Mark van Bommel facts for kids
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Van Bommel in 2010
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| Personal information | ||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Full name | Mark Peter Gertruda Andreas van Bommel | |||||||||
| Date of birth | 22 April 1977 | |||||||||
| Place of birth | Maasbracht, Netherlands | |||||||||
| Height | 1.87 m (6 ft 2 in) | |||||||||
| Position(s) | Defensive midfielder | |||||||||
| Youth career | ||||||||||
| 1985–1992 | RKVV Maasbracht | |||||||||
| Senior career* | ||||||||||
| Years | Team | Apps | (Gls) | |||||||
| 1992–1999 | Fortuna Sittard | 153 | (11) | |||||||
| 1999–2005 | PSV | 169 | (46) | |||||||
| 2005–2006 | Barcelona | 24 | (2) | |||||||
| 2006–2011 | Bayern Munich | 123 | ||||||||
| 2011–2012 | Milan | 39 | (0) | |||||||
| 2012–2013 | PSV | 28 | (6) | |||||||
| Total | 536 | (78) | ||||||||
| International career | ||||||||||
| 1996–2000 | Netherlands U21 | 27 | (3) | |||||||
| 2000–2012 | Netherlands | 79 | (10) | |||||||
| Managerial career | ||||||||||
| 2018–2019 | PSV | |||||||||
| 2021 | VfL Wolfsburg | |||||||||
| 2022–2024 | Royal Antwerp | |||||||||
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Medal record
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| *Club domestic league appearances and goals | ||||||||||
Mark van Bommel (born 22 April 1977) is a famous Dutch football coach and former player. He played as a midfielder, known for being a strong tackler and good at winning the ball. He also had great passing skills and a powerful shot.
Mark van Bommel played for many top clubs. He won league titles in the Netherlands with PSV, Spain with Barcelona, Germany with Bayern Munich, and Italy with Milan. He won the 2005–06 UEFA Champions League with Barcelona. He was also the first non-German captain for Bayern Munich.
From 2000 to 2012, he played for the Netherlands. He helped his country reach the final of the 2010 FIFA World Cup. After retiring as a player, he became a football manager. He has managed teams like PSV, VfL Wolfsburg, and Royal Antwerp. With Royal Antwerp, he won both the Belgian league and cup in the 2022–23 season.
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Playing Career Highlights
Mark van Bommel started his football journey at a local club called RKVV Maasbracht. He then signed his first professional contract with Fortuna Sittard in 1992.
Time at PSV Eindhoven
Van Bommel joined PSV in 1999. He quickly became a key player in their midfield. During his first time at PSV, he won four Dutch league titles (the Eredivisie). He also won the Johan Cruyff Shield twice. In 2001 and 2005, he was named the Dutch Footballer of the Year.
In his last season with PSV (2004–05), he helped them win the league title. They also reached the semi-finals of the UEFA Champions League. After this successful season, he decided to move to Spain.
Playing for Barcelona
In May 2005, Van Bommel joined Barcelona for free. He spent time learning Spanish before moving. At Barcelona, he played as a defensive midfielder. His job was to win the ball and support the more attacking players.
His only season with Barcelona was very successful. The team won the Spanish league (La Liga) and the 2005–06 UEFA Champions League. He also won the 2006 Supercopa de España. After this, he moved to Germany.
Captain at Bayern Munich
Van Bommel joined Bayern Munich in August 2006. He quickly became an important player for the team. Fans even voted him Bayern's Player of the Year for the 2006–07 season.
In the 2007–08 season, he won his first trophies with Bayern. They won both the German league (Bundesliga) and the German Cup (DFB-Pokal). After the legendary goalkeeper Oliver Kahn retired in 2008, Van Bommel was chosen as the new captain. This was a big deal because he was the first non-German player to be captain of Bayern Munich.
Under Dutch coach Louis van Gaal, Van Bommel led Bayern to another league and cup double in the 2009–10 season. They also reached the 2010 UEFA Champions League Final, but lost to Internazionale. He played 123 matches in the German top league.
Time with AC Milan
In January 2011, Van Bommel moved to Milan in Italy. He quickly became a regular player in their team. He helped Milan win their 18th Italian league title (Serie A) in May 2011.
He stayed with Milan for another season, continuing to play as a defensive midfielder. He decided to leave Milan in 2012, even though they offered him a new contract.
Back to PSV and Retirement
On 29 April 2012, Van Bommel announced he would return to PSV. He played one more season with them. After the 2012–13 season, he decided to retire from professional football on 12 May 2013. He mentioned wanting to give younger players a chance and rest his body.
Playing for the Netherlands
Mark van Bommel made his debut for the Netherlands on 7 October 2000. It was a 4–0 win against Cyprus.
He played in the 2006 FIFA World Cup. He was known for his tough tackling style. He was part of the Dutch team that reached the final of the 2010 FIFA World Cup. His father-in-law, Bert van Marwijk, was the coach of the national team at that time.
Van Bommel became the captain of the Netherlands team after the 2010 World Cup. He led the team for the first time in a 5–0 win against San Marino. He also captained them in a record-breaking 11–0 victory against San Marino in 2011.
After the Netherlands were knocked out of UEFA Euro 2012, Van Bommel announced his retirement from international football. He played 79 matches for his country and scored 10 goals.
Coaching Career
After retiring as a player, Mark van Bommel started his coaching career. He worked as an assistant manager for the Netherlands U17 national team. He also assisted his father-in-law, Bert van Marwijk, with the Saudi Arabia and Australia national teams.
Managing PSV Eindhoven
On 22 June 2018, Van Bommel became the manager of PSV. This was the club where he had played for many years. His first season started very well, with 14 wins in a row in the league. However, he was sacked on 16 December 2019, when the team was in fourth place.
Coaching VfL Wolfsburg
On 2 June 2021, Van Bommel became the head coach of VfL Wolfsburg in Germany. In his first game, his team was disqualified from the German Cup because he used too many substitutes. He was dismissed on 24 October 2021 after a series of games without a win.
Success with Royal Antwerp
On 26 May 2022, Royal Antwerp in Belgium appointed Van Bommel as their manager. He had a very successful first season. He won the Belgian Cup by beating K.V. Mechelen 2–0 in the final. He also led Royal Antwerp to win the Belgian Pro League title. This was the club's first league championship in 66 years!
Van Bommel led Antwerp to another cup final in 2024, but they lost. He left the club in June 2024 when his contract ended.
Personal Life
Mark van Bommel is married to Andrea. She is the daughter of his former coach and father-in-law, Bert van Marwijk. Mark and Andrea have three children: Thomas, Ruben, and Renée.
Honours and Achievements
Mark van Bommel won many titles as a player and a manager.
As a Player
- Fortuna Sittard
- Eerste Divisie: 1994–95
- PSV Eindhoven
- Eredivisie (Dutch League): 1999–2000, 2000–01, 2002–03, 2004–05
- KNVB Cup (Dutch Cup): 2004–05
- Johan Cruyff Shield: 2000, 2001, 2003, 2012
- Barcelona
- La Liga (Spanish League): 2005–06
- Supercopa de España (Spanish Super Cup): 2005
- UEFA Champions League: 2005–06
- Bayern Munich
- Bundesliga (German League): 2007–08, 2009–10
- DFB-Pokal (German Cup): 2007–08, 2009–10
- Milan
- Serie A (Italian League): 2010–11
- Supercoppa Italiana (Italian Super Cup): 2011
- Netherlands National Team
- FIFA World Cup runner-up: 2010
Individual Player Awards
- FIFA World Cup All-Star Team: 2010
- Dutch Footballer of the Year: 2001, 2005
- Dutch Football Talent of the Year: 1999
As a Manager
- Royal Antwerp
- Belgian Pro League (Belgian League): 2022–23
- Belgian Cup: 2022–23
- Belgian Super Cup: 2023
Individual Manager Awards
- Belgian Professional Manager of the Season: 2022–23
- Belgian Golden Shoe - Coach of the year: 2023
Images for kids
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Mark van Bommel (left) with (from left to right) Gregory van der Wiel, Demy de Zeeuw and Giovanni van Bronckhorst
See also
In Spanish: Mark van Bommel para niños
