FC Utrecht facts for kids
 |
|||
| Full name | Football Club Utrecht | ||
|---|---|---|---|
| Nickname(s) | Utreg, Cupfighters, Domstedelingen ("Cathedral citizens") | ||
| Founded | 1 July 1970 | ||
| Stadium | Stadion Galgenwaard | ||
| Stadium capacity |
23,750 | ||
| Owner | Frans van Seumeren Holding B.V. (58%) Stichting Continuïteit FC Utrecht (1%) overige aandeelhouders (41%) |
||
| Chairman | Steef Klop | ||
| Head coach | Ron Jans | ||
| League | Eredivisie | ||
| 2022–23 | Eredivisie, 7th of 18 | ||
|
|
|||
Football Club Utrecht, often called FC Utrecht, is a professional football club from Utrecht, a city in the Netherlands. The team plays in the Eredivisie, which is the top football league in the Netherlands. Their home games are played at the Stadion Galgenwaard.
FC Utrecht was created in 1970 when three local clubs – VV DOS, USV Elinkwijk, and Velox – joined together. Since then, the club has won the national KNVB Cup three times: in 1985, 2003, and 2004. They also won the Johan Cruyff Shield in 2004. This was a special win because they were the first club outside the "Big Three" Dutch teams to achieve it. FC Utrecht is also the only club outside these "Big Three" that has never been moved down from the top Eredivisie league.
The club has played in European competitions 15 times. Their best results were reaching the group stages of the 2004–05 UEFA Cup and the 2010–11 UEFA Europa League.
Contents
- Club History: From Merger to Modern Day
- Home Stadium: Stadion Galgenwaard
- Club Achievements
- FC Utrecht in European Competitions
- UEFA Club Ranking
- Recent Domestic Results
- Team Players
- Players Who Played for Their National Teams
- Players in Major International Tournaments
- Club Staff
- List of FC Utrecht Coaches
- Kit Manufacturers
- Images for kids
- See also
Club History: From Merger to Modern Day
How FC Utrecht Started (1970s)
In the late 1960s, leaders in Utrecht wanted to make sure the city kept a strong professional football team. So, they suggested that three local clubs – VV DOS, Velox, and USV Elinkwijk – should merge. VV DOS was the biggest of the three and had even won a national championship in 1958. However, they were having money problems.
Velox and Elinkwijk were not as keen on the merger at first. Velox had been close to reaching the top league a few times. Elinkwijk had moved between the top and second leagues. But eventually, all three clubs agreed.
On July 1, 1970, FC Utrecht was officially formed. Because VV DOS had stayed in the top league the year before, the new FC Utrecht team could start playing at the highest level right away. Their home stadium became Stadion Galgenwaard, which was the biggest stadium of the three original clubs. Bert Jacobs, who was only 29, became the first manager. His job was to bring the players and cultures of the three different clubs together.
In their first season, most of the players were from the old DOS, Velox, and Elinkwijk teams. They signed only one new player, Co Adriaanse, a defender. FC Utrecht's first official match was against Feyenoord, who had just won the European Cup. Even though they scored first, FC Utrecht lost 4-1. They finished their first season in 9th place, which was a good start.
Money Troubles and Comebacks (1980s-1990s)
FC Utrecht grew steadily in its first ten years. Important players like Hans van Breukelen, Leo van Veen, and Willem van Hanegem played for the club. In the early 1980s, the club decided to build a new stadium, called Nieuw Galgenwaard.
However, in 1981, the club faced big money problems. They had not paid taxes and had made mistakes with their finances. It looked like the club might go bankrupt. But players and fans worked together to save the club. They collected 66,000 signatures and even recorded a song called "We don't give up." The city of Utrecht stepped in and helped pay the debts, saving the club.
Despite the money issues, the early 1980s were successful on the field. Under manager Han Berger, the team finished 5th in 1980, 3rd in 1981, and 5th in 1982 in the Eredivisie. They also reached the KNVB Cup final in 1982, but lost. Many young players from the club's own academy became key players during this time.
To keep the club going financially, they often had to sell their best players. This meant the team dropped from being a top club to a mid-table team in the Eredivisie during the mid-1980s.
In 1985, there were talks about a big takeover of the club by a group of investors, including famous football player Johan Cruyff. But the fans were strongly against it, and the takeover did not happen.
Success and Sadness (1990s-2005)
After some weaker years, FC Utrecht finished 4th in the Eredivisie in 1991. But then, things got tough again. The club missed out on playing in Europe, which meant less money. Between 1989 and 1996, they had many different managers and changes in leadership. Money problems continued, and more key players had to be sold.
In 1996, the main sponsor, AMEV, helped the club with a large amount of money. They also appointed Hans Herremans as the new chairman. The club invested in new players and started a big renovation of the Stadion Galgenwaard in 1998.
Even with new money, success on the field was slow to come. For eight years, from 1993 to 2001, the club mostly finished in the middle or lower half of the league table. In 1994 and 1996, they were very close to being moved down to a lower league.
Finally, in 2001, led by former player Frans Adelaar as manager, FC Utrecht finished 5th and qualified for European football again. Then, in 2003 and 2004, under manager Foeke Booy, the team won the KNVB Cup twice in a row! In 2004, they also won the Johan Cruyff Shield by beating Ajax 4-2, with Hans Somers scoring two important goals.
Despite these wins, the club faced more money problems in 2003. They had trouble paying for the stadium renovation. But they managed to avoid bankruptcy by selling some of their properties, including the stadium, to the city of Utrecht and other companies.
A very sad event happened on November 29, 2005, when French defender David Di Tommaso suddenly passed away at age 26 from a heart problem. The club honored him by retiring his jersey number, 4. Now, at the end of each season, the "David Di Tommaso Trophy" is given to the player chosen by fans as the most valuable.
The Van Seumeren Era (2008-Present)
After the money troubles in 2003, FC Utrecht was still in debt. In 2007, a company called Phanos wanted to buy the club and build a new stadium. But fans were against it because the current stadium had just been renovated. This led to disagreements within the club's leadership.
On April 2, 2008, a new owner was found: Frans van Seumeren, a successful businessman. He bought 63% of the club's shares for €16 million. He promised to support the club for at least ten years and to invest any profits back into the team. His goal was to make FC Utrecht one of the top teams in the league.
Van Seumeren became very involved in the club's football decisions. He made changes to the coaching staff and even fired manager Willem van Hanegem in 2008. Ton du Chatinier and Foeke Booy took over.
In 2011, the club's chairman left, and Wilco van Schaik became the new director. The club also changed its legal structure to a private company. Du Chatinier was replaced by Jan Wouters as head coach in 2011.
The 2012–13 season was one of FC Utrecht's best. They finished 5th in the league and won the play-offs to qualify for European football. They also matched their club record for points in a season. However, the next season was a step back, as they were knocked out of the UEFA Europa League early and finished 10th in the league.
When Wouters left in 2014, Co Adriaanse became a technical advisor, and Rob Alflen became the head coach. They aimed to make the team play more exciting, attacking football.
Alflen's team finished 11th in 2015, so he left after one season. Erik ten Hag took over as manager, with club legend Jean-Paul de Jong as his assistant. The 2015–16 season was very successful. FC Utrecht finished 5th in the Eredivisie and reached the KNVB Cup final, though they lost to Feyenoord. Their reserve team, Jong FC Utrecht, also won their league and were promoted to the second-tier Eerste Divisie.
In the 2016–17 season, FC Utrecht finished 4th. They then won the play-offs for European football in an exciting match against AZ Alkmaar. Because of this success, Erik ten Hag became the new head coach of Ajax in January 2018, and Jean-Paul de Jong took over as FC Utrecht's head coach.
Home Stadium: Stadion Galgenwaard
FC Utrecht's home is the Stadion Galgenwaard. It has been known by different names over the years, including the Galgenwaard and Nieuw Galgenwaard. The stadium can hold 23,750 fans.
In the 2004–05 season, about 19,600 people attended games on average. This number grew to 20,004 in 2006–07. The 2023–24 season saw the highest average attendance ever, with 20,500 people coming to watch each game. The stadium also has shops, offices, and a special home for the FC Utrecht fan club, which is one of the biggest in Europe.
Club Achievements
National Trophies
- National Champions (Top Dutch League)
- Winners: 1957–58 (as VV DOS)
- KNVB Cup
- Winners: 1984–85, 2002–03, 2003–04
- Runners-up: 1981–82, 2001–02, 2015–16
- Johan Cruijff Schaal (Dutch Super Cup)
- Winners: 2004
- Runners-up: 2003
European Trophies
- Intertoto Cup/Summer Cup
- Joint Winners: 1978
FC Utrecht in European Competitions
FC Utrecht's first official European match was on September 17, 1980, in the 1980–81 UEFA Cup. They drew 0-0 against FC Argeş Piteşti. Since then, the club has played in 14 UEFA competitions. Their best performances were reaching the group stages of the 2004–05 UEFA Cup and the 2010–11 UEFA Europa League.
- Information is correct as of August 1, 2019
| Competition | Played | Won | Drew | Lost | GF | GA | GD | Win % |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Cup Winners' Cup | 2 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 3 | 5 | −2 | 50.00 |
| UEFA Cup / UEFA Europa League | 54 | 16 | 17 | 21 | 69 | 72 | −3 | 29.63 |
| UEFA Intertoto Cup | 2 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 1 | 1 | +0 | 0.00 |
| Total | 58 | 17 | 19 | 22 | 73 | 78 | −5 | 29.31 |
Source: UEFA.com
Pld = Matches played; W = Matches won; D = Matches drawn; L = Matches lost; GF = Goals for; GA = Goals against; GD = Goal Difference. Defunct competitions indicated in italics.
UEFA Club Ranking
| Rank | Country | Team | Points |
|---|---|---|---|
| 119 |  |
Willem II | 11.420 |
| 120 | |
FC Utrecht | 11.420 |
| 121 |  |
Lens | 11.266 |
Recent Domestic Results
Here is a table showing FC Utrecht's results in the Dutch league since the Eredivisie started in 1956. It also shows their results in the KNVB Cup.
| Domestic Results since 1956 | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Domestic league | League result | Qualification to | KNVB Cup season | Cup result |
| 2024–25 Eredivisie | 4th | UEFA Europa League (Q3) | 2024–25 | quarter final |
| 2023–24 Eredivisie | 7th | Play-offs (losing the final) | 2023–24 | second round |
| 2022–23 Eredivisie | 7th | Play-offs (losing the semi-final) | 2022–23 | quarter final |
| 2021–22 Eredivisie | 7th | Play-offs (losing the semi-final) | 2021–22 | second round |
| 2020–21 Eredivisie | 6th | Play-offs (losing the final) | 2020–21 | second round |
| 2019–20 Eredivisie | 6th | – | 2019–20 | finalist |
| 2018–19 Eredivisie | 6th | UEFA Europa League (after winning EL play-offs) (Q2) | 2018–19 | round of 16 |
| 2017–18 Eredivisie | 5th | – | 2017–18 | second round |
| 2016–17 Eredivisie | 4th | UEFA Europa League (after winning EL play-offs) (Q2) | 2016–17 | quarter final |
| 2015–16 Eredivisie | 5th | – | 2015–16 | final |
| 2014–15 Eredivisie | 11th | – | 2014–15 | second round |
| 2013–14 Eredivisie | 10th | – | 2013–14 | quarter final |
| 2012–13 Eredivisie | 5th | UEFA Europa League (after winning EL play-offs) (Q2) | 2012–13 | second round |
| 2011–12 Eredivisie | 11th | – | 2011–12 | second round |
| 2010–11 Eredivisie | 9th | – | 2010–11 | semi-final |
| 2009–10 Eredivisie | 7th | UEFA Europa League (after winning EL play-offs) (Q2) | 2009–10 | second round |
| 2008–09 Eredivisie | 9th | – (after losing EL play-offs) | 2008–09 | second round |
| 2007–08 Eredivisie | 10th | – (after losing UC play-offs) | 2007–08 | second round |
| 2006–07 Eredivisie | 9th | Intertoto Cup (after losing UC play-offs final) | 2006–07 | quarter final |
| 2005–06 Eredivisie | 6th | – (after losing UC play-offs) | 2005–06 | third round |
| 2004–05 Eredivisie | 11th | – | 2004–05 | round of 16 |
| 2003–04 Eredivisie | 11th | UEFA Cup | 2003–04 | winners |
| 2002–03 Eredivisie | 8th | UEFA Cup | 2002–03 | winners |
| 2001–02 Eredivisie | 7th | UEFA Cup | 2001–02 | final |
| 2000–01 Eredivisie | 5th | UEFA Cup | 2000–01 | round of 16 |
| 1999–2000 Eredivisie | 10th | – | 1999–2000 | quarter final |
| 1998–99 Eredivisie | 12th | – | 1998–99 | round of 16 |
| 1997–98 Eredivisie | 10th | – | 1997–98 | group stage |
| 1996–97 Eredivisie | 12th | – | 1996–97 | group stage |
| 1995–96 Eredivisie | 15th | – | 1995–96 | second round |
| 1994–95 Eredivisie | 12th | – | 1994–95 | semi-final |
| 1993–94 Eredivisie | 15th | – | 1993–94 | third round |
| 1992–93 Eredivisie | 8th | – | 1992–93 | round of 16 |
| 1991–92 Eredivisie | 11th | – | 1991–92 | quarter final |
| 1990–91 Eredivisie | 4th | UEFA Cup | 1990–91 | round of 16 |
| 1989–90 Eredivisie | 14th | – | 1989–90 | second round |
| 1988–89 Eredivisie | 13th | – | 1988–89 | round of 16 |
| 1987–88 Eredivisie | 10th | – | 1987–88 | first round |
| 1986–87 Eredivisie | 6th | UEFA Cup (after winning UC play-offs) | 1986–87 | round of 16 |
| 1985–86 Eredivisie | 12th | – | 1985–86 | second round |
| 1984–85 Eredivisie | 10th | Cup Winners' Cup | 1984–85 | winners |
| 1983–84 Eredivisie | 8th | – | 1983–84 | second round |
| 1982–83 Eredivisie | 10th | – | 1982–83 | second round |
| 1981–82 Eredivisie | 5th | UEFA Cup | 1981–82 | final |
| 1980–81 Eredivisie | 3rd | UEFA Cup | 1980–81 | round of 16 |
| 1979–80 Eredivisie | 5th | UEFA Cup | 1979–80 | round of 16 |
| 1978–79 Eredivisie | 13th | – | 1978–79 | round of 16 |
| 1977–78 Eredivisie | 8th | – | 1977–78 | round of 16 |
| 1976–77 Eredivisie | 6th | – | 1976–77 | round of 16 |
| 1975–76 Eredivisie | 14th | – | 1975–76 | second round |
| 1974–75 Eredivisie | 15th | – | 1974–75 | round of 16 |
| 1973–74 Eredivisie | 9th | – | 1973–74 | semi-final |
| 1972–73 Eredivisie | 8th | – | 1972–73 | second round |
| 1971–72 Eredivisie | 6th | – | 1971–72 | first round |
| 1970–71 Eredivisie | 9th | – | 1970–71 | second round |
| 1969–70 Eredivisie (as DOS) 1969–70 Eerste Divisie (as Elinkwijk) 1969–70 Tweede Divisie (as Velox) |
6th 4th 3rd |
– | 1969–70 | second round quarter final second round |
| 1968–69 Eredivisie (as DOS) 1968–69 Eerste Divisie (as Elinkwijk) 1968–69 Tweede Divisie (as Velox) |
17th 12th 10th |
– (after surviving promotion/relegation play-off) – – |
1968–69 | first round second round first round |
| 1967–68 Eredivisie (as DOS) 1967–68 Eerste Divisie (as Elinkwijk... ...and Velox) |
16th 8th 19th |
Inter-Cities Fairs Cup – Tweede Divisie (relegation) |
1967–68 | group stage quarter final second round |
| 1966–67 Eredivisie (as DOS... ...and Elinkwijk) 1966–67 Eerste Divisie (as Velox) |
15th 17th 16th |
Inter-Cities Fairs Cup Eerste Divisie (relegation) – |
1966–67 | first round second round DNC |
| 1965–66 Eredivisie (as DOS... ...and Elinkwijk) 1965–66 Eerste Divisie (as Velox) |
12th 14th 5th |
Inter-Cities Fairs Cup – – |
1965–66 | second round group stage group stage |
| 1964–65 Eredivisie (as DOS) 1964–65 Eerste Divisie (as Elinkwijk... ...and Velox) |
12th 2nd 4th |
Inter-Cities Fairs Cup Eredivisie (promotion) – |
1964–65 | first round second round round of 16 |
| 1963–64 Eredivisie (as DOS) 1963–64 Eerste Divisie (as Elinkwijk... ...and Velox) |
9th 7th 5th |
Inter-Cities Fairs Cup – – |
1963–64 | first round first round round of 16 |
| 1962–63 Eredivisie (as DOS) 1962–63 Eerste Divisie (as Elinkwijk... ...and Velox) |
7th 10th 5th |
Inter-Cities Fairs Cup – – |
1962–63 | third round third round second round |
| 1961–62 Eredivisie (as DOS) 1961–62 Eerste Divisie (as Elinkwijk) 1961–62 Tweede Divisie (as Velox) |
10th 3rd (group B) 1st |
– – Eerste Divisie (promotion) |
1961–62 | ? |
| 1960–61 Eredivisie (as DOS... ...and Elinkwijk) 1960–61 Tweede Divisie (as Velox) |
5th 16th 8th |
– Eerste Divisie (relegation) – |
1960–61 | ? |
| 1959–60 Eredivisie (as DOS... ...and Elinkwijk) 1959–60 Tweede Divisie (as Velox) |
4th 15th 4th (group B) |
– – (after surviving promotion/relegation play-off) – |
not held | not held |
| 1958–59 Eredivisie (as DOS... ...and Elinkwijk) |
4th 12th |
– | 1958–59 | ? |
| 1957–58 Eredivisie (as DOS... ...and Elinkwijk) |
1st 16th |
European Cup – |
1957–58 | ? |
| 1956–57 Eredivisie (as DOS... ...and Elinkwijk) |
10th 16th |
– | 1956–57 | ? |
Team Players
Current Squad
|
|
Players on Loan
|
Youth Team
Retired Jersey Numbers
|
Club Records: Top Goalscorers
- Players in bold text are still active with the club.
|
Players Who Played for Their National Teams
The players listed below were called up to play for their national teams in international football games while they were playing for FC Utrecht:
|
|
|
- Players in bold actively play for FC Utrecht and for their respective national teams. Years in brackets show when they played for Utrecht.
National Team Players by Region
This table shows the total number of current and former FC Utrecht players who have played for their national teams, grouped by football confederation.
| Confederation | Total | (Nation) Association |
|---|---|---|
| AFC | 12 |  Australia (3),  Indonesia (8),  Iraq (1) |
| CAF | 8 |  Ghana (2),  Morocco (2),  Gambia (1),  Mali (1),  Nigeria (1),  Zambia (1) |
| CONCACAF | 6 |  United States (3),  Guadeloupe (2),  Curaçao (1) |
| CONMEBOL | 1 |  Paraguay (1) |
| OFC | 0 | |
| UEFA | 28 | Netherlands (11),  Denmark (4),  Belgium (2),  Bosnia and Herzegovina (1),  Czech Republic (1),  Estonia (1),  Finland (1),  Greece (1),  Hungary (1),  Iceland (1),  Norway (1),  Poland (1),  Romania (1),  Scotland (1) |
Players in Major International Tournaments
This list shows FC Utrecht players who have played in big international tournaments like the FIFA World Cup, UEFA European Championship, and others. No FC Utrecht players have played in the Copa América or OFC Nations Cup while with the club.
| Cup | Players |
|---|---|
 UEFA Euro 1980 |
Hans van Breukelen |
| 1998 FIFA World Cup |
Scott Booth |
| 2007 CONCACAF Gold Cup |
Franck Grandel Loïc Loval |
 2008 Caribbean Cup |
Loïc Loval |
| 2009 CONCACAF Gold Cup |
Loïc Loval |
 2010 Africa Cup of Nations |
Jacob Mulenga |
 2010 FIFA World Cup |
Michel Vorm |
 2011 AFC Asian Cup |
Tommy Oar |
| 2013 Africa Cup of Nations |
Jacob Mulenga |
 2014 FIFA World Cup |
Tommy Oar |
| 2015 AFC Asian Cup |
Tommy Oar |
| 2023 AFC Asian Cup |
Zidane Iqbal Ivar Jenner |
Club Staff
Current Staff
| Position | Name |
|---|---|
| Head coach | Ron Jans |
| Assistant trainer | Rob Penders |
| Kevin van Veen |
|
| Goalkeeper coach | Harald Wapenaar |
| Individual trainer | Willem Janssen |
| Jacob Mulenga |
List of FC Utrecht Coaches
- Bert Jacobs (1 July 1970 – 30 June 1974)
- Jan Rab (1974–76)
- Han Berger (1 Jan 1976 – 30 June 1983)
Barry Hughes (1983–84)- Nol de Ruiter (1 July 1984 – 30 June 1987)
- Han Berger (1 July 1987 – 30 June 1989)
- Cees Loffeld (1989–90)
- Ab Fafié (17 Oct 1990 – 17 Feb 1993)
- Henk Vonk (caretaker) (17 Feb 1993 – Sept 16, 1993)
- Leo van Veen (Sept 17, 1993–30 June 1995)
- Ton du Chatinier and Henk Vonk (1995)
- Simon Kistemaker (1 July 1995 – 30 Nov 1995)
- Nol de Ruiter (caretaker) (30 Nov 1995 – 23 Jan 1996)
- Ronald Spelbos (18 Jan 1996 – 27 Nov 1997)
- Jan Wouters (1997)
- Mark Wotte (31 Dec 1997 – 28 March 2000)
- Frans Adelaar (29 March 2000 – 30 June 2002)
- Foeke Booy (1 July 2002 – 30 June 2007)
- Willem van Hanegem (1 July 2007 – 23 Dec 2008)
- Ton du Chatinier (24 Dec 2008 – 19 May 2011)
- Erwin Koeman (1 July 2011 – 18 Oct 2011)
- Jan Wouters (18 Oct 2011 – 30 June 2014)
- Rob Alflen (1 July 2014 – 30 June 2015)
- Erik ten Hag (1 July 2015 – 27 Dec 2017)
- Jean-Paul de Jong (28 Dec 2017 – 4 Sep 2018)
- Dick Advocaat (17 Sep 2018 – 30 June 2019)
- John van den Brom (1 July 2019 – 6 November 2020)
- René Hake (6 November 2020 – 22 March 2022)
- Rick Kruys (caretaker) (22 March 2022 – 30 June 2022)
- Henk Fraser (1 July 2022 – 14 December 2022)
- Michael Silberbauer (28 December 2022 – 29 August 2023)
- Rob Penders (caretaker) (29 August 2023 – 11 September 2023)
- Ron Jans (11 September 2023 – present)
Kit Manufacturers
|
Images for kids
-
A detail of the new stadium lights in 2007
-
The exterior of Stadion Galgenwaard in 2007, showing the Phanos logo
See also
In Spanish: Football Club Utrecht para niños
