Football Club Twente () is a Dutch professional
football
Football is a family of team sports that involve, to varying degrees, kicking a ball to score a goal. Unqualified, the word ''football'' normally means the form of football that is the most popular where the word is used. Sports commonly c ...
club from the city of
Enschede
Enschede (; known as in the local Twents dialect) is a municipality and city in the eastern Netherlands in the province of Overijssel and in the Twente region. The eastern parts of the urban area reaches the border of the German city of Gronau ...
, sometimes known internationally as Twente Enschede. The club was formed in 1965 by the merger of 1926 Dutch champions
Sportclub Enschede
Sportclub Enschede is a football club from Enschede, Netherlands. ''SC Enschede'' was established in 1910. The club won the national championship in 1926. In 1965 ''SC Enschede'' merged with their rivals Enschedese Boys to form FC Twente (both c ...
with
Enschedese Boys
Enschedese Boys is a non-league football club from the Dutch city Enschede. In 1965 the professional team of ''De Boys'' merged with their rivals Sportclub Enschede to FC Twente (both clubs continued in non-league football). Currently ''Enschede ...
. It was the holder of the 2011 KNVB Cup and Johan Cruyff Shield trophies, and was Eredivisie champion in the
2009–10 season; the club has also finished as Eredivisie runner-up twice, was runner-up in the
1974–75 UEFA Cup, and has won the
KNVB Cup
The KNVB Beker (; en, KNVB Cup), branded as the TOTO KNVB Beker for sponsorship reasons, is a competition in the Netherlands organized by the Royal Dutch Football Association (KNVB) since 1898. It was based on the format of the English FA Cup. Ou ...
three times. Twente's home ground since 1998 is
De Grolsch Veste
De Grolsch Veste (, en, The Grolsch Fortress, previously known as ''Arke Stadion'' ) is the stadium of football club FC Twente. It is located in Enschede, Netherlands, at the Business & Science Park, near the University of Twente. The stadium ...
. Since 2019, the team have played in the
Eredivisie
The Eredivisie (; ''"Honour Division"'' or ''"Premier Division"'') is the highest level of professional football in the Netherlands. The league was founded in 1956, two years after the start of professional football in the Netherlands. It is c ...
, the top division of Dutch football.
History
Foundation and early years
The club was formed in 1965 as a merger of two professional clubs,
Sportclub Enschede
Sportclub Enschede is a football club from Enschede, Netherlands. ''SC Enschede'' was established in 1910. The club won the national championship in 1926. In 1965 ''SC Enschede'' merged with their rivals Enschedese Boys to form FC Twente (both c ...
and the
Enschedese Boys
Enschedese Boys is a non-league football club from the Dutch city Enschede. In 1965 the professional team of ''De Boys'' merged with their rivals Sportclub Enschede to FC Twente (both clubs continued in non-league football). Currently ''Enschede ...
. One of such predecessors, SC Enschede, had also won a single Dutch championship in 1926.
The first successes of the club started just after the merger of 1965, under the innovative coach
Kees Rijvers
Cornelus Bernardus Rijvers (born 27 May 1926) is a Dutch former footballer who was active as a midfielder and later as coach for PSV Eindhoven and the Netherlands national team. He was born in Breda.
Playing career
Rijvers made his debut at N ...
. Twente finished third in 1969, fourth in 1970, fifth in 1971, third in 1972 and again in 1973. The team's key figures were local heroes, such as
Epi Drost,
Eddy Achterberg
Eddy Achterberg (born 21 February 1947 in Utrecht) is a retired Dutch football player and coach. As of February 2009, he is a scout with FC Schalke 04.
Career Club
A professional for fifteen years prior to signing for Dutch side DOS (the predec ...
,
Kick van der Vall
Christian Alfred "Kick" van der Vall (born March 3, 1946) is a Dutch former professional footballer, who played as an attacking midfielder for Feyenoord, DWS, Vitesse, and is best known for his longer spell at FC Twente.
Career
Van der Vall st ...
and
Theo Pahlplatz
Theo Pahlplatz (born 3 April 1947 in Oldenzaal) is a Dutch retired footballer. He spent most of his career with FC Twente
Football Club Twente () is a Dutch professional football club from the city of Enschede, sometimes known internation ...
. Their finest Eredivisie season was
1973–74, in which Twente battled for the Dutch championship with
Feyenoord
Feyenoord Rotterdam () is a Dutch professional football club in Rotterdam, which plays in the Eredivisie, the top tier in Dutch football. Founded as Wilhelmina in 1908, the club changed to various names before settling on being called after its ...
. A head-to-head confrontation in the final game of the season, in
Rotterdam
Rotterdam ( , , , lit. ''The Dam on the River Rotte'') is the second largest city and municipality in the Netherlands. It is in the province of South Holland, part of the North Sea mouth of the Rhine–Meuse–Scheldt delta, via the ''"N ...
, where Feyenoord prevailed 3–2, sealed Twente's fate in second. Nonetheless, this earned the side a position in the
UEFA Cup
A cup is an open-top used to hold hot or cold liquids for pouring or drinking; while mainly used for drinking, it also can be used to store Solid, solids for pouring (e.g., sugar, flour, grains, salt). Cups may be made of glass, metal, porcela ...
.
''The Tukkers'' (as people from the Dutch region of
Twente
Twente ( nl, Twente , Tweants dialect: ''Tweante'') is a region in the eastern Netherlands. It encompasses the most urbanised and easternmost part of the province of Overijssel. Twente is most likely named after the Tuihanti or Tvihanti, a Germ ...
are generally called) nearly made the very most out of that UEFA Cup ticket—after beating
Juventus
Juventus Football Club (from la, iuventūs, 'youth'; ), colloquially known as Juve (), is a professional Association football, football club based in Turin, Piedmont, Italy, that competes in the Serie A, the top tier of the Italian football leagu ...
in the semi-finals, Twente lost to German side
Borussia Mönchengladbach
Borussia Verein für Leibesübungen 1900 e. V. Mönchengladbach, commonly known as Borussia Mönchengladbach (), Mönchengladbach () or Gladbach (; abbreviated as Borussia MG, BMG), is a professional Association football, football club based in ...
in
the finals (0–0, 1–5).
In 1977, Twente won its first trophy, the
KNVB Cup
The KNVB Beker (; en, KNVB Cup), branded as the TOTO KNVB Beker for sponsorship reasons, is a competition in the Netherlands organized by the Royal Dutch Football Association (KNVB) since 1898. It was based on the format of the English FA Cup. Ou ...
, after beating
PEC Zwolle
PEC Zwolle is a Dutch football club based in Zwolle, Netherlands. They play in the Eerste Divisie, the second tier of Dutch football, following relegation from the Eredivisie in the 2021–22 season. They have played in the Eredivisie for a total ...
3–0.
The 1980s and 1990s
After enjoying some success in the 1970s, prospects went downhill for Twente, with the club ultimately suffering relegation to the
Eerste Divisie
The Eerste Divisie (, en, First Division) is the second-highest tier of football in the Netherlands. It is linked with the top-level Eredivisie and with the third-level Tweede Divisie via promotion/relegation systems. It is also known as the ...
, the Dutch second division, in 1983. However, Twente returned to the top flight a year later, but the club soon became known for their "impressive" amount of 1–1 and 0–0 draws. This new reputation as "boring Twente" overshadowed the fact that the club kept qualifying for European football on a fairly regular basis, with five times since 1985.
Re-establishment then followed in the 1990s: German coach
Hans Meyer led Twente to third-place in the Eredivisie of 1997 and into the third round of the
1997–98 UEFA Cup the next season. On 24 May 2001, Twente clinched their second triumph in the KNVB Cup after beating
PSV in the final after being 3–1 down in the penalty shoot-out. The season after, Twente crashed out of the Cup at the hands of
Ajax
Ajax may refer to:
Greek mythology and tragedy
* Ajax the Great, a Greek mythological hero, son of King Telamon and Periboea
* Ajax the Lesser, a Greek mythological hero, son of Oileus, the king of Locris
* ''Ajax'' (play), by the ancient Greek ...
's second team. Additionally, results in the league were poor, with hardcore Twente fans ''Ultras Vak-P'' eventually going on a rampage at the club's brand-new stadium,
De Grolsch Veste
De Grolsch Veste (, en, The Grolsch Fortress, previously known as ''Arke Stadion'' ) is the stadium of football club FC Twente. It is located in Enschede, Netherlands, at the Business & Science Park, near the University of Twente. The stadium ...
, out of frustration.
From bankruptcy to national champions (2002–2011)
![Steve McClaren 2012 1](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/4/4f/Steve_McClaren_2012_1.jpg)
The club's mother corporation (FC Twente '65) was declared bankrupt in the
2002–03 season, almost leading to the club's going out of existence. The club, now chaired by ambitious businessman Joop Munsterman, survived such problems and made it to another KNVB Cup final in
2004
2004 was designated as an International Year of Rice by the United Nations, and the International Year to Commemorate the Struggle Against Slavery and its Abolition (by UNESCO).
Events January
* January 3 – Flash Airlines Flight 6 ...
, and then finished in fourth place in the league table in
2006–07. In the
2007–08 season, Twente placed fourth and won the play-offs for a ticket to the
Champions League qualifiers by defeating Ajax in the play-off finals.
In the
2008–09 season, Twente hired former
England
England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Wales to its west and Scotland to its north. The Irish Sea lies northwest and the Celtic Sea to the southwest. It is separated from continental Europe b ...
manager
Steve McClaren
Stephen McClaren (born 3 May 1961) is an English former professional footballer and coach who currently serves as an assistant coach for Premier League club Manchester United, in his second spell at the club.
McClaren began his coaching caree ...
as its new head coach. Under his tenure, unseeded Twente entered the draw for the third qualifying round of the
Champions League, being drawn against seeded
Arsenal
An arsenal is a place where arms and ammunition are made, maintained and repaired, stored, or issued, in any combination, whether privately or publicly owned. Arsenal and armoury (British English) or armory (American English) are mostly ...
. The two legs were played at home on 13 August and away on 27 August 2008. Twente lost 6–0 on aggregate, resulting in their elimination from the Champions League and subsequent entry of the
2008–09 UEFA Cup first round. At the domestic level, Twente finished second in the Eredivisie, 11 points behind champions
AZ, and again secured entry to the Champions League qualifying rounds as Dutch runners-up, as well as KNVB Cup finalists (defeated by
Heerenveen
Heerenveen (, fry, It Hearrenfean ) is a town and municipality in the province of Friesland (Fryslân), in the Northern Netherlands. In 2021, the town had a population of 29,790 (1 January) while the municipality had a population 50,859 (1 July). ...
).
The 2009–10 season started with Twente being knocked out of the
2009–10 UEFA Champions League third qualifying round after a 1–1 aggregate draw against
Sporting CP
Sporting Clube de Portugal, founded Sporting Club de Portugal (), otherwise referred to as Sporting CP, often known abroad as Sporting Lisbon , is a Portuguese professional sports club based in Lisbon. It is best known for the professional foot ...
, which sent the Portuguese side through on away goals. The club was then admitted to the
Europa League
The UEFA Europa League (abbreviated as UEL, or sometimes, UEFA EL), formerly the UEFA Cup, is an annual football club competition organised since 1971 by the Union of European Football Associations (UEFA) for eligible European football clubs. It ...
, where it enjoyed a relatively successful path that ended in a 4–2 aggregate defeat at the hands of
Werder Bremen
Sportverein Werder Bremen von 1899 e. V. (), commonly known as Werder Bremen (), Werder or simply Bremen, is a German professional sports club based in Bremen, Bremen (state), Free Hanseatic City of Bremen. Founded on 4 February 1899, they are be ...
in the round of 32. At the domestic level, Twente won its first
Eredivisie title at the end of a campaign in which they lost just twice, winning 16 of 17 at home. The championship was confirmed on the final day of the season when they beat
NAC 2–0 away, making Steve McClaren the first Englishman to guide a Dutch team to a national title since
Bobby Robson
Sir Robert William Robson (18 February 1933 – 31 July 2009) was an English footballer and football manager. His career included periods playing for and later managing the England national team and being a UEFA Cup-winning manager at Ipswich ...
in 1992. The victory qualified Twente for the
2010–11 UEFA Champions League group stage, the club's first appearance in the competition. At the end of the season, McClaren resigned as the manager, moving to German side
VfL Wolfsburg
Verein für Leibesübungen Wolfsburg e. V., commonly known as VfL Wolfsburg () or Wolfsburg, is a German professional sports club based in Wolfsburg, Lower Saxony. The club grew out of a multi-sports club for Volkswagen workers in the city of W ...
, and was replaced by the
Belgian
Belgian may refer to:
* Something of, or related to, Belgium
* Belgians, people from Belgium or of Belgian descent
* Languages of Belgium, languages spoken in Belgium, such as Dutch, French, and German
*Ancient Belgian language, an extinct languag ...
Michel Preud'homme
Michel Georges Jean Ghislain Preud'homme (born 24 January 1959) is a Belgian retired footballer and manager who played as a goalkeeper. Currently, he is vice-president and sports director at Standard Liège.
He was considered one of the world's ...
. Twente continued their success by having a good run during the
2010–11 KNVB Cup, reaching the final on 8 May 2011 at
De Kuip
Stadion Feijenoord (), more commonly known by its nickname De Kuip (, the Tub), is a stadium in Rotterdam, Netherlands. It was completed in 1937. The name is derived from the Feijenoord district in Rotterdam, and from the club with the same na ...
. Twente recovered from down to defeat Ajax 3–2 in extra time with a winner from
Marc Janko
Marc Janko (born 25 June 1983) is an Austrian former professional footballer who played as a striker. Janko was a successful goal-scorer, particularly during his time at Austrian Bundesliga club Red Bull Salzburg, where he scored 75 league goa ...
, which claimed the club's third KNVB Cup title. One week later, the two teams faced each other in
Amsterdam
Amsterdam ( , , , lit. ''The Dam on the River Amstel'') is the Capital of the Netherlands, capital and Municipalities of the Netherlands, most populous city of the Netherlands, with The Hague being the seat of government. It has a population ...
in the final round of matches in the Eredivisie, with Twente leading by a point. However, Ajax gained revenge for the Cup defeat by winning 3–1, to claim their first title in seven years.
The start of the 2011–12 season, under Preud'homme's successor
Co Adriaanse
Co Adriaanse (born 21 July 1947) is a Dutch football manager and former player who played as a centre-back.
Playing career
As a professional player, Adriaanse played for six seasons with (now dissolved) De Volewijckers (from 1964 until 1970) and ...
, featured another clash between the duo in the
Amsterdam Arena
The Johan Cruyff Arena ( nl, Johan Cruijff Arena ; officially stylised as Johan Cruijff ArenA) is the main stadium of the Dutch capital city of Amsterdam and the home stadium of football club AFC Ajax since its opening. Built from 1993 to 1996 ...
, this time with Twente winning 2–1 in their second successive
Johan Cruijff Shield
The Johan Cruyff Shield (, ) is a football trophy in the Netherlands named after Dutch footballer 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 footbal ...
supercup victory.
Financial problems and relegation (2014–2019)
During the
2014–15 Eredivisie
The 2014–15 Eredivisie season was the 59th season of the Eredivisie since its establishment in 1955. On 18 April 2015, PSV were confirmed as champions of the season, thus ending the four-year reign of Ajax.
Teams
A total of 18 teams took par ...
season, Twente found themselves in financial trouble again, forcing the
Royal Dutch Football Association
The Royal Dutch Football Association (, ; KNVB ) is the governing body of football in the Netherlands. It organises the main Dutch football leagues (Eredivisie and Eerste Divisie), the amateur leagues, the KNVB Cup, and the Dutch men's and women ...
(KNVB) to deduct the club three points from the side in March 2015. Club President Munsterman, who had announced to leave the club at the end of the season, then already quit the club on 1 April 2015 over allegations of financial mismanagement. The team fired 18 employees and stopped with their scouting department after they received a second three-point penalty in April 2015. They also decided to withdraw
Jong Twente
Jong FC Twente (English: Young FC Twente) are the reserve team of FC Twente, a team from Enschede which played in the Eerste Divisie
The Eerste Divisie (, en, First Division) is the second-highest tier of football in the Netherlands. It ...
from the
Eerste Divisie
The Eerste Divisie (, en, First Division) is the second-highest tier of football in the Netherlands. It is linked with the top-level Eredivisie and with the third-level Tweede Divisie via promotion/relegation systems. It is also known as the ...
for the 2015–16 season and the women's professional team was relocated in a separate foundation. On 18 May 2016 the KNVB declared its intent to relegate FC Twente to the
Eerste Divisie
The Eerste Divisie (, en, First Division) is the second-highest tier of football in the Netherlands. It is linked with the top-level Eredivisie and with the third-level Tweede Divisie via promotion/relegation systems. It is also known as the ...
. This was however still subject to appeal by FC Twente and on 17 June 2016 the KNVB appeal committee decided that Twente can remain in the
Eredivisie
The Eredivisie (; ''"Honour Division"'' or ''"Premier Division"'') is the highest level of professional football in the Netherlands. The league was founded in 1956, two years after the start of professional football in the Netherlands. It is c ...
. At the end of the
2017–18 Eredivisie
The 2017–18 Eredivisie was the 62nd season of the Eredivisie since its establishment in 1955. The season began on 11 August 2017 and concluded on 6 May 2018; the Europa League and relegation play-offs took place later that month. Feyenoord wer ...
season, Twente relegated to the Eerste Divisie by finishing at the bottom of the table at the end of the season, after having fired two managers that season. The
2018–19 Eerste Divisie season was the first outside of the top flight for 34 years. Commercial director
Jan van Halst
Johannes Marinus "Jan" van Halst (born 20 April 1969) is a former Dutch professional football player and current television show host and sports analyst for Ziggo Sport. He previously held positions as financial manager and general manager of ...
felt partly responsible and then stepped down.
Back to Europe
In the Eerste Divisie, Twente had a season marked by ups and downs. From December 2018, however, through a 15-game stretch, not a single loss was recorded, giving the club a big lead over the competition. On 22 April 2019, the title and promotion were secured. Twente drew 0–0 at home against
Jong AZ
Jong AZ is a Dutch association football team, based in Zaandam in the Zaanstreek
The Zaan () is a small river in the province of North Holland in the northwestern Netherlands and the name of a district through which it runs. The river was origina ...
, but because the last remaining competitor
Sparta Rotterdam
Sparta Rotterdam () is a Dutch professional football club based in Rotterdam. Established on 1 April 1888, Sparta Rotterdam is the oldest professional football team in the Netherlands.
Sparta currently compete in the Eredivisie, the top flight ...
lost, Twente could no longer be reached.
Despite promotion, manager
Marino Pušić was dismissed and his assistant
Gonzalo García was promoted to head coach and was put in charge of Twente's first season back in the Eredivisie. After a strong start, a 3–2 home defeat to archrivals
Heracles Almelo
Heracles Almelo is a Dutch professional football club based in Almelo, founded in 1903. The club has won the Dutch national title twice, in 1927 and 1941. Heracles won the Eerste Divisie title during the 2004–05 season, gaining promotion to th ...
was the start of a lesser period. Twente dropped to the bottom regions of the Eredivisie and after an impressive victory over AZ, three more defeats followed. However, after a 1–0 defeat against
Vitesse, the Eredivisie season was abandoned due to the
COVID-19 pandemic in the Netherlands
The COVID-19 pandemic in the Netherlands has resulted in confirmed cases of COVID-19 and deaths.
The virus reached the Netherlands on 27 February 2020, when its first COVID-19 case was confirmed in Tilburg. It involved a 56-year-old Dutchman ...
. As a result, Twente finished the 2019–20 season in fourteenth place, safe of relegation.
At the beginning of the
2020–21 season, García was also dismissed to be succeeded by the experienced
Ron Jans. At the same time, Jan Streuer became technical director as a replacement for the Ted van Leeuwen who had resigned. Streuer brought in players such as
Queensy Menig
Queensy Menig (born 19 August 1995) is a Dutch professional footballer who plays as a winger for Serbian club Partizan.
Club career
Ajax
On 6 June 2012, Menig signed a three-year contract with Ajax, tying him down to the club until 30 June 20 ...
and
Václav Černý
Václav Černý (26 March 1905, Jizbice – 2 July 1987, Prague) was a Czechoslovak literary scholar, writer and philosopher. He was an enthusiast of Spanish literature and philosophy and translated into Czech a number of literary and philosophi ...
, who would both become key players in the following season. After an excellent first half of the season, the results in the second half of the season were disappointing. Twente missed play-offs for European football and finished in tenth place. As a result of this season, Streuer wanted to bring more experienced players to the club, and signed
Robin Pröpper and
Ricky van Wolfswinkel
Ricky van Wolfswinkel (; born 27 January 1989) is a Dutch professional footballer who plays as a striker for Eredivisie club FC Twente. He has played top-flight football in the Netherlands, Portugal, England, France, Spain and Switzerland and ...
. In addition, youth players were increasingly integrated in the first team with
Mees Hilgers
Mees Hilgers (born 13 May 2001) is a Dutch professional footballer who plays as a defender for Eredivisie club Twente.
Career
On 6 December 2018, Hilgers signed his first professional contract with FC Twente. He made his professional debut with ...
,
Ramiz Zerrouki
Ramiz Larbi Zerrouki (; born 26 May 1998) is a professional footballer who plays as a midfielder for Eredivisie club Feyenoord. Born in the Netherlands, he plays for the Algeria national team.
International career
Zerrouki was born in the Nethe ...
and
Daan Rots
Daan Rots (born 25 July 2001) is a Dutch professional footballer who plays as a winger for Eredivisie club Twente.
Club career
Rots made his professional debut with Twente in a 4–1 Eredivisie win over FC Emmen
FC Emmen is a Dutch football c ...
becoming starters.
Jody Lukoki
Jody Lukoki (15 November 1992 – 9 May 2022) was a Congolese-Dutch professional footballer who played as a winger for various clubs and the DR Congo national team.
Lukoki progressed through the famed Ajax youth academy, making his professio ...
was also signed, but he was seriously injured shortly after his arrival, which meant that he never played a match for Twente. Lukoki's contract was terminated on 17 February 2022 after being convicted of domestic violence. Three months later, on 9 May 2022, Lukoki died of cardiac arrest after being beaten by family members.
After a strong season, Twente finished in fourth place in the league table and qualified for the third qualifying round of the
2022–23 UEFA Europa Conference League; their first return to Europe in eight years.
Affiliated clubs
The following clubs are affiliated with Twente:
*
Dayton Dutch Lions
Dayton Dutch Lions is an American association football, soccer team based in Dayton, Ohio, United States. Founded in 2009, the team plays in USL League Two, the fourth tier of the American Soccer Pyramid. From 2011 to 2014, the team played in the ...
*
Qarabağ
*
Kozármisleny
Kozármisleny ( hr, Mišljen; german: Mischlen) is a town in Baranya County, Hungary. It is south-east of the city of Pécs.
History
The history of Kozármisleny is rooted in the early Bronze Age, as indicated by archeological findings. Roman re ...
*
Heracles Almelo
Heracles Almelo is a Dutch professional football club based in Almelo, founded in 1903. The club has won the Dutch national title twice, in 1927 and 1941. Heracles won the Eerste Divisie title during the 2004–05 season, gaining promotion to th ...
[Samenwerking jeugdopleiding voortgezet](_blank)
officiële website (16 juni 2009)
*
Go Ahead Eagles
Go Ahead Eagles () are a Dutch professional football club from the city of Deventer. They play in the Eredivisie, the top tier of Dutch football, having achieved promotion from the second tier Eerste Divisie in the 2020-21 season. The club's h ...
*
Stranraer
Stranraer ( , in Scotland also ; gd, An t-Sròn Reamhar ), also known as The Toon, is a town in Dumfries and Galloway, Scotland. It is located in the historical parish of Inch in the historic county of Wigtownshire. It lies on the shores of L ...
Stadium
De Grolsch Veste
De Grolsch Veste (, en, The Grolsch Fortress, previously known as ''Arke Stadion'' ) is the stadium of football club FC Twente. It is located in Enschede, Netherlands, at the Business & Science Park, near the University of Twente. The stadium ...
, formerly named Arke Stadion, is the official stadium of FC Twente and is owned by the club. It is located at the Business & Science Park, near the
University of Twente
The University of Twente (Dutch: ''Universiteit Twente''; , abbr. ) is a public technical university located in Enschede, Netherlands.
The university has been placed in the top 170 universities in the world by multiple central ranking tables. ...
and between the city centers of Enschede and
Hengelo
Hengelo (; Tweants: ) is a city in the eastern part of the Netherlands, in the province of Overijssel. The city lies along the motorways A1/E30 and A35 and it has a station for the international Amsterdam – Hannover – Berlin service.
Popu ...
. It has a spectator capacity of 30,205 with a standard pitch heating system and has a promenade instead of fences around the stands.
![De Grolsch Veste - outside corner](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/d/dd/De_Grolsch_Veste_-_outside_corner.jpg)
De Grolsch Veste replaced the old
Diekman Stadion
Diekman Stadion () was a multi-use stadium in Enschede, Netherlands. It was used mostly for football matches. The stadium was able to hold 13,500 people and opened in 1956. The stadium closed in 1998 when the Arke Stadion opened.
History
Wh ...
as Twente's home ground on 22 March 1998. Initially, plans had been afoot to expand and renovate the old and now demolished Diekman stadium. However, with a growing fan capacity and with arguments that the location of the Diekman stadium was not strategic enough, the idea was conceived to build a new arena for the Twente fans. The Diekman ground also faced problems with its seating plans as a result of the
FIFA
FIFA (; stands for ''Fédération Internationale de Football Association'' ( French), meaning International Association Football Federation ) is the international governing body of association football, beach football and futsal. It was found ...
regulations, which impose a requirement to construct a seating stand behind each goal.
The cost of the construction is estimated to be around 33 million
guilders
Guilder is the English translation of the Dutch and German ''gulden'', originally shortened from Middle High German ''guldin pfenninc'' "gold penny". This was the term that became current in the southern and western parts of the Holy Roman Empir ...
, and the stadium took 14 months to complete, with its foundation stone having been laid on 31 January 1997. Due to the tight budget available, the layout of the stadium was constructed so that future expansions are possible without the necessity to tear down entire existing stands.
On 10 May 1998, the first match played at the stadium resulted in a 3–0 victory by the home team against
PSV in an
Eredivisie
The Eredivisie (; ''"Honour Division"'' or ''"Premier Division"'') is the highest level of professional football in the Netherlands. The league was founded in 1956, two years after the start of professional football in the Netherlands. It is c ...
match.
Initially, the Grolsch Veste had a capacity of 13,500 spectators, which was later reduced to 13,250. As of the start of the 2008–09 season, the stadium has been expanded with a partial second ring increasing the capacity to 24,000 seats. After a second expansion, completed in 2011, the current capacity became 30,205.
The recording of "
You'll Never Walk Alone
"You'll Never Walk Alone" is a show tune from the 1945 Rodgers and Hammerstein musical ''Carousel''. In the second act of the musical, Nettie Fowler, the cousin of the protagonist Julie Jordan, sings "You'll Never Walk Alone" to comfort and enco ...
" by
Gerry and the Pacemakers
Gerry and the Pacemakers were a British beat group prominent in the 1960s Merseybeat scene. In common with the Beatles, they came from Liverpool, were managed by Brian Epstein, and were recorded by George Martin. Their early successes alongsid ...
is sung along in the whole stadium before every kick-off.
On 7 July 2011,
a section of the stadium roof collapsed whilst expansion work was taking place at the stadium, killing two people.
Current squad
Honours
National
*
Eredivisie
The Eredivisie (; ''"Honour Division"'' or ''"Premier Division"'') is the highest level of professional football in the Netherlands. The league was founded in 1956, two years after the start of professional football in the Netherlands. It is c ...
** Winners:
2009–10
** Runners-up:
1973–74,
2008–09,
2010–11
*
Eerste Divisie
The Eerste Divisie (, en, First Division) is the second-highest tier of football in the Netherlands. It is linked with the top-level Eredivisie and with the third-level Tweede Divisie via promotion/relegation systems. It is also known as the ...
** Winners:
2018–19
*
KNVB Cup
The KNVB Beker (; en, KNVB Cup), branded as the TOTO KNVB Beker for sponsorship reasons, is a competition in the Netherlands organized by the Royal Dutch Football Association (KNVB) since 1898. It was based on the format of the English FA Cup. Ou ...
** Winners:
1976–77,
2000–01,
2010–11
** Runners-up:
1974–75,
1978–79,
2003–04,
2008–09
*
Johan Cruyff Shield
The Johan Cruyff Shield (, ) is a football trophy in the Netherlands named after Dutch footballer 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 footbal ...
** Winners:
2010
File:2010 Events Collage New.png, From top left, clockwise: The 2010 Chile earthquake was one of the strongest recorded in history; The Eruption of Eyjafjallajökull in Iceland disrupts air travel in Europe; A scene from the opening ceremony of ...
,
2011
File:2011 Events Collage.png, From top left, clockwise: a protester partaking in Occupy Wall Street heralds the beginning of the Occupy movement; protests against Libyan dictator Muammar Gaddafi, who was killed that October; a young man celebrate ...
** Runners-up:
2001
The September 11 attacks against the United States by Al-Qaeda, which Casualties of the September 11 attacks, killed 2,977 people and instigated the global war on terror, were a defining event of 2001. The United States led a Participants in ...
International
*
UEFA Cup
A cup is an open-top used to hold hot or cold liquids for pouring or drinking; while mainly used for drinking, it also can be used to store Solid, solids for pouring (e.g., sugar, flour, grains, salt). Cups may be made of glass, metal, porcela ...
** Runners-up:
1974–75
Domestic results
ImageSize = width:800 height:60
PlotArea = left:10 right:10 bottom:30 top:10
TimeAxis = orientation:horizontal format:yyyy
DateFormat = dd/mm/yyyy
Period = from:01/01/1990 till:01/01/2023
ScaleMajor = unit:year increment:1 start:1990
Colors =
id:bl1 value:rgb(0.9,0.9,0.3)
id:bl2 value:rgb(0.5,0.8,0.5)
id:rs value:rgb(0.8,0.6,0.6)
id:rn value:rgb(0.9,0.1,0.1)
PlotData=
bar:Position width:15 color:white align:center
from:01/01/1990 till:01/01/1991 shift:(0,-4) text:6
from:01/01/1991 till:01/01/1992 shift:(0,-4) text:6
from:01/01/1992 till:01/01/1993 shift:(0,-4) text:5
from:01/01/1993 till:01/01/1994 shift:(0,-4) text:5
from:01/01/1994 till:01/01/1995 shift:(0,-4) text:5
from:01/01/1995 till:01/01/1996 shift:(0,-4) text:10
from:01/01/1996 till:01/01/1997 shift:(0,-4) text:3
from:01/01/1997 till:01/01/1998 shift:(0,-4) text:9
from:01/01/1998 till:01/01/1999 shift:(0,-4) text:8
from:01/01/1999 till:01/01/2000 shift:(0,-4) text:6
from:01/01/2000 till:01/01/2001 shift:(0,-4) text:11
from:01/01/2001 till:01/01/2002 shift:(0,-4) text:12
from:01/01/2002 till:01/01/2003 shift:(0,-4) text:11
from:01/01/2003 till:01/01/2004 shift:(0,-4) text:8
from:01/01/2004 till:01/01/2005 shift:(0,-4) text:6
from:01/01/2005 till:01/01/2006 shift:(0,-4) text:9
from:01/01/2006 till:01/01/2007 shift:(0,-4) text:4
from:01/01/2007 till:01/01/2008 shift:(0,-4) text:4
from:01/01/2008 till:01/01/2009 shift:(0,-4) text:2
from:01/01/2009 till:01/01/2010 shift:(0,-4) text:1
from:01/01/2010 till:01/01/2011 shift:(0,-4) text:2
from:01/01/2011 till:01/01/2012 shift:(0,-4) text:6
from:01/01/2012 till:01/01/2013 shift:(0,-4) text:6
from:01/01/2013 till:01/01/2014 shift:(0,-4) text:3
from:01/01/2014 till:01/01/2015 shift:(0,-4) text:10
from:01/01/2015 till:01/01/2016 shift:(0,-4) text:13
from:01/01/2016 till:01/01/2017 shift:(0,-4) text:7
from:01/01/2017 till:01/01/2018 shift:(0,-4) text:18
from:01/01/2018 till:01/01/2019 shift:(0,-4) text:1
from:01/01/2019 till:01/01/2020 shift:(0,-4) text:14
from:01/01/2020 till:01/01/2021 shift:(0,-4) text:10
from:01/01/2021 till:01/01/2023 shift:(0,-4) text:4
from:01/01/1990 till:01/01/2018 color:bl2 shift:(0,13) text: "Eredivisie
The Eredivisie (; ''"Honour Division"'' or ''"Premier Division"'') is the highest level of professional football in the Netherlands. The league was founded in 1956, two years after the start of professional football in the Netherlands. It is c ...
"
from:01/01/2018 till:01/01/2019 color:bl1 shift:(0,13) text: "Eerste Divisie
The Eerste Divisie (, en, First Division) is the second-highest tier of football in the Netherlands. It is linked with the top-level Eredivisie and with the third-level Tweede Divisie via promotion/relegation systems. It is also known as the ...
"
from:01/01/2019 till:01/01/2023 color:bl2 shift:(0,13) text: "Eredivisie
The Eredivisie (; ''"Honour Division"'' or ''"Premier Division"'') is the highest level of professional football in the Netherlands. The league was founded in 1956, two years after the start of professional football in the Netherlands. It is c ...
Below is a table with Twente's domestic results since the introduction of the
Eredivisie
The Eredivisie (; ''"Honour Division"'' or ''"Premier Division"'') is the highest level of professional football in the Netherlands. The league was founded in 1956, two years after the start of professional football in the Netherlands. It is c ...
in 1956.
Club staff
Coaches
*
Friedrich Donenfeld
Friedrich Donenfeld (17 January 1912 – 20 March 1976) was an Austrian professional football player and manager.
He played for Thalia Wien, Hakoah Vienna, Maccabi Tel Aviv, Olympique de Marseille and Red Star F.C.
He coached the Colombia ...
(1 July 1965 – 30 June 1966)
*
Kees Rijvers
Cornelus Bernardus Rijvers (born 27 May 1926) is a Dutch former footballer who was active as a midfielder and later as coach for PSV Eindhoven and the Netherlands national team. He was born in Breda.
Playing career
Rijvers made his debut at N ...
(1 July 1966 – 30 June 1972)
*
Spitz Kohn
Antoine "Spitz" Kohn (1 November 1933 – 24 November 2012) was a Luxembourg football (soccer), football player and Manager (football), football manager.
Club career
Kohn played as a striker, and spent most of his career plying his trade ...
(1 July 1972 – 30 September 1979)
*
Hennie Hollink
Hendrikus ("Hennie") Hollink (1 October 1931 in Glanerbrug, Overijssel – 31 January 2018) was a football (soccer) player and manager from the Netherlands, who played for Roda JC, FC Twente and Heracles Almelo. He played professional football hi ...
(1980–81)
*
Rob Groener (1981–82)
*
Spitz Kohn
Antoine "Spitz" Kohn (1 November 1933 – 24 November 2012) was a Luxembourg football (soccer), football player and Manager (football), football manager.
Club career
Kohn played as a striker, and spent most of his career plying his trade ...
(1 November 1982 – 30 June 1983)
*
Fritz Korbach
Fritz Korbach (18 July 1945 – 14 August 2011) was a German professional football player and manager. He was particularly well known in the Netherlands, where he served eleven different teams, including FC Wageningen, FC Zwolle, FC Volendam, ...
(1 July 1983 – 30 June 1986)
*
Theo Vonk
Theo Vonk (born 16 December 1947) is a Dutch former association football, football player and manager, most recently in charge of Gibraltar Premier Division side Glacis United F.C., Glacis United, where he also served as technical director.
Ca ...
(1 July 1986 – 30 June 1992)
*
Rob Baan
Robert Baan (born 1 April 1943) is a Dutch football coach, appointed to the role of Technical Director for the Indian national team by the AIFF. He was the Technical Director of All India Football Federation.
Biography
Baan was born in Rotterda ...
(1 July 1992 – 30 June 1994)
*
Issy ten Donkelaar
Issy ten Donkelaar (born 7 October 1941) is a retired Dutch football defender
In the sport of association football, a defender is an outfield position whose primary role is to stop attacks during the game and prevent the opposition from scor ...
(1 July 1994 – 19 November 1995)
*
Fred Rutten
Fredericus Jacobus Rutten (; born 5 December 1962) is a Dutch football coach and former player. As a player, he spent his entire career with Twente during the years 1979 to 1992. Following his playing career, Rutten also managed Twente, before m ...
''(
interim
An interim is a period of temporary pause or change in a sequence of events, or a temporary state, and is often applied to transitional political entities.
Interim may also refer to:
Temporary organizational arrangements (general concept)
*Provis ...
)'' (16 November 1995 – 15 January 1996)
*
Hans Meyer (15 January 1996 – 5 September 1999)
*
Fred Rutten
Fredericus Jacobus Rutten (; born 5 December 1962) is a Dutch football coach and former player. As a player, he spent his entire career with Twente during the years 1979 to 1992. Following his playing career, Rutten also managed Twente, before m ...
(6 September 1999 – 30 June 2001)
*
John van 't Schip
Johannes Nicolaas van 't Schip (; born 30 December 1963) is a Dutch Canadian and former Dutch international footballer, who played as a winger. He spent his club career with Ajax, where they won four Eredivisie titles, a UEFA Cup and a Europe ...
(1 July 2001 – 10 July 2002)
*
René Vandereycken
René Vandereycken (born 22 July 1953) is a Belgian football manager and a former player. He was the head coach of the Belgium national team from 1 January 2006 to 7 April 2009.
Club career
Vandereycken was born in Spalbeek. He played for C ...
(24 July 2002 – 17 May 2004)
*
Rini Coolen
Rini Coolen (born 10 February 1967) is a Dutch retired football defender and currently the Head of the Feyenoord Academy.
Club career
Coolen played professionally for Go Ahead Eagles, Heracles, De Graafschap and AZ.
Managerial career
He r ...
(1 July 2004 – 1 February 2006)
*
Jan van Staa ''(
interim
An interim is a period of temporary pause or change in a sequence of events, or a temporary state, and is often applied to transitional political entities.
Interim may also refer to:
Temporary organizational arrangements (general concept)
*Provis ...
)'' (1 February 2006 – 30 June 2006)
*
Fred Rutten
Fredericus Jacobus Rutten (; born 5 December 1962) is a Dutch football coach and former player. As a player, he spent his entire career with Twente during the years 1979 to 1992. Following his playing career, Rutten also managed Twente, before m ...
(1 July 2006 – 30 June 2008)
*
Steve McClaren
Stephen McClaren (born 3 May 1961) is an English former professional footballer and coach who currently serves as an assistant coach for Premier League club Manchester United, in his second spell at the club.
McClaren began his coaching caree ...
(20 June 2008 – 30 June 2010)
*
Michel Preud'homme
Michel Georges Jean Ghislain Preud'homme (born 24 January 1959) is a Belgian retired footballer and manager who played as a goalkeeper. Currently, he is vice-president and sports director at Standard Liège.
He was considered one of the world's ...
(1 July 2010 – 30 June 2011)
*
Co Adriaanse
Co Adriaanse (born 21 July 1947) is a Dutch football manager and former player who played as a centre-back.
Playing career
As a professional player, Adriaanse played for six seasons with (now dissolved) De Volewijckers (from 1964 until 1970) and ...
(1 July 2011 – 3 January 2012)
*
Steve McClaren
Stephen McClaren (born 3 May 1961) is an English former professional footballer and coach who currently serves as an assistant coach for Premier League club Manchester United, in his second spell at the club.
McClaren began his coaching caree ...
(5 January 2012 – 26 February 2013)
*
Alfred Schreuder
Alfred Schreuder (; born 2 November 1972) is a Dutch football coach, currently as head coach of Ajax.
Club career
During his career, Schreuder played for RKC Waalwijk, NAC Breda, Feyenoord, FC Twente and Vitesse. After he had stopped playing ...
''(
interim
An interim is a period of temporary pause or change in a sequence of events, or a temporary state, and is often applied to transitional political entities.
Interim may also refer to:
Temporary organizational arrangements (general concept)
*Provis ...
)'' (26 February 2013 – 1 April 2013)
*
Michel Jansen
Michel Jansen (born 3 March 1966) is Dutch football manager and former player. He played for DETO Twenterand, Heracles Almelo, STEVO and Excelsior '31.
Jansen received the '' Rinus Michels Award'' in 2007 while coaching HHC Hardenberg.
Jansen ...
''(
interim
An interim is a period of temporary pause or change in a sequence of events, or a temporary state, and is often applied to transitional political entities.
Interim may also refer to:
Temporary organizational arrangements (general concept)
*Provis ...
)'' (1 April 2013 – 30 June 2014)
*
Alfred Schreuder
Alfred Schreuder (; born 2 November 1972) is a Dutch football coach, currently as head coach of Ajax.
Club career
During his career, Schreuder played for RKC Waalwijk, NAC Breda, Feyenoord, FC Twente and Vitesse. After he had stopped playing ...
(1 July 2014 – 31 August 2015)
*
René Hake
René Hake (born 18 December 1971) is a Dutch football coach. He is currently the head coach of Go Ahead Eagles
Managerial statistics
References
External linksRené Hakeat Footballdatabase
1971 births
Living people
Dutch footbal ...
(31 August 2015 – 18 October 2017)
*
Marino Pušić ''(
interim
An interim is a period of temporary pause or change in a sequence of events, or a temporary state, and is often applied to transitional political entities.
Interim may also refer to:
Temporary organizational arrangements (general concept)
*Provis ...
)'' (18 October 2017 – 29 October 2017)
*
Gertjan Verbeek
Gertjan Verbeek (; born 1 August 1962) is a Dutch former professional footballer who last managed Eerste Divisie side Almere City.
Coaching career Netherlands
After retiring from his playing career in 1994, Verbeek stayed with SC Heerenveen as ...
(29 October 2017 – 26 March 2018)
*
Marino Pušić (26 March 2018 – 31 May 2019)
*
Gonzalo Recoba
Gonzalo may refer to:
* Gonzalo (name)
* Gonzalo, Dominican Republic, a small town
* Isla Gonzalo, a subantarctic island operated by the Chilean Navy
* Hurricane Gonzalo, 2014
See also
* Gonzalez (disambiguation)
* Gonzales (disambiguation)
* ...
(1 July 2019 – 1 June 2020)
*
Ron Jans (17 June 2020 – ''present'')
Notable (former) players
The players below had senior international cap(s) for their respective countries. Players whose name is listed in bold represented their countries while playing for FC Twente.
*
Lindon Selahi
*
Ramiz Zerrouki
Ramiz Larbi Zerrouki (; born 26 May 1998) is a professional footballer who plays as a midfielder for Eredivisie club Feyenoord. Born in the Netherlands, he plays for the Algeria national team.
International career
Zerrouki was born in the Nethe ...
*
Marko Arnautović
Marko Arnautović (; born 19 April 1989) is an Austrian professional footballer who plays as a forward for Serie A club Bologna and the Austria national team.
Arnautović began his career in his native Austria playing in the youth teams for a ...
*
Marc Janko
Marc Janko (born 25 June 1983) is an Austrian former professional footballer who played as a striker. Janko was a successful goal-scorer, particularly during his time at Austrian Bundesliga club Red Bull Salzburg, where he scored 75 league goa ...
*
Roland Kollmann
Roland Kollmann (born 8 October 1976) is an Austrian former professional footballer who played as a striker. He played for Grazer AK
Grazer AK, founded 18 August 1902 as Grazer Athletiksport Klub (in Austria the abbreviation GAK is more com ...
*
David Carney
David Raymond Carney (born 30 November 1983) is an Australian former association football midfielder and who is incoming coach for 2023 season NPL NSW side Wollongong Wolves FC.
Born in Sydney, he began his playing career with the New South Wa ...
*
Jason Čulina
Jason Culina (born 5 August 1980) is a former Australian soccer player and coach.
Club career
Culina began his career with Sydney United under his father, Branko Culina, before moving to Ajax, where he struggled in the reserves. Only after ...
*
Nikita Rukavytsya
Nikita Vadymovych Rukavytsya ( ; uk, Микита Вадимович Рукавиця, translit=Mykyta Vadymovych Rukavytsya; born 22 June 1987) is a professional footballer who plays for Israeli Premier League club Maccabi Haifa. Born in Ukrai ...
*
Luke Wilkshire
Luke Wilkshire (born 2 October 1981) is an Australian football coach and a former player.
Born in Wollongong, Wilkshire played youth football for Albion Park, Wollongong Wolves ,and the Australian Institute of Sport before making his professi ...
*
Dedryck Boyata
Dedryck Anga Boyata (born 28 November 1990) is a Belgian professional footballer who plays as a centre-back or right-back for Belgian Pro League side Club Brugge and the Belgium national team.
He made his senior debut with Manchester City i ...
*
Jurgen Cavens
*
Nacer Chadli
Nacer Chadli (born 2 August 1989) is a Belgian professional footballer who currently plays as a winger for Belgian First Division A club K.V.C. Westerlo on loan from Turkish Super Lig club İstanbul Başakşehir and the Belgium national footbal ...
*
Stein Huysegems
*
Frédéric Peiremans
Frédéric Peiremans (born 3 September 1973) is a Belgian former footballer who played for Anderlecht, Charleroi, FC Twente, Real Sociedad and SD Eibar
Sociedad Deportiva Eibar (in eu, Eibar Kirol Elkartea) is a professional Spanish fo ...
*
Danilo
Danilo is a given name found in Italian, Portuguese, Spanish and Serbian.
Notable people with the name Danilo include:
Athletes Footballers
* Danilo (footballer, born 1979), Brazilian footballer Danilo de Andrade
* Danilo (footballer, born 19 ...
*
Nikolay Mihaylov
Nikolay Borislavov Mihaylov ( bg, Николай Бориславов Михайлов; born 28 June 1988) is a Bulgarian professional footballer who plays as a goalkeeper for Levski Sofia, where he is also the captain, and the Bulgarian natio ...
*
Rahim Ouédraogo
Mamy Rahim Assane Ouédraogo (born 8 October 1980) is a Burkinabé former professional footballer who played as a defender.
Club career
Ouédraogo, whose preferred position on the field was as a defender, joined Twente at the age of 16, accom ...
*
Cristian Cuevas
Cristian is the Romanian and Spanish form of the male given name Christian. In Romanian, it is also a surname.
Cristian may refer to:
People
* Cristian (footballer, born 1994), Brazilian footballer
* Cristian Adomniței (born 1975), Romanian en ...
*
Felipe Gutiérrez
Felipe Alejandro Gutiérrez Leiva (; born 8 October 1990) is a Chilean footballer who plays as a midfielder for Universidad Católica.
Club career
Universidad Católica
Gutiérrez began his youth career at Everton de Viña del Mar in 2004. F ...
*
Bryan Ruiz
Bryan Jafet Ruiz González (; born 18 August 1985) is a Costa Rican former footballer. A left-footed attacking midfielder, he also played as a second striker.
Ruiz is the only Central American footballer to have played in the UEFA Champions ...
*
Dario Vujičević
*
Václav Černý
Václav Černý (26 March 1905, Jizbice – 2 July 1987, Prague) was a Czechoslovak literary scholar, writer and philosopher. He was an enthusiast of Spanish literature and philosophy and translated into Czech a number of literary and philosophi ...
*
Hans Aabech
Hans Vilhelm Aabech (1 November 1948 – 8 January 2018) was a Danish football player. He played for a number of clubs, including Hvidovre IF, Kjøbenhavns Boldklub and Lyngby Boldklub in Denmark, Club Brugge and K.V. Oostende in Belgium, and ...
*
Michael Birkedal
Michael Birkedal (born 18 November 1959) is a Danish
Danish may refer to:
* Something of, from, or related to the country of Denmark
People
* A national or citizen of Denmark, also called a "Dane," see Demographics of Denmark
* Culture of ...
*
Andreas Bjelland
Andreas Bjelland (born 11 July 1988) is a Danish-Norwegian professional footballer who plays as a centre-back for Lyngby. He represented Denmark at international level and was part of the Danes' Euro 2012 squad. He is also adept as a full back ...
*
Kasper Kusk
Kasper Kusk Vangsgaard (; born 10 November 1991) is a Danish professional footballer who plays as a winger for Danish Superliga club Silkeborg IF.
He is the son of former AaB manager and player Søren Kusk.
Career AaB
Having spent the earl ...
*
Claus Nielsen
Claus Illemann Nielsen (born 13 January 1964), known as Claus Nielsen, is a Danish former football player in the forward position. He spent the bulk of his career with Brøndby IF, but also played for the Greek club Panathinaikos and the Dutch ...
*
Kenneth Perez
Kenneth Pérez Dahl Jensen (born 29 August 1974) is a Danish former professional footballer who played as a winger. Perez scored two goals in 24 matches for the Denmark national team from 2003 to 2008, and he was chosen to compete at the 2004 ...
*
Jan Sørensen
*
Per Steffensen
Per Steffensen (born 27 February 1963) is a Danish former professional footballer who played as a midfielder.
*
Përparim Hetemaj
Përparim Hetemaj (born 12 December 1986) is a Finnish professional footballer who plays as a midfielder for Veikkausliiga club HJK. Born in modern-day Kosovo, Hetemaj arrived in Finland when he was 6 years old and played for HJK's youth teams ...
*
Fredrik Jensen
*
Mika Lipponen
Mika Lipponen (born 9 May 1964) is a Finnish former association football, footballer.
Playing career
Lipponen played in Finland for Turun Palloseura, TPS, in Spain for RCD Mallorca, Real Mallorca, in the Netherlands for FC Twente and FC Emmen, B ...
*
Antti Sumiala
*
Helmut Rahn
Helmut Rahn (16 August 1929 – 14 August 2003), known as ''Der Boss'' (The Boss), was a German footballer who played as a forward. He became a legend for having scored the winning goal in the final of the 1954 FIFA World Cup (West Germany vs. ...
*
Peter Niemeyer
Peter Niemeyer (born 22 November 1983) is a German football manager, executive, and former player. He serves as the sporting director of Preußen Münster. During his playing career, he mainly featured as a defensive midfielder, he also operated ...
*
Rico Steinmann
Rico Steinmann (born 26 December 1967 in Karl-Marx-Stadt) is a German former professional footballer who played mostly as a midfielder
A midfielder is an outfield position in association football.
Midfielders may play an exclusively ...
*
Giorgi Aburjania
Giorgi Aburjania ( ka, გიორგი აბურჯანია, tr, ; born 2 January 1995) is a Georgian professional footballer who plays as a central midfielder for Portuguese club Gil Vicente F.C. and the Georgia national team.
Club c ...
*
Giorgi Gakhokidze
Giorgi Gakhokidze ( ka, გიორგი გახოკიძე; born 5 November 1975) is a Georgian former professional footballer who played as a midfielder or forward for PSV Eindhoven, Maccabi Haifa, FC Twente and Metalurh Donetsk among ...
*
Prince Polley
Prince Opoku Bismark Polley Sampene (born 4 May 1969), known as Prince Polley, is a Ghanaian retired professional footballer who played as a striker.
Career
He used to play for the Dutch club FC Twente.
International
Polley participated for ...
*
Konstantinos Loumpoutis
Konstantinos Louboutis ( el, Κωνσταντίνος Λουμπούτης; born 10 June 1979) is a Greek former professional footballer. He was a defender who played as a left back.
Louboutis' career began when he signed a professional contra ...
*
Antal Nagy
*
Arnar Viðarsson
*
Nashat Akram
Nashat Akram Abid Ali Al-Eissa ( ar, نشأت أكرم عبد علي العيسى) (born 12 September 1984) is a former Iraqi professional footballer. Popularly dubbed "The Maestro" and "The Musician", Akram usually played as a playmaker or as ...
*
Cheick Tioté
Cheick Ismaël Tioté (; 21 June 1986 – 5 June 2017) was an Ivorian professional footballer who played as a defensive midfielder.
After playing youth football for FC Bibo in his hometown of Yamoussoukro, he made his professional debut in 200 ...
*
Ryo Miyaichi
is a Japanese professional footballer who plays as a winger for Yokohama F. Marinos in the J1 League and the Japan national team.
Miyaichi began his professional career at Arsenal after a successful trial in 2010. However, without a British ...
*
Spitz Kohn
Antoine "Spitz" Kohn (1 November 1933 – 24 November 2012) was a Luxembourg football (soccer), football player and Manager (football), football manager.
Club career
Kohn played as a striker, and spent most of his career plying his trade ...
*
Jesús Corona
*
Luka Đorđević
Luka Đorđević ( sr-Cyrl, Лукa Ђорђевић, ; born 9 July 1994) is a Montenegrin professional footballer who plays as a forward for Russian club Sochi.
Club career Zenit
On 11 August 2012, Đorđević made his first appearance for Zeni ...
*
Karim El Ahmadi
Karim El-Ahmadi Aroussi (Arabic: كريم الأحمدي; born 27 January 1985) is a professional footballer who plays as a defensive midfielder. El-Ahmadi was born in the Netherlands and played for FC Twente and Feyenoord before moving to the P ...
*
Ismaïl Aissati
*
Faouzi El Brazi
Faouzi El Brazi ( ar, فوزي البرازي, born 22 May 1977 in Berkane) is a retired footballer.
El Brazi played for Morocco at the 2000 Summer Olympics
The 2000 Summer Olympics, officially the Games of the XXVII Olympiad and also kn ...
*
Anouar Diba
Anouar Diba ( Riffian-Berber: ⴰⵏⵡⴰⵔ ⴷⵉⴱⴰ, born 27 February 1983 in Utrecht, the Netherlands) is a Dutch-Moroccan former footballer.
Club career
Diba is a forward who was made his debut in professional football during the 2002 ...
*
Adil Ramzi
Adil Ramzi ( ar, عادل رمزي; born 14 July 1977) is a Moroccan-Dutch professional football coach and a former midfielder. He is the head coach of Eerste Divisie club Jong PSV.
International career
Ramzi was a member of the Morocco nation ...
*
Hakim Ziyech
Hakim Ziyech ( ar, حكيم زياش; ber, ⵃⴰⴽⵉⵎ ⵣⵉⵢⴰⵛ; born 19 March 1993) is a professional footballer who plays as an attacking midfielder or winger for Premier League club Chelsea. Born in the Netherlands, he represent ...
*
Otman Bakkal
Otman Bakkal (born 27 February 1985) is a Dutch retired international footballer who played as an attacking midfielder.
He began his career at PSV, and was loaned to Den Bosch, Eindhoven, Twente and Feyenoord. After making a permanent move to ...
*
Ronald de Boer
Ronaldus de Boer (; born 15 May 1970) is a Dutch former professional footballer who played as a midfielder. He played for the Netherlands national team as well as a host of professional clubs in Europe. He is the twin brother of Frank de Boe ...
*
Sander Boschker
Sander Bernard Jozef Boschker (born 20 October 1970) is a Dutch former professional footballer who played as a goalkeeper. He is currently the goalkeeping coach at Twente.
During a professional career which spanned 25 years he played mostly for ...
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John Bosman
Johannes "John" Jacobus Bosman (born 1 February 1965) is a Dutch former professional footballer who played as a striker.
A prolific goalscorer for both club and country, he played professionally for 19 years, most notably with Ajax (five sea ...
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Paul Bosvelt
Paul Bosvelt (, born 26 March 1970) is a Dutch football coach and former professional footballer who is technical director of Go Ahead Eagles.
As a player he midfielder he notably played in the Eredivisie for FC Twente and Feyenoord and in the ...
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Edson Braafheid
Edson René Braafheid (born 8 April 1983) is a Dutch footballer who currently plays as a left-back for amateur club Palm Beach Stars.
Braafheid started his career with Eredivisie side Utrecht in 2003, before moving on to FC Twente in 2007 on a ...
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Wout Brama
Wout Brama () (born 21 August 1986) is a Dutch professional footballer who plays as a defensive midfielder for the FC Twente in the Eredivisie.
Club career Twente
Born in Almelo, Brama began his youth team at PH Almelo before moving to FC Twen ...
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Arnold Bruggink
Arnold Bruggink (born 24 July 1977) is a Dutch former professional footballer who played as an attacking midfielder.
Club career
Born in Almelo, Overijssel, Bruggink started his professional career at FC Twente, where he became the club's leadi ...
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Romano Denneboom
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Epi Drost
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Eljero Elia
Eljero George Rinaldo Elia (born 13 February 1987) is a Dutch professional footballer who plays as a winger.
He turned professional at ADO Den Haag and then played for Twente before moving abroad to represent Hamburger SV, Juventus and Werder ...
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Orlando Engelaar
Orlando Wensley Engelaar () (born 24 August 1979, in Rotterdam) is a Dutch retired footballer. Engelaar usually played as a midfielder, and is well known for his height. At 1.96 m tall, he is a towering presence on the pitch. His greatest qu ...
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Leroy Fer
Leroy Johan Fer (born 5 January 1990) is a Dutch professional footballer who plays as a central midfielder for Turkish Süper Lig club Alanyaspor. He also represented the Netherlands, making 11 appearances between 2010 and 2014.
Fer has various ...
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Kees van Ierssel
Cornelius "Kees" Claudius Henricus van Ierssel (; born 6 December 1945, Breda) is a Dutch former footballer who played as a defender.
During his club career he played for FC Twente from 1969 to 1979. He earned 6 caps for the Netherlands natio ...
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Theo Janssen
Theo Janssen (born 27 July 1981) is a Dutch former footballer who played as a midfielder for various clubs in the Netherlands, including Vitesse Arnhem, Twente and Ajax, as well as on loan for Belgian club Genk. He spent 10 years with Vitesse ...
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Collins John
Collins John (born 17 October 1985) is a professional footballer who plays as a forward for Buitenboys. Born in Liberia, he has represented the Netherlands national team.
John notably played in the Premier League for Fulham where he notched ...
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Ola John
Ola John (born 19 May 1992) is a professional footballer who plays for Al-Hazem as a left winger. Born in Liberia, he has represented the Netherlands national team.
A product of FC Twente's youth system, he played with their first team from ...
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Luuk de Jong
Luuk de Jong (; born 27 August 1990) is a Dutch professional footballer who plays as a striker for Eredivisie club PSV Eindhoven and the Netherlands national team.
De Jong previously played for DZC '68, De Graafschap, Twente, Borussia Mönc ...
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René van de Kerkhof
Reinier Lambertus van de Kerkhof (; born 16 September 1951) is a Dutch former professional footballer who played as a right winger for FC Twente, PSV Eindhoven and the Netherlands national team.
Career
Van de Kerkhof and his twin brother Wil ...
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Willy van de Kerkhof
Wilhelmus Antonius "Willy" van de Kerkhof (; born 16 September 1951) is a Dutch former professional footballer who played as a midfielder.
Van de Kerkhof and his twin brother René were squad members of the Dutch national team that made the W ...
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Denny Landzaat
Denny Domingues Landzaat (born 6 May 1976) is a Dutch former footballer who mostly played as a central midfielder or defensive midfielder and current assistant manager of Ekstraklasa side Lech Poznań.
Early life
Landzaat was born and raised in ...
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Adam Maher
Adam Maher (born 20 July 1993) is a Dutch professional Association football, footballer who plays for Saudi Professional League club Damac FC as a midfielder.
Club career
Maher made his professional debut for AZ (football club), AZ on 15 Decem ...
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Andy van der Meyde
Andy van der Meijde, anglicised to van der Meyde (; born 30 September 1979) is a Dutch former professional footballer who played as a winger.
After making a name for himself at Ajax, he went on to represent Inter Milan and Everton, his spel ...
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Michael Mols
Michael Alexander Mols (born 17 December 1970) is a Dutch former professional footballer who played as a striker.
Club career
Born in Amsterdam to Indo (Eurasian) parents, Mols, a product of local AFC Ajax's youth system, never appeared officia ...
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Arnold Mühren
Arnold Johannes Hyacinthus Mühren (born 2 June 1951) is a Dutch football manager and former midfielder. His older brother Gerrie, also a midfield player, won three European Cup titles with Ajax in the early 1970s. Mühren is among the few play ...
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Youri Mulder Youri may refer to:
Places
* Youri, Mali, a small town and commune in south-western Mali
* Youri, Niger, a village and rural commune in Niger
People
*Youri Djorkaeff (born 1968), former French-Armenian football player
* Youri Mulder (born 1969), f ...
*
René Notten
*
Arthur Numan
Arthur Numan (born 14 December 1969) is a Dutch former professional footballer. He played as a left back and was a regular fixture in Netherlands national football team. He is currently the team manager for the Netherlands B squad and a scout fo ...
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Heini Otto
Heini Otto (born 24 August 1954) is a Dutch former professional footballer who played as an attacking midfielder.
Club career
Early career
Otto worked for his father-in-law in the gold business, and then in a whisky distillery before becoming a ...
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Niels Oude Kamphuis
Niels Oude Kamphuis (; born 14 November 1977) is a retired Dutch footballer. He is best remembered for his time at Schalke 04. He operated mostly as a defensive midfielder.
Oude Kamphuis was originally a midfielder, but could also double up as a ...
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Theo Pahlplatz
Theo Pahlplatz (born 3 April 1947 in Oldenzaal) is a Dutch retired footballer. He spent most of his career with FC Twente
Football Club Twente () is a Dutch professional football club from the city of Enschede, sometimes known internation ...
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Marcel Peeper
Marcel Benjamin Peeper (born 9 September 1965) is a Dutch former footballer who played as either a left back or left midfielder.
During his career, marred by a serious injury whilst on international duty, he played professionally in the Nether ...
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Quincy Promes
Quincy Anton Promes (born 4 January 1992) is a Dutch professional footballer who plays as a forward or attacking midfielder for Russian Premier League club Spartak Moscow. He used to represent the Netherlands national team at the international ...
*
Fred Rutten
Fredericus Jacobus Rutten (; born 5 December 1962) is a Dutch football coach and former player. As a player, he spent his entire career with Twente during the years 1979 to 1992. Following his playing career, Rutten also managed Twente, before m ...
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Dick Schoenaker
Dirk "Dick" Hendrikus Schoenaker (born 30 November 1952) is a retired Dutch football midfielder, who represented the Netherlands at the 1978 FIFA World Cup in Argentina, wearing the number three jersey.
Career
His football-career started at Wa ...
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Theo Snelders
Theodorus Antonius Gerardus Snelders (born 7 December 1963) is a Dutch former professional footballer who played as a goalkeeper.
Club career
Snelders was born in Westervoort, Gelderland. He started his career with FC Twente but is mostly rem ...
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Frans Thijssen
Frans Thijssen (born 23 January 1952) is a Dutch former footballer. He started his professional career in 1970 with NEC Nijmegen. In 1973, he moved to FC Twente, where the midfielder played for nearly six seasons.
Thijssen won fourteen caps fo ...
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Kick van der Vall
Christian Alfred "Kick" van der Vall (born March 3, 1946) is a Dutch former professional footballer, who played as an attacking midfielder for Feyenoord, DWS, Vitesse, and is best known for his longer spell at FC Twente.
Career
Van der Vall st ...
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Dwight Tiendalli
Dwight Marciano Tiendalli (; born 21 October 1985) is a Surinamese-born Dutch former professional footballer. He generally played as a full-back.
Tiendalli is a former Dutch under-21 international, and was part of the FC Twente team that won ...
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Orlando Trustfull
Orlando Trustfull (born 4 August 1970) is a Dutch football manager and a former professional player. He was the assistant manager at Internazionale and was brought in by Frank de Boer. As of the start of the 2017–18 season he joined de Boer a ...
*
Jan Vennegoor of Hesselink
Johannes Vennegoor of Hesselink (; born 7 November 1978) is a Dutch former professional footballer. He formerly played for the Netherlands national team as a striker. He played for clubs such as the Dutch Eredivisie's FC Twente and PSV, the ...
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Paul Verhaegh
Paul Johannes Gerardus Verhaegh (born 1 September 1983) is a former Dutch professional footballer who played as a right-back.
Club career
Verhaegh began his career at PSV Eindhoven, making 33 league appearances while on loan at AGOVV Apeldoorn. ...
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Sander Westerveld
Sander Westerveld (born 23 October 1974) is a Dutch football coach and former professional player who played as a goalkeeper. He was the goalkeeping coach of South African Premier Soccer League club Ajax Cape Town.
The highlight of his playing ...
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Peter Wisgerhof
Peter Wisgerhof (; born 19 November 1979) is a Dutch former professional footballer who played as a centre-back for Vitesse, NEC and Twente.
Career
Club
Wisgerhof made his debut in professional football, being part of the Vitesse squad in th ...
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Tyronne Ebuehi
Tyronne Efe Ebuehi (born 16 December 1995) is a Nigerian professional footballer who plays as a right back for Italian club Empoli. Born in the Netherlands, he represents the Nigeria national team.
Club career
Born in Haarlem, Ebuehi played ...
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Hallvar Thoresen
Hallvar Thoresen (born 12 April 1957) is a former Norwegian footballer who played most of his career in the Dutch Eredivisie. The son of former Norwegian international Gunnar Thoresen, Hallvar Thoresen was central in 1980s Norwegian football.
...
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Renato Tapia
Renato Fabrizio Tapia Cortijo (born 28 July 1995) is a Peruvian professional footballer who plays for La Liga club Celta Vigo and the Peru national team as a defensive midfielder.
Club career Youth career
Born in Lima, Peru, Tapia started hi ...
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Mateusz Klich
Mateusz Andrzej Klich (; born 13 June 1990) is a Polish professional footballer who plays as a midfielder for the Poland national team. He is currently a free agent.
Club career Cracovia
Born in Tarnów, Klich debuted in the Ekstraklasa in Nove ...
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Daniel Fernandes
*
Dmitri Bulykin
Dmitri Olegovich Bulykin (russian: Дмитрий Олегович Булыкин; born 20 November 1979) is a retired Russian footballer. Between 2003 and 2005, he played regularly for the Russian national team.
Club career
Lokomotiv Moscow
...
*
Scott Booth
Scott Booth (born 16 December 1971) is a Scottish football coach and former player, who is the head coach of Lewes in the Women's Championship.
A forward by position, he began his playing career at Aberdeen as a teenager, before moving to Ge ...
*
Slobodan Rajković
Slobodan Rajković ( sr-cyr, Слободан Рајковић, ; born 3 February 1989) is a Serbian professional footballer who plays as a centre back for Hungarian club MTK Budapest.
Club career
Born in Belgrade, Rajković started his career ...
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Dušan Tadić
Dušan Tadić ( sr-Cyrl, Душан Тадић, ; born 20 November 1988) is a Serbian professional footballer who plays as a forward or attacking midfielder and captains both Eredivisie club Ajax and the Serbia national team.
Tadić spent his ...
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Miroslav Stoch
Miroslav Stoch (born 19 October 1989) is a Slovak professional footballer, who currently plays as a winger for Motorlet Prague and competed for the Slovakia national team.
He has earned 60 caps for Slovakia since his debut in 2009, and was in ...
*
Haris Vučkić
Haris Vučkić (born 21 August 1992) is a Slovenian professional footballer who plays as an attacking midfielder for Buriram United.
Vučkić has represented Slovenia international youth selections in every category. He made his senior debut ...
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Kamohelo Mokotjo
Kamohelo Mokotjo (born 11 March 1991) is a South African professional soccer player who plays as a defensive midfielder for Sekhukhune United. After beginning his career in his native South Africa, he came to prominence in the Netherlands with ...
*
Bernard Parker
Bernard Parker (born 16 March 1986) is a South African professional association footballer who plays as a midfielder or forward for Premier Soccer League club TS Galaxy. Between 2007 and 2015 he made 73 appearances for the South Africa n ...
*
Emir Bajrami
Emir Bajrami (born 7 March 1988) is a Swedish former professional footballer who played as a winger. Starting off his professional career with IF Elfsborg in 2006, he went on to represent FC Twente, AS Monaco, and Panathinaikos before retiring ...
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Kennedy Bakırcıoğlu
Kennedy Bakircioglu (born 2 November 1980) is a Swedish former professional footballer who played as a midfielder.
He is best remembered for his time with Hammarby IF, with whom he won the 2001 Allsvenskan and 2014 Superettan titles. He also r ...
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Rasmus Bengtsson
Rasmus Mattias Bengtsson (born 26 June 1986) is a Swedish former professional footballer who played as a centre back. Starting off his professional career with Trelleborgs FF in 2006, he went on to represent Hertha BSC in the German Bundesliga ...
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Daniel Majstorović
*
Sharbel Touma
Sharbel Touma (; born 25 March 1979) is a Swedish former professional footballer who played as a winger.
Beginning his career with Syrianska in the mid-1990s, he went on to represent Djurgårdens IF, AIK, Halmstad, Twente, Borussia Mönchen ...
*
Blaise Nkufo
Isetsima Blaise Nkufo (born 25 May 1975) is a Swiss former international footballer who played as a striker and current coach of Rino's Tigers in the Vancouver Metro Soccer League.
He was born in Zaire and raised in Switzerland from the age o ...
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Oguchi Onyewu
Oguchialu Chijioke Onyewu (born May 13, 1982) is an American former soccer player who is the secretary-general of R.E. Virton. He was previously the sporting director for Orlando City B.
During his professional career, he played as a defender ...
*
Roberto Rosales
Roberto José Rosales Altuve (; born 20 November 1988) is a Venezuelan professional footballer who plays for the Cypriot First Division club AEK Larnaca and Venezuela national team. Mainly a right back, he can also play as a right midfielder.
...
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Zvonko Bego
Zvonko Bego (19 December 1940 – 13 August 2018) was a Yugoslav footballer. He spent most of his career with Croatian side Hajduk Split.
Club career
Bego made his debut for Hajduk in an early 1957 cup match against Lokomotiva and scored 173 go ...
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Spira Grujić
Spira Grujić (; born 7 December 1971) is a Serbian former footballer who played as a defender.
Club career
After spending four seasons with Radnički Niš, Grujić moved abroad and joined Belgian club Molenbeek in 1995. He would also play for ...
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Mitar Mrkela
Mitar Mrkela (Serbian Cyrillic: Mитap Mpкeлa; born 10 July 1965 in Belgrade) is a retired Serbian football player, who was a member of the Yugoslavian team that won the bronze medal at the Football at the 1984 Summer Olympics, 1984 Summer Olym ...
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Spasoje Samardžić
Spasoje "Paja" Samardžić (Serbian Cyrillic: Спасоје Паја Самарџић; born 20 May 1942) is a Serbian retired football winger and manager.
Playing career International
With two games for the young team (1959) and one for the ...
Top scorers
Women's section
The women's section of Twente was founded in 2007 for the creation of the
Eredivisie
The Eredivisie (; ''"Honour Division"'' or ''"Premier Division"'') is the highest level of professional football in the Netherlands. The league was founded in 1956, two years after the start of professional football in the Netherlands. It is c ...
as new top-level league in the Netherlands. Twente played the opening match of the league. After three midfield positions in the first three years, Twente won the championship in 2010–11 and played the
UEFA Women's Champions League
The UEFA Women's Champions League, previously called the UEFA Women's Cup (2001–2009), is a European women's association football competition. It involves the top club teams from countries affiliated with the European governing body UEFA.
The ...
in 2011–12.
See also
*
Dutch football league teams
*
Derby of Twente
The Twentse Derby is a Dutch football derby between FC Twente
Football Club Twente () is a Dutch professional football club from the city of Enschede, sometimes known internationally as Twente Enschede. The club was formed in 1965 by the m ...
*
Jong FC Twente
Jong FC Twente (English: Young FC Twente) are the reserve team of FC Twente, a team from Enschede which played in the Eerste Divisie from 2013 to 2015.
Staff
* ''Head coach:'' Michel Jansen
* ''Assistant coach:'' Boudewijn Pahlplatz
* ''Tea ...
References
External links
;Official websites
FCTwente.nl Official website of FC Twente
FC Twente TVOfficial website FC Twente TV ''(No membership required)''
The FC Twente Story
;General fan sites
FC Twente Online
FC Twente OnlineEnglish Section
Vak-P
Twentefans
FC Twente.nu
;News sites
SkySports.com / FC TwenteGoal.com / FC TwenteFootball-Lineups.com / FC Twente
{{DEFAULTSORT:Twente
Association football clubs established in 1965
1965 establishments in the Netherlands
Football clubs in the Netherlands
Football clubs in Enschede