The Club of the People: Feyenoord Rotterdam

Comments

Justice: In truth, there is a part of me that wants the cup more than the league this season

A huge month of European football coming up, but that should not take away from the importance of the domestic fixtures to be played! Good to see Elia aiding with the goal scoring efforts, showing your team isn't reliant on Haller!

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01 November 2017

Feyenoord Claim Big Win In Ukraine

Feyenoord bounced back from their defeat at home to Shakhtar on Matchday 3 by beating Shakhtar at their adopted stadium the Lviv Arena 2-1 thanks to a brace from Eljero Elia. Shakhtar remain top of Group H though thanks to the goal scored by Marlos which means Shakhtar possess the better head to head record against Feyenoord. It is a win though that means Feyenoord’s chances of qualifying for the Round of 16 have been given a massive boost and Giovanni van Bronckhorst’s men will travel to Lisbon on Matchday 5 to meet Benfica knowing that they could secure their place in the knockout stages if results go their way. Meanwhile elsewhere in Group H, Athletic Club Bilbao secured their first win of the campaign thanks to Benat’s goal to give their own chances of qualifying a big boost.

Feyenoord found their rhythm very early on thanks to Eljero Elia’s strike as Shakhtar goalkeeper Andriy Pyatov flapped at Bart Nieuwkoop’s cross with the ball falling to the Dutch winger Elia who took no prisoners by slotting the ball in the empty net with Pyatov still grounded after his error. Feyenoord continued to push forward and in the 16th minute Sebastien Haller slipped Rashaan Fernandes into space with the young winger squaring the ball to Eljero Elia who slotted home for his second goal of the game. Shakhtar knew that their chances of taking anything from the game were slipping and the Ukrainians were also slipping into second position. However just seconds after half time, Marlos scored a brilliant curled effort to reduce the deficit to one goal and breath life into the game for Shakhtar as they reclaimed top spot, but the Feyenoord defence held strong and kept the Prem’er Liha side out and sealed a huge 2-1 win.

Speaking to BT Sport after the game, Giovanni van Bronckhorst said he was delighted and proud of his sides performance. ”Tonight we were exceptional and we played very very well and got the result that we wanted and needed. Eljero Elia has become a very key component for this team and he has been sensational tonight and grasped this game by the scruff of the neck, scored twice and won us the game and now we are in a great position to go on and secure a place in the next round.”

Shakhtar: A Pyatov, D Srna, S Kryvtsov (I Ordets, 74), Y Rakitskyi, Ismaily, Fred, M Malashev (Alan Patrick, 80), Marlos, V Kovalenko, Bernard, Taison (F Ferreyra, 80)
Feyenoord: K Vermeer, B Nieuwkoop, S van Beek, M Miazga, L Woudenberg, T Vilhena (K El Ahmadi, 45) J Toornstra, R Fernandes (B Basacikoglu, 56), L Schaub (N Jorgensen 50), E Elia, S Haller

Comments

Justice: Yeah, we need to be getting a few more points in the Champions League if we want to progress! This side is strong enough to compete on multiple fronts though so hopefully our form in the league won’t dip either

Big big big win. You've near enough secured knockout round football in Europe for the latter stages of the season. Whether it be Champions League or Europa League, well that comes down to your final two group fixtures!

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21 November 2017

Benfica Win Champions League Classic

Portuguese Champions SL Benfica gave their chances of playing continental football in the new year a big boost as they beat Feyenoord 5-3 in a thrilling tie at the Estadio da Luz, the Stadium that hosted the 2014 final of the competition. Benfica started extremely strongly before allowing their opposition back into the tie before rallying again before again ensuring there was sustained interest in the tie going into the closing minutes thanks to an own goal from midfielder Pizzi. A victory for Shakhtar Donetsk at San Mames means that Shakhtar have secured their place in the Round of 16 and that if Feyenoord beat Athletic Club Bilbao on Matchday 6 and Benfica can beat Shakhtar Donetsk, both Feyenoord and Benfica will play European football next year.

Benfica opened the scoring as Jens Toornstra’s free kick was blocked by Benfica midfielder Pizzi, before Benfica sprung a rapid counter attack that saw Feyenoord’s defence at 6s and 7s and winger Franco Cervi was on hand and in acres of space when he received the ball before lashing a vicious effort past Kenneth Vermeer. Benfica again hit Feyenoord on the break to double their lead in the 15th minute as Jonas was on hand to tap home as Moussa Dembele had worked himself into space before finding his Brazilian strike partner. Feyenoord were once again caught napping at set pieces in the Champions League as they conceded a third as Jardel headed Cervi’s corner onto the back post to find Jonas who added his second goal before Jonas then slipped the ball into the path of Moussa Dembele six minutes later who slotted home to make it 4-0 and make the tie appear all but over.

After half time though Feyenoord rallied and when Jens Toornstra’s 47th minute free kick flew in before Sebastien Haller dinked the ball over Benfica goalkeeper Ederson in the 54th minute the visiting fans started to sense a miraculous comeback at the Estadio da Luz. However it proved fruitless when in the 63rd minute Franco Cervi curled a beautiful free kick past Kenneth Vermeer to appear to put the game beyond doubt as the scoreline was extended to 5-2. Feyenoord did pull another back through the aforementioned own goal as Pizzi deflected Louis Schaub’s low cross into his own goal to finish the scoring in a thrilling game in Portugal.

Speaking to BT Sport after the game, Giovanni van Bronckhorst said he was disappointed that his side had crumbled the way they had and left their Champions League destiny down to their last game. ”We had the chance tonight to see ourselves into the next game, especially now that we know Athletic Club have lost. We were poor tonight especially defensively and the players know that they have let themselves down, especially in conceding 5 goals in a single game. We’ve got a huge game in a few weeks now at De Kuip where we need to make sure we get the right result if we are going to progress into the next round and achieve the objectives that we set out with at the start of the campaign.”

SL Benfica: Ederson, N Semedo (A Almeida, 61), V Lindelof, Jardel, K Gibbs, A Samaris, L Fejsa, E Salvio (Pizzi, 69), F Cervi, M Dembele (K Mitroglou, 64), Jonas
Feyenoord: K Vermeer, B Nieuwkoop, S van Beek, M Miazga, L Woudenberg, T Vilhena (K El Ahmadi, 61), J Toornstra, E Elia (B Basacikoglu, 61), L Schaub, N Jorgensen, S Haller

Comments

Justice: Huge huge huge win indeed! It’s in our hands now and we HAVE to go on and seal our fate and not make any further mistakes (especially after this defeat to Benfica)

It is far from an ideal result, but luckily Shakhtar came up trumps! Second place is still well in your hands and you only need a draw to secure it!

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26 November 2017

Karsdorp: “My Focus Is Entirely On Getting Fit Again And Feyenoord”

Long term injury victim Rick Karsdorp has today spoken to Feyenoord.nl to give an update on the state of his injury, which was suffered almost a month ago during the Champions League clash with Shakhtar Donetsk. Karsdorp suffered a damaged achilles tendon during the tie that will mean he will miss at least the next three or four months of the campaign meaning he will only receive limited playing time come the end of the campaign. Speaking to this website though Karsdorp, a member of last season’s Eredivisie winning squad, said he was focused entirely on getting fit again and making sure that he could play his best football at Feyenoord once he had returned from injury.

Feyenoord.nl: ”Good morning Rick, how are you doing today? How is the foot?”
Rick Karsdorp: ”Good morning, yes I am very good thank you. Aha, the foot is okay, it is getting there, still very painful but I am getting there slowly.”

Feyenoord.nl: ”Can you give us the latest update on the injury? How is it progressing?”
Karsdorp: ”It is progressing well. I had surgery on it a few weeks ago to fix it and make sure that it was okay and I have been to see the specialist at least twice since the surgery to see how he thought it was progressing and see whether there was any further surgery required. Fortunately there is no more surgery required so I may have got away with it lightly. Obviously it is going to be a long while until I can start training again and getting myself anyway near to being able to play again but that is what it is.”

Feyenoord.nl: ”Your team mate Kenneth Vermeer, missed most of last season with a similar injury to yours. Have you been in close contact with Kenneth to discuss your injury and receive any tips from him?”
Karsdorp: ”Yeah, Kenneth was the first apart from the manager to contact me after the Shakhtar game, when things were tough. He has been very supportive since the injury and has really been a good team mate and friend and this would have been harder than it has been without Kenneth.”

Feyenoord.nl: ”You mentioned that things were tough, what do you mean they were tough?”
Karsdorp: ”I mean they were tough. As a young footballer which I am, you just want to play. Especially when this is a club that I love and that I want to be successful with. We had a great season last season and it was amazing to win the Eredivisie. We have made a brilliant start to this season too, and we’re looking good to go on and win more silverware and honestly I just want to play football and get out there and help this team and win things for the fans. I was really down after the injury, but like I said the manager and Kenneth Vermeer have been really supportive and have just told me to focus on getting fit again.”

Feyenoord.nl: ”What are your priorities after recovering from this injury then Rick, there is reported interest from clubs outside of Holland in your services, what is your message to the fans?”
Karsdorp: ”Look at the minute my focus is completely on getting better and making sure that I can play football again before the end of the season. I want to be helping this team win trophies come the end of the season so I am just going to do everything I can to make sure that as an individual I am in the best condition possible to do that. Once I am back my focus will be solely on helping Feyenoord. I love this club and we’ve achieved so much together already I am not going to throw that away because the internet or the newspapers say and think that some other club is interested in me.”

Feyenoord.nl: ”Well Rick, that concludes this interview, thank you very much for giving up your time. Good luck with the recovery and we look forward to seeing you in a Feyenoord shirt again very soon.”
Karsdorp: ”Thank you very much, I can’t wait to be back.”

Comments

Justice: Yeah for me, it is not about winning the group it is just about getting out of the group and getting that chance to compete with the biggest sides in Europe.

Achilles injuries can ruin a player's career, so hopefully he can return fit and able and produce some top performances for your side when available again!

Gutted for him! Hopefully he'll return to fitness soon and can still go out there and impress.

Comments

Justice: Yeah it looked and sounded nasty and it was leaving him out for a long time which is frustrating because he is by far and a way one of the best defenders at the club!

ScottT: Yeah, he had a big future ahead of him, just hope it’s not been hampered now!

HALLER! <3

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04 December 2017

Mats Knoester Signs Long Term Contract

Feyenoord have today confirmed that 19 year old central defender Mats Knoester has today signed a four year contract extension, meaning his deal will expire in June 2021. The new deal for the youngster is believed to have fended off interest from clubs such as Paris Saint-Germain as well as handing the young defender a significant pay boost who has impressed in his appearances for Feyenoord’s first team this season. Knoester has made 12 appearances for Giovanni van Bronckhorst’s side this season having been ushered into the first team set up following Eric Botteghin’s injury.

Having impressed massively in a Man of the Match performance against Ajax and then against Willem II, Knoester has slotted straight in to van Bronckhorst’s side and looks as cool and collected on the ball as a season veteran in the position. Feyenoord are believed to have been aware of the interest from sides such as Paris Saint-Germain for some time, and bids have already been made for the youngster by other high profile clubs such as Sevilla. Knoester commented on his new contract by saying ”This is a great opportunity for me to continue my development at a club that I am extremely passionate about and I am loving every minute of my time at the club and I will continue to put in 150% for this team whenever the manager calls on me to play.”

His manager van Bronckhorst also gave his opinion on the news, saying he was extremely happy to have secured the youngster for the foreseeable future. ”Mats is a player that we have wanted to introduce into the first team for a long while now and he trained with the first team a lot during last season and learnt a lot and his performances in training this season have warranted giving him a lot more first team football. Against Ajax he was a man mountain and impossible to beat and to put in that level of performance against one of the biggest sides in the country at his age is a magnificent achievement.”

Comments

Justice: I actually went crazy when that went in!

Good to secure his future. He's had a busy season so far, and hopefully he can continue to make himself counted upon.

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01 December 2017

Fernandes: “Ajax Game Was My Best In Feyenoord Colours

One of the latest stars to break out of the Feyenoord Youth Academy has been creating a lot of buzz and hype this week after his mazy run and dinked ball in allowed Feyenoord forward Sebastien Haller to head home a 92nd minute winner for his side against their bitter rivals Ajax in a huge game at the top of the Eredivisie. Rashaan Fernandes spent last season out on loan, away from De Kuip at FC Den Bosch, helping them to promotion in the progress, but was introduced by manager Giovanni van Bronckhorst during the pre-season, and although he has been limited 14 appearances, the majority coming from the substitutes bench, the youngster has impressed whenever he has taken to the pitch and here Eredivisie.nl got the chance to speak to Rashaan Fernandes about his progress at Feyenoord, his manager Giovanni van Bronckhorst and that moment against Ajax.

Eredivisie.nl: ”Rashaan, thank you for taking the time out to attend this interview, how have things been since Sunday and that late twist against Ajax?”
Fernandes: ”Yeah, things have gotten a little bit crazy since Sunday, everyone has been phoning me, texting me, saying how well I played and praising my performance.”

Eredivisie.nl: ”You must have expected that though, it was a great moment for both you and your team?”
Fernandes: ”To be honest, it was entirely unexpected, I like to think of myself of being down to earth and not liking to blow my own trumpet and I just feel like I went out and did my job and helped my team. Obviously I understand the importance of what happened but I am a footballer and I know what I am capable of and on Sunday I showed that.”

Eredivisie.nl: ”Let’s take a step back away from the Ajax game for a minute then and talk about your progress last season and this season. Obviously up until January of last year you were still an academy prospect at Feyenoord, playing for the reserves and youth teams, did you expect to receive a chance in the first team or were you beginning to think that time was running out for that?”
Fernandes: ”No, I didn’t fear that time was running out. I know this club and I was confident that the chance would come to perform in the first team. Feyenoord and football in this country is well known for giving youngsters a chance and bringing players through and I was confident that Giovanni van Bronckhorst would give me that chance. Thankfully I must have done enough to convince him that it was the right decision and I’ve gone on to play a fair bit of football this season.”

Eredivisie.nl: ”You went on loan to FC Den Bosch last season, for the second half of the season, how did you find that?”
Fernandes: ”It was a great experience for me and I really enjoyed it. Giovanni came to me during the transfer window and said that he didn’t see me getting many opportunities in the first team this season and that Den Bosch were interested and he asked whether it was something I would consider. I asked the manager that if I went out on loan would it boost my chances of making the break through into the first team and he said that if I played well and really showed what I was capable of then it would give my first team chances a big boost.”

Eredivisie.nl: ”So you went on to make that move and then play 18 times, scoring once and assisting once and most importantly helping FC Den Bosch win promotion to the top flight of Dutch football for the first time since 2005.”
Fernandes: ”Absolutely, and it was a brilliant end to the season both for me and the team. I would have loved to have scored and assisted more but I was happy with my performances the chances I created. Obviously it was a learning curve and I took a lot from it and looked at where I could improve my game.”

Eredivisie.nl: ”Did Giovanni van Bronckhorst have much contact with you during your loan spell, to discuss how you were doing and did you ever consider staying at Den Bosch where you knew you’d be almost guaranteed football?”
Fernandes: ”No he didn’t right up until the very end. He did say at the start though that he would allow me to go on loan to Den Bosch and go out and do my thing and that he would be watching and analysing my performances. Then towards the end of my loan spell he said that I would be in the first team picture when I returned and encouraged me to go on and help Den Bosch achieve promotion. As for staying at Den Bosch, I know they were interested when they came up, and as far as I’m aware they made enquiries but I think the manager here was laying out his plans and it was after I had returned from the loan and I was determined to stay here and prove myself at De Kuip.”

Eredivisie.nl: ”What has it been like working under van Bronckhorst this year? He led Feyenoord to the title last year and is presumably under immense pressure this year to achieve similar success so has it been as enjoyable working under him this year than perhaps it would have been last year when there was maybe less pressure?”
Fernandes: ”To tell you the truth it has been fantastic working under Giovanni. He knows what it takes to be successful as a young footballer and he went on to have a fantastic career and appeared in a World Cup Final. He has never placed too much pressure on me to perform this year and has really just told me to go out and do my thing. I know he wants what is best for me of course, and I know that he is trying to help me develop my game though.”

Eredivisie.nl: ”So do you think that maybe next year he will apply more pressure on you? Do you think maybe he is just trying to get you used to top flight football before trying to really develop you and improve your game through training routines?”
Fernandes: ”Yes maybe, that might be the case. Like I said though he has been great to work with this season and if this season has been a season about climatizing to the league and he starts to pile on the pressure with targets and more intense training next season then that is great and it is so far so good in whatever the plan he has got me is.”

Eredivisie.nl: ”Let’s go back to the Ajax game then. What was going through your mind when you could see that time was running out and the Feyenoord crowd are roaring madly at you to just keep going with your mazy run and the Ajax crowd are booing and trying desperately to put you off?”
Fernandes: ”Haha the atmosphere was insane on Sunday and you could feel how important it was to grab a good result just from the noises the crowd was making. What was going through my head though? I don’t know to be honest, other than just keep going and make sure that you get the best ball into the area as possible.”

Eredivisie.nl: ”Talk us through that moment though when you cut inside before dinking the ball into the 6 yard box to find Sebastien Haller.”
Fernandes: ”I had got to the by line and knew that I needed to get the ball in the area. I didn’t look up though and pulled it back on to my right foot. What happened next is my best moment in Feyenoord colours and this game has been my best in Feyenoord colours too. Dinking the ball the way I did rather than crossing it with the power or zip that some do was a spur of the moment decision. I could hear Sebastien screaming at me that he was in space and was confident of getting the header off and it was a great ball in but a fantastic header from Sebastien, and most importantly we managed to win the game.”

Eredivisie.nl: ”Well, that just about rounds up this interview Rashaan, thank you very much again, and good luck for the rest of the season.”
Fernandes: ”Thank you very much, see ya.”

Comments

Justice: Yeah, was a good move to secure his future because he is a very solid defender already and he is only going to get better the more experience he gets.

Rashaan could become an important player in the future, its good to see he has played some part so far this season. Big things to come from him!