...
, covered by the
Hermes House BandThe Hermes House Band is a Dutch party band established in 1984 by members of the Hermes student society in Rotterdam, The Netherlands.From the band's establishment onward, a member of the band that finishes his/her studies has to leave the band immediately...
, but made famous by
Gloria GaynorGloria Gaynor is an American singer, best-known for the disco era hits; "I Will Survive" , "Never Can Say Goodbye" , "Let Me Know " and "I Am What I Am" .-Early career:Gaynor was a singer with the Soul Satisfiers, a jazz/pop band,...
in the 1970s is played.
Feyenoord supporters are known to be creative and have a lot of various songs and chants in their equipment during matches. Among the most important Feyenoord songs are
"Mijn Feyenoord" by
Lee TowersLee Towers is a Dutch singer. He was discovered in 1975 as "The Singing Crane Mechanic"--he was a dockworker in Rotterdam. His music has charted in the Netherlands' music charts from the 1970s to the present...
,
"Feyenoord, wat gaan we doen vandaag?" by Cock van der Palm and "De laatste trein naar Rotterdam"
by DorusIn Greek mythology, Dorus is the name of several individuals:#Dorus was a son of Hellen and founder of the Dorian nation. Each of Hellen's sons founded a primary tribe of Greece - Aeolus the Aeolians, Dorus the Dorians and Xuthus the Achaeans and the Ionians together with his sister's Pandora's...
. During the 2001/02 season when Feyenoord won the UEFA Cup a parody was launched of the song "Put your hands up"
by Black and White Brothers called "Put your hands up for Pi-Air"
as a tribute to Pierre (Pi-Air) van Hooijdonk. In the 1970s Coen MoulijnCoenraad Moulijn is a former Dutch footballer who played for Feyenoord and was part of their European Cup victory in 1970. He earned 38 caps and scored 4 goals for the Netherlands national football team....
also had a song dedicated to him named "Coentje Coentje Coentje"
.
Supporters
The supporters of Feyenoord are said to be one of the most loyal supporter groups in the world supporting the team during both good or bad times. They are nicknamed Het Legioen
, DutchDutch is a West Germanic language spoken by over 22 million people as a native language, and over 5 million people as a second language.
"1% of the EU population claims to speak Dutch well enough in order to have a conversation." Outside the European Union the number of second language...
for The Legion and can be found everywhere in The Netherlands and far across the Dutch borders. Squad number 12 is never given to a player, but is reserved for Het Legioen instead.
Popularity
Feyenoord is a popular club in The Netherlands with a large number of supporters. The team's first training session of a season alone attracts thousands of fans; 20,000 attended
2007–08The 2007/2008 season of the Eredivisie started in August 2007 and ends on 18 May 2008 with defending champions PSV retaining their title with 72 points.-Promoted teams:The following teams are promoted to the Eredivisie at the start of the season:...
's inaugural session.
In 1963 about 3000 fans boarded on two ships, among thousands of others by train or car and they travelled to
LisbonLisbon is the capital and largest city of Portugal. It is also the seat of the district of Lisbon and the main city of the Lisbon region...
where Feyenoord faced Benfica in the
European CupThe UEFA Champions League is an annual association football cup competition organised by UEFA since 1955 for the top football clubs in Europe...
. When Feyenoord plays abroad in European Cup about 8000 travel together to support their team. Almost 15,000 fans were cheering for their team in 1996 when Feyenoord played in Germany versus
Borussia MönchengladbachBorussia Mönchengladbach, is a German football club based in Mönchengladbach, North Rhine-Westphalia. The team plays in the first division 1. Bundesliga and is one of the country's most well-known, best-supported, and successful teams. Borussia Mönchengladbach has over 40,000 members and is the...
. About 40,000 fans visit a regular match at home while top classes versus Ajax, PSV and European Cup opponents are sold out most of the time. About 250,000 fans showed up when Feyenoord's latest Dutch championship was celebrated in 1999 at the Coolsingel in the center of the city. After Feyenoord beat
InternazionaleFootball Club Internazionale Milano, commonly referred to as Internazionale and as just Inter in Italy, is an Italian professional football club based in Milan, Lombardy, founded in 1908...
in the 2002 UEFA Cup semi final, Inter midfielder
Clarence SeedorfClarence Clyde Seedorf is a Dutch-Surinamese footballer, who plays as a midfielder for Italian Serie A club Milan . He is the only player to win the UEFA Champions League with three different clubs - . He is the older brother of Chedric Seedorf...
said: "I really enjoyed the atmosphere in the Kuip. As an ex-Ajax player I was really given the bird, but that’s all part of the emotions in football. It also illustrates the intense way in which the Feyenoord supporters experience their club’s matches."
Beyond the Netherlands, Feyenoord opened a fanshop in the center of
Tokyo, officially , is one of the 47 prefectures of Japan and is located on the eastern side of the main island Honshū. The twenty-three special wards of Tokyo, each governed as a city, cover the area that was once the city of Tokyo in the eastern part of the prefecture, totaling over 8 million people....
,
Japanis an island country in East Asia. Located in the Pacific Ocean, it lies to the east of the Sea of Japan, People's Republic of China, North Korea, South Korea and Russia, stretching from the Sea of Okhotsk in the north to the East China Sea and Taiwan in the south...
when
Japanis an island country in East Asia. Located in the Pacific Ocean, it lies to the east of the Sea of Japan, People's Republic of China, North Korea, South Korea and Russia, stretching from the Sea of Okhotsk in the north to the East China Sea and Taiwan in the south...
ese player
Shinji Onois a Japanese football player, who plays as a midfielder for VfL Bochum in Germany.Known as Tensai, Japanese for "Genius", from his youth days, Ono is one of the biggest stars in Asian football, known for his vision, technique and superb passing...
was a key player at the club, and also in
South KoreaSouth Korea, officially the Republic of Korea and often simply referred to as Korea, is a country in East Asia, located on the southern half of the Korean Peninsula. It is neighbored by China to the west, Japan to the east, and North Korea to the north. Its capital is Seoul, the second largest...
when
Song Chong-GugSong Chong-Gug is a Korean football player and midfielder for Suwon Samsung Bluewings and the Korean national team.- Career :...
played for Feyenoord.
Supporters organisations
Feyenoord have one official fan supporters club, the Feyenoord Supportersvereniging. Independent of the club, FSV has a membership of about 23,000, as of 2006. The FSV act as a liaison between club and fans, produce match programmes, arrange travel to away games and organise supporters' evenings, as well as being involved in the other supporters organisations. Children between 0 and 12 years old can join the Kameraadjes group .
In 1998 the Feyenoord Supporters Vereniging were wondering about whether or not it would be possible to create more atmosphere inside the stadium mainly during important matches. As a result, a few huge flags were produced and brought into the stadium prior to matches played by Feyenoord. The flags were a success, but people started asking for more activities and a meeting between fans and officials were arranged. In 2000 Harry Veth was given permission to establish a group of five Feyenoord fans called TIFO team Feyenoord Rotterdam. Besides creating more flags and small pieces of paper released from the second platform the team also started to organise bigger activities. The first big activity was held on 10 December 2000 when Feyenoord faced Ajax and 40
fog machineA fog machine or smoke machine is a device which emits a dense vapour that appears similar to fog or smoke. This artificial fog is most commonly used in professional entertainment applications, but smaller, more affordable fog machines are becoming common for personal use...
s were activated when the players entered the pitch. In the following years many different and various activities were held to improve the atmosphere inside the stadium. Feyenoord's TIFO team became famous abroad as well and the Italian TIFO foundation awarded Feyenoord the Best of TIFO Award 2000/01.
Jeugdproject
Feyenoord's Jeugdproject (Youth Project) concentrate on children between 6 and 12 years of age, playing football at schools and amateur teams. To show the kids the importance of sports and sportsmanship, Feyenoord invite the children to De Kuip to see what sport can do to people: happiness, disappointment, excitement, emotions, fear and cosines, it brings people together. In Feyenoord's Youth Project visiting a match is the central point, but there is also an educative and cultural character included. Feyenoord provide schools and amateur clubs with small teaching books and expect these to be filled in by the visiting youth when they enter the stadium on a match day. The groups that support Feyenoord in the most original way and those who can predict the score correctly are awarded with prizes.
Opening day
A few weeks after the first training but still before the season really starts, the club open their doors for free for all Feyenoord fans to have fun together and to present the squad for the upcoming season. De Kuip already opens in the morning when there are many activities around the stadium mainly for kids and promotional activities for companies which have a partnership with Feyenoord. Fans can also take a stadium tour and walk on the pitch. The activities inside the stadium itself normally start around noon when there are several performances by various artists. Every year the new Feyenoord ambassador of the year is announced at opening day. A minute of silence will be held for all former Feyenoord players who have died and for known fans who have died in the previous year. Former Feyenoord players return to De Kuip every year to play versus a team of Dutch celebrities. The stadium activities end after the squad for the upcoming season is presented to the fans. This is always a special happening, mainly for the new signings of the team. They will be flown into the stadium with helicopters when a full stadium is cheering for them when they arrive. Once they are there the other players and club officials enter the pitch one by one. Last but not least, all players are available for autograph sessions afterwards. Feyenoord's open day attracts about 60,000 to 70,000 fans towards Rotterdam, coming from all over The Netherlands, while there's only 51,117 seats available inside the stadium. The opening day is known as a unique event in the Netherlands.
Notable supporters
Notable supporters of Feyenoord include Hans Kuypers,
Lee TowersLee Towers is a Dutch singer. He was discovered in 1975 as "The Singing Crane Mechanic"--he was a dockworker in Rotterdam. His music has charted in the Netherlands' music charts from the 1970s to the present...
, Gerard Cox,
Wouter BosWouter Jacob Bos is a Dutch politician of the Dutch Labour Party and is since February 22 2007 Minister of Finance and Deputy Prime Minister in the Cabinet Balkenende IV. He is political leader of the Dutch Labour Party since November 17 2002.-Youth:Bos was raised in a so-called Doorbraak...
,
Jan MarijnissenJohannes Guillaume Christianus Andreas "Jan" Marijnissen is a Dutch politician. He has been chairman of the Dutch Socialist Party since 1988 and a member of the House of Representatives since 1994....
, Dirk van Schijyt,
Robert EenhoornRobert Franciscus Eenhoorn is a retired Dutch professional baseball player and manager. He played four seasons of Major League Baseball as a utility infielder for the New York Yankees and California/Anaheim Angels.-Major League career:Robert Eenhoorn played four seasons in Major League Baseball as...
,
Arjan ErkelPeter-Arjan Erkel is a Dutch medical aid worker and was head of the relief mission for Médecins Sans Frontières in Dagestan, a constituent republic of Russia....
,
Dennis van der GeestDennis van der Geest is a Dutch judoka, who won the bronze medal in the men's heavyweight division at the 2004 Summer Olympics. He was born in Haarlem, Noord-Holland....
,
DJ Paul ElstakDJ Paul Elstak is a Dutch hardcore and happy hardcore DJ and record producer...
,
Raemon SluiterRaemon Sluiter is a professional male tennis player from the Netherlands. His career-high Association of Tennis Professionals Entry ranking is Number 46...
and Renate Verbaan. Sluiter, Towers, Van der Geest, Eenhoorn and Verbaan have all officially been Feyenoord ambassadors.
Gerard MeijerGerard Meijer is a masseur and physiotherapist, currently employed to football team Feyenoord. As of July 2007 he is already contracted 48 years at Feyenoord, which makes him the longest serving employee in Dutch football history....
is the currect ambassador, and was appointed 'ambassador for life' on 19 July 2008.
Hooliganism
Aside from the loyalty of the supporters, which earned Het Legioen the title "Best fans of the country", there is also a hooligan side, which often give the club a bad name. During the UEFA Cup final versus
Tottenham HotspurTottenham Hotspur Football Club, , commonly referred to as Spurs, is an English professional football club based in Tottenham, North London which currently plays in the Premier League...
in 1974 Feyenoord fans were confronted with hooliganism for the first time. Prior to the match Tottenham hooligans had been causing damage in the center of Rotterdam already and during the match they climbed over the cages that separated the home and away stands. They were throwing seats, set the stadium on fire and were fighting man to man. About 150 people mainly supporters of Feyenoord were wounded and 50 Tottenham hooligans were arrested. UEFA-employee Lucien Schmidtlin reported that neither Feyenoord nor Tottenham could be blamed for the riots. After the match the Dutch authorities saw the happenings as a problem that occurred in England and only a few people were warning that these riots might become common. In the years that followed the clashes with Spurs fans The S.C.F (SCF) was established and a lot of the fanatic Feyenoord fans became part of one of the most feared firms in European football. In Europe they were also known as the "Don't run away" firm and besides fights with other Dutch firms there were some big fights in the 1990s in Germany. 15,000 Feyenoord fans were having control over the German police in
MönchengladbachMönchengladbach is a city in North Rhine-Westphalia, Germany. The largest city at the left Lower Rhine belonged as upper center to the governmental district Düsseldorf and is a component of the Metropolregion Rhine-Ruhr....
, while also in
StuttgartStuttgart is the capital of the state of Baden-Württemberg in southern Germany. The sixth-largest city in Germany, Stuttgart has a population of 600,038 while the metropolitan area has a population of 5.3 million ....
and
LeverkusenLeverkusen is a city in North Rhine-Westphalia, Germany. It is located on the eastern bank of the Rhine, half way between Cologne and Düsseldorf.-History:Dating to the 12th century as Wiesdorf, the Leverkusen area was rural until the late 19th century....
they caused a lot of trouble. The most violent clash where the SCF clinched with Ajax's F-side was on 23 March 1997 when "The battle of
BeverwijkBeverwijk is a municipality and a town in the Netherlands, in the province of North Holland. The town is located about northwest of Amsterdam in the Randstad metropolitan area, north of the North Sea Canal very close to the North Sea coast...
" took place and Ajax fan Carlo Picornie was killed by the SCF. After this incident several members of the original SCF stepped back and a second generation of hooligans joined those who stayed. The additional firm was known as the RJK (Rotterdamse Jongeren Kern/Rotterdam Youth Squad). Two years later a third firm (FIIIR) was established and merged with the RJK, the FIIIR became the youth squad of the SCF. Another big clash between the firms of Ajax and Feyenoord happened in Rotterdam on 17 April 2005 when hundreds of SCF and FIIIR members fought with the police prior to the match versus Ajax. F-side members were at that time held by the police just outside the stadium and when the announcement was made in the stadium several groups of SCF/FIIIR members left the stadium to find the F-side. When the police tried to avoid the groups to get together both sides attacked the police first before clashing with each other. Many people got injured, police officers and members of both firms. On 30 November 2006 Feyenoord faced
AS NancyAS Nancy-Lorraine is a French football club, based in Nancy, The team was founded in 1967 as a successor of the defunct FC Nancy, which collapsed in 1965....
in
FranceFrance , officially the French Republic , is a country located in Western Europe, with several overseas islands and territories located on other continents. Metropolitan France extends from the Mediterranean Sea to the English Channel and the North Sea, and from the Rhine to the Atlantic Ocean...
, which is at driving distance from Rotterdam. Only 1200 tickets were awarded to Feyenoord fans. Much more than that amount travelled to
NancyNancy is a city in the Meurthe-et-Moselle department in north-eastern France, and formerly the capital of the Duchy of Lorraine, and then the French province of the same name.The city is the head of the department...
and tried to get tickets at the
Stade Marcel PicotStade Marcel Picot is a football stadium located in Tomblaine, France. Built in 1926, it is used by soccer team AS Nancy.The stadium was completely rebuilt and inaugurated in its new configuration in 2003. It is now able to hold 20,087 people....
. Later, during the match inside the stadium SCF and FIIIR members broke a wall of glass between two stands and provoked French fans. The match was suspended for 30 minutes in the 80th minute after the police used tear gas to drive the SCF/FIIIR members back into their own stand. The match was eventually finished, 30 minutes after it was suspended. It was said many of the SCF/FIIIR members were having Dutch stadium bans and should not have been allowed to buy tickets in Nancy. Members of SCF and FIIIR identify themselves with their tattoos Due to this violence, Feyenoord were knocked out of the UEFA Cup for the remainder of the season. In total there are about 200 members, but when in Rotterdam they are joined by more. Feyenoord hooligans consider themselves among the best and say they have no fear and will never run away. They also call themselves "Rotterdam Hooligans" and "Lunatics", their main slogans are "BLOOD IN BLOOD OUT", "Feyenoord till we die" and "We shall not be moved".
Rivalries
Ajax from
AmsterdamAmsterdam is the capital and largest city of the Netherlands, located in the province of North Holland in the west of the country...
are Feyenoord's arch rivals. The two clubs share a long history together and matches between the two clubs are called the
KlassiekerDe Klassieker is the national football derby of the Netherlands. It is between Ajax, of Amsterdam and Feyenoord, of Rotterdam, highly contested. The record attendance was on 9 January 1966, when 65,562 watched in Rotterdam. -Violence:...
(The Classic) The rivalry is not only between the two teams, but also a confrontation between the two largest cities of the country, Amsterdam and Rotterdam, two cities with extreme differences in attitude and culture. The meeting between the two teams is still considered to be the biggest game of the season. In the past there have been many clashes between the supporters of both clubs, of which the Beverwijk clash in 1997 is the most infamous, with Ajax fan Carlo Picornie being killed and several others injured. In 2004 Feyenoord player
Jorge AcuñaJorge Acuña is a Chilean footballer, who currently plays for Mamelodi Sundowns in the South African Premier Soccer League.In Chile, Jorge Acuña made his professional debut with Unión Española in 1999...
was taken to hospital with head, neck and rib injuries after Feyenoord players were attacked by Ajax hooligans during a match between the reserve teams of both clubs. Another Feyenoord player,
Robin van PersieRobin van Persie is a Dutch footballer who currently plays for Arsenal and Netherlands as a striker. In the national team he is occasionally deployed as a left/right winger as well....
had to be rescued by Ajax coach
John van 't SchipJohannes Nicolaas van 't Schip is a former Dutch international footballer...
and player
Daniël de RidderDaniël de Ridder born 6 March 1984) is a Dutch footballer, who currently plays for Wigan Athletic in the Premier League. He has previously played for Ajax, Celta Vigo and Birmingham City as a forward winger or attacking midfielder....
. Then in 2005 riots before and after the match happened in Rotterdam and were considered to belong to the worst in the history of Dutch football.
Rotterdam is the city with the most professional teams in the Netherlands. Besides Feyenoord there are
Sparta RotterdamSparta Rotterdam is the oldest professional football team in the Netherlands, established on April 1, 1888. Until the 2002/2003 season Sparta Rotterdam had always played at the highest level, but they were relegated from the top-level Eredivisie in 2002. Sparta returned to the Eredivisie for the...
and Excelsior and the city is often referred to as "Voetbalstad nummer 1" . There is a rivalry between the teams, mostly between Feyenoord and Sparta as Excelsior can be seen as Feyenoord's feeder club, but it is not comparable to other
local derbiesIn many countries the term local derby, or simply just derby means a sporting fixture between two rivals, particularly in association football...
. The rivalry between Sparta and Feyenoord is mostly seen on the Sparta side. Some Sparta fans have refused to enter Feyenoord's De Kuip stadium, even when Sparta had reached the
KNVB CupThe KNVB Cup is a competition in the Netherlands organized by the Royal Netherlands Football Association since 1899. It was based on the format of the English FA Cup. Outside of the Netherlands, it is often referred to as the Dutch Cup...
final, which was played in De Kuip. In the 1950s there was much more of a rivalry. One of the key factors for these feelings was footballer
Tinus BosselaarMartinus "Tinus" Bosselaar is a retired Dutch footballer who was active as a left winger.Bosselaar is known as one of the greatest players at Sparta off all time. He started at the club as a little boy and worked his way towards the first team...
, who moved from Sparta to Feyenoord in 1954 before Sparta re-signed him, despite Feyenoord trying to prevent the deal in court.
Feyenoord managers
Feyenoord have had managers from all over Europe. In the early years the club mainly had English managers, as football was already professional there. Feyenoord's first Dutch manager was Engel Geneugelijk (
ad interimThe Latin phrase ad interim literally means "in the time between" denotes the meaning of "in the meantime", "for an intervening time" or "temporarily" in the English language...
), while
Richard DombiRichard Kohn was an Austrian football player and later coach of FC Bayern Munich and Feyenoord Rotterdam. He was Jewish, born in Vienna. His nickname was Little Dombi, meaning little eminence.-Career as player:...
is seen as the first successful coach. He led the team in three different periods. During the club's weakest period in history Feyenoord was managed by two managers at once, Dutchman
Pim VerbeekPeter Tim Verbeek , more commonly known as Pim Verbeek is a Dutch football manager who is the head coach of the Australia national football team...
and Swede
Gunder BengtssonGunder Bengtsson is a former Swedish association football coach.Bengtsson started his career as assistant coach under Sven-Göran Eriksson at IFK Göteborg. In 1982, after Eriksson won the UEFA Cup 1981-82 and left the club for Benfica, Bengtsson became head coach for a few months...
. Bengtsson was the last foreign manager to lead Feyenoord. Feyenoord's international trophies were won by
Ernst HappelErnst Franz Hermann Happel was an Austrian football player and coach.He is regarded as one of the most successful managers ever, winning both league and domestic cup titles in the Netherlands, Belgium, Germany and Austria as well as winning the European Cup twice the first in 1970 and the second...
,
Wiel CoerverWiel Coerver is a football manager from the Netherlands, who's the developer of the Coerver Method, a soccer coaching technique...
and
Bert van MarwijkLambertus "Bert" van Marwijk is a Dutch football coach and former player.He played for, among others, Go Ahead Eagles, AZ, MVV and Fortuna Sittard.He also played for the Dutch national team....
.
- (1921-1922) ENG Bill Julian
John William "Bill" Julian was an English football player and coach.Born in Boston, Lincolnshire, he first played for his local side Boston Town before moving to Royal Arsenal in 1889, following a match between the two on Good Friday of that year...
- (1924-1925) ENG Harry Waites
Harry Waites, sometimes also called Jim Waites, was an English football coach active in the Netherlands in the 1920s.-Career:Waites, who was a rugby player in his youth, spent World War One in an open Prisoner-of-War camp in the Netherlands, alongside footballer Arnold Birch. After the war ended in...
- (1925-1926) NED Engel Geneugelijk (a.i.
The Latin phrase ad interim literally means "in the time between" denotes the meaning of "in the meantime", "for an intervening time" or "temporarily" in the English language...
)
- (1926-1929) ENG Jack Hall
- (1929-1930) ENG Joseph Lamb
- (1930-1931) NED Jaap Kruys (a.i.
The Latin phrase ad interim literally means "in the time between" denotes the meaning of "in the meantime", "for an intervening time" or "temporarily" in the English language...
)
- (1931-1935) ENG Eddy Donaghy
Edward "Eddy" Donaghy was an English association football player and coach.-Playing career:Born in Grangetown, Donaghy played initially for a local club before joining Middlesbrough in 1923. He failed to make an appearance for the club's first team, however, and moved on to Bradford City, where...
- (1935-1939) AUT Richard Dombi
Richard Kohn was an Austrian football player and later coach of FC Bayern Munich and Feyenoord Rotterdam. He was Jewish, born in Vienna. His nickname was Little Dombi, meaning little eminence.-Career as player:...
- (1939-1940) ENG Jack Hall
- (1940-1940) GER Karel Kaufman
Karel Joseph Kaufman was a Dutch football player and manager who managed Feyenoord in 1940, and the Dutch national team in three separate spells, in 1946, 1949, and from 1954 to 1955. As a player, Kaufman played for Achilles 1894 from 1916 to 1934.-References:...
(a.i.The Latin phrase ad interim literally means "in the time between" denotes the meaning of "in the meantime", "for an intervening time" or "temporarily" in the English language...
)
- (1940-1941) NED Theo Huizenaar
- (1941-1942) NED Kees van Dijke
- (1942-1946) NED Kees Pijl
Cornelis Alidanis Pijl is a former Dutch footballer who was active as a striker. Pijl played his whole career at Feijenoord and won eight caps for the Netherlands, scoring seven times, of which four against Romania at the 1924 Summer Olympics...
- (1946-1950) NED Adriaan Koonings
Adriaan Koonings , was a Dutch footballer who was active as a striker.Koonings was born in Rotterdam and played his whole career at Feijenoord. He won one cap for the Netherlands...
- (1950-1951) ENG Harry Topping
Harry Topping was an English football player and coach.-Coaching career:As a football coach, Topping managed two of the Netherlands' biggest clubs in the early 1950s - Feyenoord between 1950 and 1951, and PSV between 1951 and 1952....
- (1951-1955) AUT Richard Dombi
Richard Kohn was an Austrian football player and later coach of FC Bayern Munich and Feyenoord Rotterdam. He was Jewish, born in Vienna. His nickname was Little Dombi, meaning little eminence.-Career as player:...
- (1955-1956) NED Piet de Wolf (a.i.
The Latin phrase ad interim literally means "in the time between" denotes the meaning of "in the meantime", "for an intervening time" or "temporarily" in the English language...
)
- (1956-1958) NED Jaap van der Leck
- (1958-1959) NED Piet de Wolf (a.i.
The Latin phrase ad interim literally means "in the time between" denotes the meaning of "in the meantime", "for an intervening time" or "temporarily" in the English language...
)
- (1959-1961) TCH George Sobotka
- (1961-1963) AUT Franz Fuchs
- (1963-1964) ROM Norberto Höfling
Norberto Höfling was a Romanian footballer and coach.Höfling began his career as professional footballer in Romania, being at his peak between 1945 and 1947 when he played for the national team of Romania and also for Carmen Bucureşti, one of the best teams of that period of time.He left the...
- (1964-1967) AUT Willy Kment
- (1967-1969) NED Ben Peeters
- (1969-1973) AUT Ernst Happel
Ernst Franz Hermann Happel was an Austrian football player and coach.He is regarded as one of the most successful managers ever, winning both league and domestic cup titles in the Netherlands, Belgium, Germany and Austria as well as winning the European Cup twice the first in 1970 and the second...
- (1973-1973) NED Ad Zonderland (a.i.
The Latin phrase ad interim literally means "in the time between" denotes the meaning of "in the meantime", "for an intervening time" or "temporarily" in the English language...
)
- (1973-1975) NED Wiel Coerver
Wiel Coerver is a football manager from the Netherlands, who's the developer of the Coerver Method, a soccer coaching technique...
- (1975-1976) POL Antoni Brzezanczyk
Antoni Brzeżańczyk was a Polish footballer and football manager.He played for Podgórze Kraków, Dąb Poznań, Lechia Gdańsk, Odra Opole, AKS Chorzów, Lech Poznań and Stal Mielec where he began his coaching career....
- (1976-1976) NED Ad Zonderland (a.i.
The Latin phrase ad interim literally means "in the time between" denotes the meaning of "in the meantime", "for an intervening time" or "temporarily" in the English language...
)
- (1976-1978) YUG Vujadin Boškov
Vujadin Boškov is a retired Serbian football player and coach.Boškov was born in the village of Begeč near Novi Sad, Danube Banovina, Kingdom of Yugoslavia). He played with FK Vojvodina for most of his career...
- (1978-1982) CZE Vaclav Jezek
Václav Ježek was the coach of the Czechoslovakia national football team when they won the 1976 European Championships....
- (1982-1982) NED Clemens Westerhof
Clemens Westerhof is a Dutch football manager, who has worked in various football positions on the African continent since 1989.He is most noted for his success with the Nigerian national team...
(a.i.The Latin phrase ad interim literally means "in the time between" denotes the meaning of "in the meantime", "for an intervening time" or "temporarily" in the English language...
)
- (1982-1983) NED Hans Kraay
Hans Kraay is a retired Dutch footballer who was active as a defender and then in football management and television.Born in Utrecht, Kraay made his professional debut at DOS and also played for Feijenoord....
- (1983-1983) NED Ab Fafié (a.i.
The Latin phrase ad interim literally means "in the time between" denotes the meaning of "in the meantime", "for an intervening time" or "temporarily" in the English language...
)
- (1983-1984) NED Thijs Libregts
Thijs Libregts is a Dutch football coach and former player, who played professionally in the 1950s. His daughter Patricia was one of Holland's leading water polo players in the 1980s and 1990s.-Club career:...
- (1984-1986) NED Ab Fafié
- (1986-1988) NED Rinus Israël
Marinus David Israël is a former Dutch football player, manager and currently scout....
- (1988-1989) NED Rob Jacobs
- (1989-1991) NED Pim Verbeek
Peter Tim Verbeek , more commonly known as Pim Verbeek is a Dutch football manager who is the head coach of the Australia national football team...
(dual)
- (1989-1991) SWE Gunder Bengtsson
Gunder Bengtsson is a former Swedish association football coach.Bengtsson started his career as assistant coach under Sven-Göran Eriksson at IFK Göteborg. In 1982, after Eriksson won the UEFA Cup 1981-82 and left the club for Benfica, Bengtsson became head coach for a few months...
(dual)
- (1991-1991) NED Wim Jansen
Wilhelmus Marinus Anthonius Jansen is a former Dutch association football player and manager.- Playing career :...
(a.i.The Latin phrase ad interim literally means "in the time between" denotes the meaning of "in the meantime", "for an intervening time" or "temporarily" in the English language...
)
- (1991-1992) NED Hans Dorjee
Hans Pieter Hendrik Dorjee was a football manager and player from the Netherlands, who played for DHC from Delft, Xerxes, Xerxes/DHC and Holland Sport...
- (1992-1992) NED Wim Jansen
Wilhelmus Marinus Anthonius Jansen is a former Dutch association football player and manager.- Playing career :...
(a.i.The Latin phrase ad interim literally means "in the time between" denotes the meaning of "in the meantime", "for an intervening time" or "temporarily" in the English language...
)
- (1992-1995) NED Willem van Hanegem
Willem "Wim" van Hanegem is a Dutch football player and coach born in Breskens, Zeeland. In a playing career spanning over 20 years he won several domestic honours in The Netherlands, as well as two UEFA trophies, all with Feyenoord. He was also a finalist in the FIFA World Cup 1974...
- (1995-1995) NED Geert Meijer
Geert Meijer is a retired Dutch football player who played for BVC Amsterdam, FC Amsterdam, Ajax, Bristol City F.C., Sparta Rotterdam and NAC Breda. He was also caretaker manager of Feyenoord in 1995.-External links:...
(a.i.The Latin phrase ad interim literally means "in the time between" denotes the meaning of "in the meantime", "for an intervening time" or "temporarily" in the English language...
)
- (1995-1997) NED Arie Haan
Adrianus Haan is a former Dutch football midfielder and the current manager of Chongqing Lifan, who scored 6 goals in 35 matches for the Dutch national squad of the 1970s. At club level he enjoyed a successful career with AFC Ajax, R.S.C. Anderlecht, Standard Liège and PSV Eindhoven...
- (1997-1997) NED Geert Meijer
Geert Meijer is a retired Dutch football player who played for BVC Amsterdam, FC Amsterdam, Ajax, Bristol City F.C., Sparta Rotterdam and NAC Breda. He was also caretaker manager of Feyenoord in 1995.-External links:...
(dual a.i.The Latin phrase ad interim literally means "in the time between" denotes the meaning of "in the meantime", "for an intervening time" or "temporarily" in the English language...
)
- (1997-1997) NED John Metgod
Johannes Antonius Bernardus Metgod is a retired Dutch association football player, who is a first-team coach at Derby County.-Club career:...
(dual a.i.The Latin phrase ad interim literally means "in the time between" denotes the meaning of "in the meantime", "for an intervening time" or "temporarily" in the English language...
)
- (1997-2000) NED Leo Beenhakker
Leo Beenhakker is an international Dutch football coach, who is the current Technical Director of Feyenoord.- Coaching career :...
- (2000-2000) NED Henk van Stee
Henk van Stee is a former football midfielder from the Netherlands, who played for Sparta Rotterdam and De Graafschap. He retired in 1990, and became a football manager, who worked for Sparta Rotterdam, VVV Venlo, Feyenoord Rotterdam, AZ Alkmaar and Excelsior Rotterdam.-References:
...
(a.i.The Latin phrase ad interim literally means "in the time between" denotes the meaning of "in the meantime", "for an intervening time" or "temporarily" in the English language...
)
- (2000-2004) NED Bert van Marwijk
Lambertus "Bert" van Marwijk is a Dutch football coach and former player.He played for, among others, Go Ahead Eagles, AZ, MVV and Fortuna Sittard.He also played for the Dutch national team....
- (2004-2005) NED Ruud Gullit
is a Dutch football coach and former player, who played professionally in the 1980s and 1990s. He was the captain of the Netherlands national team that was victorious at Euro 88 and was also a member of the squad for the 1990 World Cup...
- (2005-2007) NED Erwin Koeman
Erwin Koeman is a Dutch football manager and former football player. He is the son of Dutch international footballer Martin Koeman, and, alongside his younger brother Ronald, has also represented the Netherlands. All three Koemans played for Dutch Eredivisie side Groningen at some time during...
- (2007-2007) NED Leo Beenhakker
Leo Beenhakker is an international Dutch football coach, who is the current Technical Director of Feyenoord.- Coaching career :...
(a.i.The Latin phrase ad interim literally means "in the time between" denotes the meaning of "in the meantime", "for an intervening time" or "temporarily" in the English language...
)
- (2007-2008) NED Bert van Marwijk
Lambertus "Bert" van Marwijk is a Dutch football coach and former player.He played for, among others, Go Ahead Eagles, AZ, MVV and Fortuna Sittard.He also played for the Dutch national team....
- (2008-2009) NED Gertjan Verbeek
Gertjan Verbeek is a former football defender from the Netherlands, who played for SC Heerenveen and Heracles Almelo....
- (2009) NED Leon Vlemmings
Leon Vlemmings is a Dutch football manager and former player. In June 2008, Feyenoord announced that it had reached an agreement with NAC Breda on the appointment of Vlemmings as assistant coach at De Kuip...
(a.i.The Latin phrase ad interim literally means "in the time between" denotes the meaning of "in the meantime", "for an intervening time" or "temporarily" in the English language...
)
- (starting July 2009) NED Mario Been
Mario Been is a football manager from the Netherlands, who was appointed the head coach of Feyenoord Rotterdam on 28th January 2009.He is nicknamed "Mariodona", after Diego Maradona and his first name....
Feyenoord chairmen
Where Feyenoord's managers came from all over Europe the chairmen were mainly Dutch, with Amandus Lundqvist from Sweden as the only exception. With 28 years Cor Kieboom was the longest reigning chairman in the club's history.
- (1908-1911) NED G.D. van Leerdam
- (1911-1918) NED Leen van Zandvliet
- (1918-1919) NED Jan van Bennekom
- (1920-1925) NED Johan Weber
- (1925-1939) NED Leen van Zandvliet
- (1939-1967) NED Cor Kieboom
- (1967-1973) NED Guus Couwenberg
- (1973-1979) NED Leo van Zandvliet
- (1979-1982) NED Guus Couwenberg
- (1982-1989) NED Gerard Kerkum
Gerard Kerkum is a Dutch retired footballer and was twice chairman of Dutch football team Feyenoord Rotterdam.Kerkum, born in Rotterdam played a total of 349 matches in Feyenoord's first team from 1951 to 1965. He was the team's captain for many years and scored a total of 13 goals for the club...
- (1989-1990) NED Carlo de Swart
- (1990-1992) SWE Amandus Lundqvist
- (1992-2006) NED Jorien van den Herik
Jorien van den Herik is a Dutch business man and was chairman of Feyenoord Rotterdam till 2006.Van den Herik helped Feyenoord to purchase some players in 1984 as chairman of the "Friends of Feyenoord Group". In a few years time he had invested 3 million Dutch guldens in the club. In 1989 be became...
- (2007-2007) NED Gerard Kerkum
Gerard Kerkum is a Dutch retired footballer and was twice chairman of Dutch football team Feyenoord Rotterdam.Kerkum, born in Rotterdam played a total of 349 matches in Feyenoord's first team from 1951 to 1965. He was the team's captain for many years and scored a total of 13 goals for the club...
- (2007-present) NED Dick van Well
Dick van Well is a Dutch business man and currently chairman of Dutch football team Feyenoord Rotterdam.Van Well was chairman of the Dura Vermeer Group in Zoetermeer for many years...
Media
Since 2000 Feyenoord have had its own television programme, shown weekly on
SBS6SBS 6 is a commercial TV channel in the Netherlands owned by ProSiebenSat.1 Media. Other channels of the group in the Netherlands are NET 5 and Veronica.- History :...
. The show features interviews with players and other team members as well as documentaries about the team. As of the 2006-07 season Feyenoord launched its own Feyenoord TV project on their website with daily news and reports that tells everything about the club.
In 1993 Feyenoord introduced their own newspaper, the Feyenoord Krant, the first and only Dutch club to do so. The newspaper is published fortnightly, with a print run of 25,000. Extra editions are published to coincide with European matches. Inside the newspaper news, background information, interviews, reports and columns by Feyenoord related figures can be found.
Feyenoord were one of the latest Dutch teams to open their own official website on 21 May 2001.
The site is available in Dutch and English, plus other languages depending upon the nationalities of the club's high profile players. As of 2007, Japanese and Korean editions are available due to the popularity of
Shinji Onois a Japanese football player, who plays as a midfielder for VfL Bochum in Germany.Known as Tensai, Japanese for "Genius", from his youth days, Ono is one of the biggest stars in Asian football, known for his vision, technique and superb passing...
and
Song Chong-GugSong Chong-Gug is a Korean football player and midfielder for Suwon Samsung Bluewings and the Korean national team.- Career :...
in their home countries. Since 2004 Feyenoord have shared a website 2 teams 1 goal with
UNICEFThe United Nations Children's Fund was created by the United Nations General Assembly on December 11, 1946, to provide emergency food and healthcare to children in countries that had been devastated by World War II...
as part of Feyenoord's children's welfare project in
GhanaThe Republic of Ghana is a country in West Africa which borders Côte d'Ivoire to the west, Burkina Faso to the north, Togo to the east, and the Gulf of Guinea to the south...
. To mark Feyenoord's centenary another site was launched in January 2007 to publicise events related to the occasion. Feyenoord also opened official
Live.comWindows Live Personalized Experience is a customizable portal launched by Microsoft in early November 2005. It was one of the first Windows Live services to launch.- Features :...
and
YouTubeYouTube is a video sharing website on which users can upload and share videos. Three former PayPal employees created YouTube in February 2005. In November 2006, YouTube, LLC was bought by Google Inc. for $1.65 billion, and is now operated as a subsidiary of Google...
pages in 2006.
Feyenoord also offer the option to follow the club with news and statistics on cell phones or email. For each and every home match a daily program magazine is created and children who are members of the Kameraadjes also receive a magazine. At the beginning of the season Feyenoord produce a new presentation magazine, while at the end of the season a Feyenoord yearbook is created.
Current squad
Players out on loan
Retired numbers
- 12 – Netherlands Het Legioen
Het Legioen is the name that is used to describe football fans who support Dutch side Feyenoord.The supporters of Feyenoord are said to be one of the most loyal supporter groups in the world supporting the team during both good or bad times. They are nicknamed Het Legioen, Dutch for The Legion and...
, reserved for the club supporters
Staff and management
Sportclub Feyenoord
Sportclub Feyenoord are Feyenoord's amateur and youth side, who have played at Varkenoord, directly behind De Kuip since 1949. Sportclub Feyenoord's annual youth trials attract a large number of hopefuls, with thousands of boys attempting to impress the coaches.
The Feyenoord squad typically contains a number of players who joined the club after playing for Sportclub Feyenoord, and several players from Sportclub Feyenoord have progressed to have successful careers at international level, including
Puck van HeelGerardus Henricus "Puck" van Heel was a Dutch footballer born in Rotterdam. He earned 64 caps for the Netherlands national football team, and played in the 1934 and 1938 World Cups...
,
Wim JansenWilhelmus Marinus Anthonius Jansen is a former Dutch association football player and manager.- Playing career :...
and
Giovanni van BronckhorstGiovanni Christiaan van Bronckhorst , known as Gio for short, is a Dutch footballer of South Moluccan ancestry who plays for Dutch Eredivisie club Feyenoord and the Dutch national team....
. A number of high profile managers also started their coaching careers at Varkenoord, including
Clemens WesterhofClemens Westerhof is a Dutch football manager, who has worked in various football positions on the African continent since 1989.He is most noted for his success with the Nigerian national team...
and
Leo BeenhakkerLeo Beenhakker is an international Dutch football coach, who is the current Technical Director of Feyenoord.- Coaching career :...
.
Partnerships with other clubs
As of 2007, Feyenoord currently have three formal partnerships, a satellite club arrangement with nearby Excelsior, a partnership with Hungary's
Újpest FCÚjpest Football Club , earlier known as Újpesti TE and Újpesti Dózsa, is a Hungarian football club, based in Újpest, Budapest. The club's colours are purple and white...
and the
Feyenoord AcademyFeyenoord Academy is a Ghanaian football club and the biggest football in Ghana academy based in Goma Fetteh, and was founded by Feyenoord from Rotterdam...
in Ghana. The most of strongest of these partnerships is that with Excelsior, who since 1996 have loaned young Feyenoord players on the verge of the first team. The purpose of this is to allow them to experience regular first-team football, aiding their development while simultaneously strengthening Excelsior's squad. The highest profile players to have played at Excelsior as part of this arrangement are
Thomas BuffelThomas Buffel is a Belgian footballer who plays for Jupiler League side RC Genk. He is an attacking midfielder and can play as a striker...
and
Salomon KalouSalomon Kalou is an Ivorian football player, who currently plays for Chelsea and formerly for the Dutch club Feyenoord.He is a forward, often used on the wings at Chelsea...
, who were both subsequently involved in transfer deals worth several million Euros.. The partnership between Feyenoord and Excelsior was scaled back in 2006, though the clubs still work together.
Feyenoord's co-operation with Újpest FC started when Hungarian ex-footballer and former Feyenoord player Jószef Kiprich joined the Hungarian team as a under 19 coach and started as a scout for Feyenoord.
The academy in Ghana arose form a visit by Feyenoord chairman
Jorien van den HerikJorien van den Herik is a Dutch business man and was chairman of Feyenoord Rotterdam till 2006.Van den Herik helped Feyenoord to purchase some players in 1984 as chairman of the "Friends of Feyenoord Group". In a few years time he had invested 3 million Dutch guldens in the club. In 1989 be became...
to
AbidjanAbidjan is the economic and former official capital of Côte d'Ivoire . It is the largest city in the nation, and the third largest French speaking city in the world. It has, according to the authorities of the country in 2006, 5,068,858 residents in the municipal area and 3,796,677 residents in the...
to sign the then unknown
Bonaventure KalouBonaventure "Barry" Kalou is an Ivorian striker who currently plays for Dutch Eredivisie side SC Heerenveen. He is well known for his flair, skill and vision.-Career:...
, when ven den Herik contacted with the education institute at Kalou’s club. The academy was built in Fetteh, just outside
AccraAccra is the capital and most populous city of Ghana, a nation on the coast of the western region of Africa. The city also doubles as the capital of the Greater Accra Region, and of the Accra Metropolis District with which it is coterminous. It is the administrative, communications, and economic...
. after go-ahead for and was given by the Chief of Fetteh in 1998. At the academy, young talented African footballers can work on their football skills. In addition to helping their football potential the students are provided with formal education which is funded by Feyenoord. The Feyenoord Academy currently play their matches in the OneTouch Premier League.
The club have also entered into several other partnerships which are now discontinued, most extensively in Brazil with
América Futebol ClubeAmérica Futebol Clube, is a traditional Brazilian football team from Belo Horizonte, Minas Gerais, founded on April 30, 1912....
and J.J.'s football school in
Rio de JaneiroRio de Janeiro is the capital city of the State of Rio de Janeiro, the second largest city of Brazil, and the third largest metropolitan area and agglomeration in South America. The city was the capital of Brazil for nearly two centuries, from 1763 to 1822 during the Portuguese colonial era, and...
. Other clubs who have previously entered partnerships with Feyenoord include
Parramatta PowerParramatta Power were a football team which was based in western Sydney. They played in the National Soccer League from season 1999/2000 until the league folded in 2004. The Power were runners up to Perth Glory in the 2003/04 season of the NSL after Perth made the Grand Final look easy in...
,
Nagoya Grampus Eightis a Japanese Association football club which plays in the first division of the J. League. The team is based in Nagoya and was founded as the company team of Toyota Motor Corp. in 1939...
,
Boldklubben 1893Boldklubben af 1893 is a Danish football club currently playing in the Danish 2nd Division East. They play at the 7,000 seat Østerbro Stadion in Østerbro, Copenhagen.- Achievements:* Danish championship titles :...
,
Helsingborgs IFHelsingborgs IF , most commonly referred to as HIF, or Helsingborg, is a Swedish football club located in Helsingborg. The club, formed 4 June 1907, has won six national championship titles and three national cup titles. They are currently playing in the highest Swedish league, Allsvenskan...
, Supersport United,
KVC WesterloK.V.C. Westerlo is a Belgian football club located in the city of Westerlo. It has been in the Belgian First Division since 1997-98. Its matricule is the n°2024...
,
KV MechelenY.R. K.V. Mechelen is a Belgian football club from Mechelen in Antwerp province. It is occasionally known by its French name, FC Malines. KV Mechelen are former UEFA Cup Winners Cup holders.- History :...
,
Breiðablik UBKBreiðablik was founded in 1950 and is the biggest sports club in Kópavogur in Iceland. It has several divisions, both men and women: football, athletics, basketball, karate, dance, skiing, swimming and team handball.- Name :The name Breiðablik comes from norse mythology where it was the home of...
,
FC Lyn OsloFootball Club Lyn Oslo is a Norwegian professional football club and a department of the sports club Ski- og Fotballklubben Lyn, whose members also participate in nordic skiing and orienteering...
,
UKS SMS LodzUKS SMS Łódź is a Polish football club based in Łódź played currently in III liga Group 1. The club is well-known for working with youngsters. UKS SMS Łódź has a partnership with Feyenoord Rotterdam.- Notable players :* Dawid Nowak - GKS Bełchatów player...
,
Omiya Ardijais a professional football club which play in the J. League, and are based in Ōmiya-ku in Saitama, Japan. Its "hometown" as designated by the league is the whole of Saitama city, which is shared with neighbours Urawa Red Diamonds...
and Jiangsu Shuntian.
Sponsorships
As of the 1981-82 Eredivisie season the KNVB allowed the teams participating in the league to use sponsor names on their shirts in exchange for money. At the time Feyenoord's shirts were produced by
AdidasAdidas AG is a German-based sports apparel manufacturer and part of the Adidas Group, which consists of Reebok sportswear company, TaylorMade-adidas golf company, and Rockport. Besides sports footwear, the company also produces other products such as bags, shirts, watches, eyewear and other sports...
and the first main sponsor became the
Dutch Yellow PagesThe term Yellow Pages refers to a telephone directory of businesses, categorized according to the product or service provided. As the name suggests, such directories were originally printed on yellow paper, as opposed to white pages for non-commercial listings...
called Gouden Gids. In the second half of the 1982-83 season Adidas were replaced by
PumaPUMA AG Rudolf Dassler Sport is a large German multinational company that produces high-end athletic shoes, lifestyle footwear and other sportswear....
as the shirt supplier. As a result the Gouden Gids name was enlarged and was more visible on the shirts. Gouden Gids sponsored the team until 1984, when
OpelAdam Opel GmbH, commonly known as Opel, is a German automaker. The company was founded on 21 January 1863, began making automobiles in 1899, and was acquired by General Motors in 1929...
became the new sponsor. The deal between Feyenoord and Opel lasted until 1989, but in 1987 Puma no longer produced the shirts, but
Hummel InternationalHummel International is a Denmark-based sports apparel company. The company was started in 1923 by the Messmer family in the town of Hamburg, Germany. It currently manufactures apparel for football, handball, basketball, rugby league, Australian rules football, shinty and volleyball...
. In 1989 Hummel produced the shirts sponsored by HCS. Adidas came back to the club in 1990, at the time that HCS got into big financial troubles and got bankrupt and was unable to sponsor Feyenoord any longer. Where HCS left Adidas stayed and the new main sponsor became
Stad Rotterdam VerzekeringenFortis is a company that was active in banking, insurance, and investment management. In 2007 it was the 20th largest business in the world by revenue, but most of the company was sold in parts in 2008, with only insurance activities remaining....
. This turned out to be a longterm deal as they were Feyenoord's main sponsor until 2004, when it was overtaken by
FortisFortis is a company that was active in banking, insurance, and investment management. In 2007 it was the 20th largest business in the world by revenue, but most of the company was sold in parts in 2008, with only insurance activities remaining....
. Since that time Fortis is the club's sponsor and the current contract was extended to 2009 with an option of three more seasons on 18 January 2007, the day before Feyenoord was excluded from the
UEFA Cup 2006-07The 2006–07 UEFA Cup was the 36th UEFA Cup, Europe's second tier club football tournament. On 16 May 2007, at Hampden Park, Glasgow, Scotland, Sevilla won their second consecutive UEFA Cup, defeating Espanyol 3–1 on penalties after the match finished 2–2 after extra time...
. Feyenoord's kits are currently produced by
KappaKappa is an Italian clothing company that started as a sock and underwear manufacturer in 1916 in Turin.-Logo:Known as the Omini, is a silhouette of a man and woman sitting back to back in the nude. Created in 1969 by mere accident...
, which replaced Adidas in 2000.
Feyenoord's contract with Kappa will end after the
2008/09 seasonThe Eredivisie 2008–09 is the fifty-third season of Eredivisie since its establishment in 1955. PSV were the reigning champions. The season began on 29 August 2008 with a game between Vitesse and FC Groningen and ended on 10 May 2009. A total of 18 teams take part in the league, consisting of 16...
. After that season,
PumaPUMA AG Rudolf Dassler Sport is a large German multinational company that produces high-end athletic shoes, lifestyle footwear and other sportswear....
will produce Feyenoord's kits.
| Years |
Main sponsor |
Years |
Shirt producer |
| 1981-1984 |
Gouden GidsThe term Yellow Pages refers to a telephone directory of businesses, categorized according to the product or service provided. As the name suggests, such directories were originally printed on yellow paper, as opposed to white pages for non-commercial listings...
|
1981-1982 |
AdidasAdidas AG is a German-based sports apparel manufacturer and part of the Adidas Group, which consists of Reebok sportswear company, TaylorMade-adidas golf company, and Rockport. Besides sports footwear, the company also produces other products such as bags, shirts, watches, eyewear and other sports...
|
| 1984-1989 |
OpelAdam Opel GmbH, commonly known as Opel, is a German automaker. The company was founded on 21 January 1863, began making automobiles in 1899, and was acquired by General Motors in 1929...
|
1982-1987 |
PumaPUMA AG Rudolf Dassler Sport is a large German multinational company that produces high-end athletic shoes, lifestyle footwear and other sportswear....
|
| 1989-1991 |
HCS |
1987-1990 |
Hummel International Hummel International is a Denmark-based sports apparel company. The company was started in 1923 by the Messmer family in the town of Hamburg, Germany. It currently manufactures apparel for football, handball, basketball, rugby league, Australian rules football, shinty and volleyball...
|
| 1991-2004 |
Stad Rotterdam VerzekeringenFortis is a company that was active in banking, insurance, and investment management. In 2007 it was the 20th largest business in the world by revenue, but most of the company was sold in parts in 2008, with only insurance activities remaining....
|
1990-2000 |
AdidasAdidas AG is a German-based sports apparel manufacturer and part of the Adidas Group, which consists of Reebok sportswear company, TaylorMade-adidas golf company, and Rockport. Besides sports footwear, the company also produces other products such as bags, shirts, watches, eyewear and other sports...
|
| 2004-2009 |
FortisFortis is a company that was active in banking, insurance, and investment management. In 2007 it was the 20th largest business in the world by revenue, but most of the company was sold in parts in 2008, with only insurance activities remaining....
|
2000-2009 |
KappaKappa is an Italian clothing company that started as a sock and underwear manufacturer in 1916 in Turin.-Logo:Known as the Omini, is a silhouette of a man and woman sitting back to back in the nude. Created in 1969 by mere accident...
|
| 2009-present |
ASR VerzekeringenFortis is a company that was active in banking, insurance, and investment management. In 2007 it was the 20th largest business in the world by revenue, but most of the company was sold in parts in 2008, with only insurance activities remaining....
|
2009-present |
PumaPUMA AG Rudolf Dassler Sport is a large German multinational company that produces high-end athletic shoes, lifestyle footwear and other sportswear....
|
External links
Official sites
Other sites