Feyenoord win first Dutch title this century
Sunday, May 14, 2017
Article summary
For all the fanfare around Ajax's European heroics, Feyenoord have made the biggest noise in the Netherlands by bringing the Eredivisie title back to Rotterdam after an 18-year absence.
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How they won it
A 5-0 opening-day victory at Groningen gave Feyenoord top spot from the start and they kept up that fearsome form, winning their first nine league matches. By the winter break, Giovanni van Bronckhorst's side were five points clear, yet a 2-1 defeat at Ajax and subsequent draw at Zwolle allowed Ajax to get back within a point in early April. The Rotterdammers stretched the gap again, but they missed the chance to be crowned with a game to spare when they succumbed 3-0 at Excelsior. That set up a nervy final day, Feyenoord eventually clinching their first Dutch championship of the century with a 3-1 home win against Heracles, Dirk Kuyt hitting a hat-trick.
Key number: 18
The total number of years those Feyenoord supporters across the Netherlands have had to wait to win the Eredivisie. It's their first title since 1999, and 15th overall.
The opposition
This season no one could get anywhere near the traditional Dutch top three. Ajax finished one point shy of the summit in second, with Peter Bosz's young team never quite able to overhaul their initial deficit. Title holders PSV failed to shine, meanwhile, though the 14-point gap to fourth-placed Utrecht underlined the big three's dominance.
Vitesse end 125-year wait
Vitesse prevented Feyenoord chasing a double, beating them 2-0 in the Dutch Cup quarter-finals. Not satisfied with that, the Arnhem club claimed a 2-1 semi-final victory against Sparta Rotterdam, before then ending a 125-year wait for their first ever trophy. Ricky van Wolfswinkel's double dispatched AZ Alkmaar 2-0 to seal that long-sought-after silverware.
Room for improvement
Feyenoord proved invincible at their De Kuip stadium – winning 15 and drawing two – yet they endured four defeats and two more draws on their travels. They must improve on the European scene as well, considering they did not survive the UEFA Europa League group stage and the UEFA Champions League now awaits.
Biggest win: 8-0 Go Ahead Eagles
Biggest loss: 3-0 Excelsior
Top scorer: Nicolai Jørgensen (21)