Feyenoord’s European Campaign

Who could have guessed. After Gio van Bronckhorst’s rein at the club and the string of trophies won, Feyenoord seemed to drift back to a dreary sub top role. Jaap Stam started in a chaotic situation: no money, no technical management, no academy and half a squad. He decided to move on.

Dick Advocaat was called in to mend the club and he did, with typical Advocaat style, compact defensive football. Not winning any prizes but not getting egg on face either.

Feyenoord needed their own renaissance man. Their own Pep, or Klopp or Gasperini. Arne Slot was the man.

And after having won Holland’s first trophy in 1970 and winning the last one for Holland in 2002, Feyenoord is now close to showing Ajax and Oranje how it is done.

Qualifiying: Drita – Feyenoord 0-0

Feyenoord started their campaign in Kosovo in July (!) 2021. The official debut of the former AZ coach, with Leroy Fer as central defender and Bannis as the striker. Feyenoord lacked creativity and Bannis missed the only big chance they got. Orkun Kökçu: “I had the ball a lot but didn’t make the right choices. We simply weren’t good enough, in playing through them. We lack creativity. We are not good enough.”

Qualifying: Feyenoord – Drita – 3-2

Arne Slot has a new name in the squad: Alireza Jahanbaksh is the successor to Berghuis, the creative playmaker who starts on the right of the pitch. Fer is again the central defender who makes mistake after mistake. Guus Til scores the 1-0 but due to Fer’s errors, it’s soon 1-2 for Drita. Late in the game, it’s cult hero and loanee Guus Til who would shoot Feyenoord past Drita: 3-2. A new fan fave is born. Slot: “I expected us to deal with the opponent in an easier way. The positive side of this is the team’s mentality. They fought back from a difficult position, I have to give them that.”

Qualifying: Luzern – Feyenoord. 0-3

Guus Til is important again, with two goals in the first half. Sinistera scores Feyenoord’s third. Slot: “We looked fresh and positive. We had more depth in our game and we made less errors.” The key news was the addition of Gernot Trauner to the team. The debutant central defender immediately impressed. Kökçu started the campaign with criticism but is growing into his holding defender role.

Qualifying: Feyenoord – Luzern 3-0

New addition Fredrik Aursnes watches from the stands as Jahanbaksh gives off his name card with two goals. The match is unique for Antoni Milambo, who makes his debut as 16 year old and has relieved Wijnaldum as the youngest Feyenoord player ever. Slot: “Without the ball, we were still a bit nervous and stressed, but with the ball, we played fantastic.”

Qualifying: Feyenoord – Elsborg 5-0

Feyenoord is hungry. Jahanbaksh and Sinistera with early goals and in total a hattrick for the Columbian while Linssen tops it off with his usual goal. The Swedish media is impressed and speak of the destruction of Elsborg. Jahanbaksh: “We decided to push on as they play on an artificial pitch. We wanted to have some daylight between us.”

Qualifying: Elsborg – Feyenoord 3-1

Without Senesi and Bijlow, it is not the same for Feyenoord. The trail 2-0 against the Swedes but once Til scores (again) for the Red and White, the game is played. Slot: “I am standing here with a smile, but during the match I was not smiling. The difference between winning and losing is small. And the players will have noticed this. The good thing is, we are in the group. The rest is all learning.”

Group: Maccabi Haifa – Feyenoord 0-0

The first match in the group stage is a disappointing one. Bryan Linssen gets three major chances and misses them all. Ausners makes his debut. Cyriel Dessers, another debutant, makes a cameo but can’t convince the Dutch criticasters. “They might think I am the Dessers of Heracles, but I am a better version now. I will show them, I can’t wait.”

Group: Feyenoord – Slavia Prague

Feyenoord plays Prague drunk in the first half. Kökçu and Linssen score the 2-0 but then it’s over for Feyenoord. Instead of going to 3 or even 4-0, they allow Prague back into the game. The Slavia coach: “This must have felt like a training match for Feyenoord. They did what they wanted and we couldn’t stop them.” Slot is less enthusiastic: “We played with flair in the first half, but in the second half it seems the battery was empty. We need to work hard on that.”

Group: Feyenoord – Union Berlin 3-1

Feyenoord is warned for the team from Berlin but scores an early goal after an explosive start. Bryan Linssen uses his body to force the second goal and is questioned about the foul after the game. “Did you think it was a foul? Aren’t you Dutch??”. Feyenoord wins 3-1 and Linssen praises the mentality in the team: “We want to fight for one another, the noses are all pointing in the right direction. It’s early days and we don’t have anything yet, but we are in really good shape.”

Group: Union Berlin – Feyenoord 1-2

Sinistera is again on the score sheet early in the game but Berlin gets themselves back into it. Feyenoord is leading the group and when Dessers benefits from a slip from a defender, Feyenoord will end the evening as group leaders even more firmly. The main topic of the night, apart from Dessers, is new midfielder Aursners who is growing into one of Feyenoord’s key players.

Group: Slavia Prague – Feyenoord

Prague hosts the Rotterdam club with the knives sharpened. Feyenoord needs 1 point to progress but Marciano’s mistake means Prague leads early. Dessers comes on for a sick Linssen and when Til is sent off in the second half it appears to go pear shaped for the Stadium club. Prague scored the 2-1 but it’s another late Dessers goal that puts Feyenoord through to the knock out stages. Slot: “The ultimate strength of this team is their will power”.

Group: Feyenoord – Maccabi Haifa  2 – 1

Dessers and Reiss Nelson get the nod for the first time and both pay their coach back with a goal. Remarkably, Feyenoord ends the match with 8 self developed players in the line up. Quite a feat. Slot: “This is a big feather in the cap of the Academy. This club is very much alive!”.

First Knock-Out: Partizan Belgrado – Feyenoord 2 – 5

The Serbs start with a vengeance and open the score via former Ajax winger Queency Menig. Dessers and Nelson start again, with Geetruida back in the line up as well. In the second half, Feyenoord bulldozes Partizan with an impressive away win: 2-5. Slot is satisfied but also critical: “They create 2,5 chance and score twice. That happens too often. I find it frustrating to be the better side on the pitch but still not being able to express this into goals. We will work on this.”

First Knock-Out: Feyenoord- Partizan Belgrado 3 – 1

Feyenoord is hit with Covid and Arne Slot, Marino Pusic (assistant)  and players Trauner, Pedersen, Bijlow and Malacia are absent. John de Wolf and Robin van Persie coach the team to a relatively easy win. Dessers claims an Inzaghi goal, when Toornstra’s free kick hits the player on the back. Toornstra: “I am happy with that, he can have it!”. De Wolf is happy to play any other team in the next stage, “as long as it isn’t Slavia Prague. We already had them and they’re not a nice opponent.”

Quarter Finals: Feyenoord – Slavia Prague 3 – 3

John de Wolf jinxed it: Slavia Prague is the next opponent. It would be a roller coaster of a match, with both goalies playing sub par. It’s 1-0 first, then 1-2, then back to 3-2 but in the dying seconds, Prague gets the equaliser. Assistant Pusic loses it in the break, as he believes the equaliser should have been chalked off. The former AZ assistant gets the red card. Analyst Pierre van Hooijdonk calls it a disgrace. Slot: “Marino is an emotional man. It comes with the package. We will have a tough match in Prague, I fear. They’re a tough team to play against. The differences are minimal.”

Quarter Finals: Slavia Prague – Feyenoord 1 – 3

Dessers was disappointed he didn’t start at home, but he is in the line up in the away game. Within 2 minutes, the Belgian/Nigerian scores. Kökçu blunder brings Prague back into it (too short a back pass) but Dessers benefits again from a defensive error and Sinistera’s goal means Feyenoord reaches the semi finals. The team celebrates, except for Kökçu: “I am still annoyed with myself and I know I will have to say thanks to all of these guys. Once I have, I might be able to celebrate.”

Semi Finals: Feyenoord – Olympique Marseille 3 – 2

Marseille is an opponent with European pedigree. Slot is full of praise of Olympique and their coach Sampaoli. Slot is a fan and expects a football fiesta. And he is right. Feyenoord gets to 2-0 relatively quickly but a magical Payet helps his team back to 2-2. In the first minute of the second half, it’s that man Dessers again, who pushes up and forces the mistake to the 3-2. Goalie Marciano has a number of key saves in the dying minutes and Slot speaks of their best match so far. The French media are impressed and call Feyenoord the Kings of the Press.

Semi Finals: Olympique Marseille – Feyenood 0 – 0

Peter Bosz has just besten Marseille at the Velodrome 0-3 with Lyon and calls Slot with some last tips. The passionate French fans do what they can to rattle Feyenoord, including throwing bricks through the players’ bus windows. Marseille attacks but can’t find a way through. Feyenoord’s attacking play is wanting, but they do enough. Slot: “Amazing how we stood firm here. This is a tough place to go to. We didn’t create much, but we also didn’t give much away. I’m proud. This match showed us all how strong we are physically.” Feyenoord will prep for it’s first European finals in 20 years. Malacia: “Yes it is great, but we have nothing until we win that finals.”

It seems Bijlow will start again for Feyenoord who can play in their strongest line up: with Malacia, with Kökçu and with Dessers up front.

I predict a 3-0 win for the Rotterdam club. Goals: Dessers, Sinistera and Kökçu.

 

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22 comments

  1. Feyenoord put on a great showing in the final, but unfortunately got beaten by a typical Mourinho team. Feyenoord had more chances, hit the post two or three times. Roma got a fortunate goal, well taken though, but really didn’t threaten after that. Roma were basically content with holding onto a 1-0 for the final 25 minutes while Feyenoord continued to push. I think it’s worth something that a team with the financial power of Roma had to play that style to beat little Feyenoord.

    Even as an Ajax fan, I’m pretty heartbroken by this.

  2. My honest opinion: Feyenoord was a pain to watch in the first half. It seemed like a team of dilettantes from a 3rd league somewhere in Mars. They never were dangerous, never able to stitch 2 passes close to Roma goal, an endless pain of misplaced balls and chaos. The moment Roma scored it was clear Mou would retreat, defend deep and protect the score. That is the only reason the dutch were able to create chances and come close to scoring. I agree that over 90 mins they were better than Roma but let’s face it, both teams are mediocre mid table teams. Huge credit to Slot for making it to a final with these players. Dessers? What a waste of space, what a useless player. How is it that there is no substitute for him? Til is an NT player?! A joke. Again with these players it is a huge success to reach this far in the competition. There are no decent attackers in this team, in fact there is no attack at all. 2 games in a row with 0 goals on the scoresheet and just a handful of desperate chances. I feel for the fans who may not get this close to a trophy again for many years.

  3. Painful indeed not only for feyenoord supporters but all Dutch supporters

    When was the last time Oranje / any Dutch club won a final ?

    2010 – World Cup final : Holland lost to Spain
    2017 Europa league final: Ajax lost to manutd
    2019 conference league final : Holland lost to Portugal
    2019 semi final Ajax lost to spurs ( almost final )
    2022 feyenoord lost to Roma

    How many years do we still have to wait and what’s the problem? Why can’t we ever win a final ?

  4. But not bad for slot which this is his first year only

    Feyenoord will improve from this,
    Great experience for some of the Oranje players

    Against mourinho who’s a cup winner specialist , u know ur chances are very little

  5. Some observations from the game.

    Malacia had a good game and I think he is ready for NT.

    Geertruida and Nelson kept going inside in heavy traffic and with Roma playing with 3 CBs really made that right flank unproductive compared to the left where Malacia and Sinisterra had some degree sucess.

    Til looked no match to pellegrini in terms of creativity and again with 3 man CB, Roma just congested the midfield closing down both Til and dessers off easily.

    Geertruida also looked reluctant going forward which again was a downfall for feyenoord. In those link up situation ( triangle passes) he just never made any effort to link up and just stood his ground after passing initially on the onset stage.

    For karsdorp, he was cautious with both Malacia and Sinisterra on his side but had very little impact in the game. After game, in the post match interview, he said I had a ugly game but then we won and that’s whats matters.

  6. I understand the frustration of losing a final. But Feyenoord has done well above their expectation. It is such a long time that we have another Dutch other than Ajax contribute a lot to coefficient. They fight until the last minute and I think they can improve further under Slot. With two Dutch coaches in two Europe finals, I think we are clearly on the way up compared to a few years ago.

  7. Typical Danny Blind circus,,,this is what exactly he did in 2016 1n 2018…He F$%%5ked us so bad….yes we didnt had enough talent to win but we had more than enough talent to qualify fo rEC and Wc at 2016 and 2018..one day Blind will select one guy very next day he will drop him…after he gets fucked by stronger team he will again shuffle….Martins indi was pathetic 2014,2016 an 2108…i was finally happy we got rid of him…all of a sudden he is back…ha ha…hateboer or karsdorp why???fatigue after conference league final???? ha ha…martins indi is a sure REDCARD AT ANY CRUNCH MATCHES….mark my words…
    i can understand Janssen getting a shot back at front vas we still struggle quality…
    i feel LVG is gunning for 532 which is going to be disaster and he feel s shitboer and martins indi are perfect for 532..thats just hypothesis…
    Last time 532 he went that far due to quality from Roben-RVp–sneijedr trio up front…
    solid work horse from De guzman and Nijel dejong…amazing support from Janmaat,daley blin and kuyt as full backs..then rock steel De vrij and Gladiator Vlaar….BMI s##$ked their in big time…he had to be subded against arjentina nd other teams…

  8. Typical Danny Blind circus,,,this is what exactly he did in 2016 1n 2018…He F$%%5ked us so bad….yes we didnt had enough talent to win but we had more than enough talent to qualify fo rEC and Wc at 2016 and 2018..one day Blind will select one guy very next day he will drop him…after he gets f#@$4ked by stronger team,then he will again shuffle….Martins indi was pathetic 2014,2016 an 2108…i was finally happy we got rid of him…all of a sudden he is back…ha ha…hateboer or karsdorp why???fatigue after conference league final???? ha ha…martins indi is a sure RED CARD AT ANY CRUNCH MATCHES….mark my words… i can understand Janssen getting a shot back at front we still struggle quality… i feel LVG is gunning for 532 which is going to be disaster and he feels sh@###$itboer and martins indi are perfect for 532..thats just hypothesis… Last time 532 he went that far due to quality from Roben-RVp–sneijedr trio up front… solid work horse from De guzman and Nijel dejong…amazing support from Janmaat,daley blind and kuyt as full backs..then rock steel De vrij and Gladiator Vlaar….BMI s##$ked there in big time…he had to be subded against arjentina nd other teams…

  9. Vins Janssen has survived the preselection of the Dutch national team. Good for him. He has been always one of my favorites among AZ players of all the time.

  10. I would think Van Gaal is trying out as many players to see who fit his system. Aside from Karsdorp, I’m expecting Gravenberch to be in the selection consistently by now, just like Gakpo, Malacia etc. Gravenberch should be in the final squad.

    Jerdy Schouten is a refreshing face though. 🙂

  11. Jerdy Schouten and Vincent Janssen call was nice..Lets see what they can bring to us…but hateboer a proven less than average players gets chance after chance..ditto goes with BMI..

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