Mark van Bommel facts for kids
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Van Bommel in 2010
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| Personal information | ||||||||||
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| Date of birth | 22 April 1977 | |||||||||
| Place of birth | Maasbracht, Netherlands | |||||||||
| Height | 1.87 m | |||||||||
| Playing position | Defensive midfielder | |||||||||
| Youth career | ||||||||||
| 1985–1992 | RKVV Maasbracht | |||||||||
| Senior career* | ||||||||||
| Years | Team | Apps† | (Gls)† | |||||||
| 1992–1999 | Fortuna Sittard | 153 | (13) | |||||||
| 1999–2005 | PSV | 169 | (46) | |||||||
| 2005–2006 | Barcelona | 24 | (2) | |||||||
| 2006–2011 | Bayern Munich | 123 | (11) | |||||||
| 2011–2012 | Milan | 39 | (0) | |||||||
| 2012–2013 | PSV | 28 | (6) | |||||||
| Total | 536 | (78) | ||||||||
| National team | ||||||||||
| 1996–2000 | Netherlands U21 | 27 | (3) | |||||||
| 2000–2012 | Netherlands | 79 | (10) | |||||||
| Teams managed | ||||||||||
| 2018–2019 | PSV | |||||||||
| 2021 | VfL Wolfsburg | |||||||||
| 2022–2024 | Royal Antwerp | |||||||||
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Honours
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Mark Peter Gertruda Andreas van Bommel (born 22 April 1977) is a famous Dutch football coach and former player. He played as a midfielder, a key position in the middle of the field. People described him as a "tackling machine" who was great at winning the ball. He could also make excellent passes and had a powerful shot. During his time at PSV, he was known for being a free-kick specialist.
Mark van Bommel had a very successful playing career. He won league titles in four different countries: the Dutch Eredivisie with PSV, the Spanish La Liga with Barcelona, the German Bundesliga with Bayern Munich, and the Italian Serie A with Milan. Between 2000 and 2011, he won eight national championships. He also won the 2005–06 UEFA Champions League with Barcelona. At Bayern Munich, he became the first foreign captain and led the team to two Bundesliga titles.
From 2000 to 2012, Van Bommel played for the Netherlands national team, earning 79 appearances. He helped his country reach the final of the 2010 FIFA World Cup, where they finished as runners-up. After retiring as a player, he started a coaching career. He managed teams like PSV, VfL Wolfsburg, and Royal Antwerp. With Royal Antwerp, he won both the Belgian Pro League and the Belgian Cup in the 2022–23 season.
Contents
Mark van Bommel: A Football Star
Playing Career
Mark van Bommel started playing football at a young age for a local club called RKVV Maasbracht. In 1992, he signed his first professional contract with Fortuna Sittard. Some of his teammates at Fortuna, like Wilfred Bouma and Kevin Hofland, later joined him at PSV.
PSV Eindhoven: A Strong Start
In 1999, Van Bommel joined PSV. He quickly became a vital part of the team's midfield, often playing alongside Swiss international Johann Vogel. During his time at PSV, he won four Eredivisie titles, which is the top Dutch league. He also won the Johan Cruyff Shield twice. His excellent performances earned him the title of Dutch Footballer of the Year in both 2001 and 2005.
In his last season with PSV, he helped the team win the Dutch league title. They also reached the semi-finals of the UEFA Champions League in 2004–05. After PSV lost to Milan in the Champions League semi-final, Van Bommel announced in May 2005 that he would be moving to Barcelona.
Barcelona: European Glory
Barcelona's coach, Frank Rijkaard, signed Van Bommel for free to make his team even stronger. Before moving to Spain, Van Bommel spent time learning the Spanish language. At Barcelona, he played a similar role to his time at PSV. He was a holding midfielder, focusing on winning the ball to help the more skilled players.
He played in 24 league matches and 12 cup games. His only season with Barcelona was very successful. The team won La Liga, the Spanish league title. They also won the Champions League in 2006, which is Europe's biggest club competition. A few days later, it was announced that Van Bommel would be joining Bayern Munich.
Bayern Munich: Captain and Champion
On 26 August 2006, Mark van Bommel joined Bayern Munich, a top club in Germany. Bayern paid 6 million euro to Barcelona for him. Soon after joining, Van Bommel became a very important player for the team. He brought a lot of strength to the middle of the field.
Because of his great performances, he was voted Bayern's Player of the Year for the 2006–07 season. In the 2007–08 season, he won his first trophies with Bayern. The club won both the Bundesliga title and the DFB-Pokal, which is the German Cup.
After the team's captain, Oliver Kahn, retired in 2008, Van Bommel was chosen as the new captain. This was a special moment because he became the first non-German captain in the club's history. Under coach Louis van Gaal, Van Bommel led Bayern to another league and cup double in the 2009–10 season. The team also reached the 2010 UEFA Champions League Final, but they lost to Internazionale. He played 123 matches in the German top league.
AC Milan: Italian Success
On 25 January 2011, Van Bommel signed a six-month contract with Milan in Italy. He joined them for free after leaving Bayern. He made his debut the very next day in a cup match. A few days later, he played his first Serie A game, but he was sent off with a red card.
However, he quickly got used to Italian football. He became a regular player in Massimiliano Allegri's team. He played a big part in important wins against Napoli and city rivals Internazionale. He was a starter in the match against Roma on 7 May 2011, which helped Milan win their 18th Scudetto (Italian league title). He stayed with Milan for another season, playing as a defensive midfielder. He decided not to sign a new contract and left the club.
Back to PSV and Retirement
On 29 April 2012, Van Bommel announced he would return to PSV. PSV confirmed his signing on 14 May. After a season where PSV finished second in the Eredivisie and lost the cup final, Van Bommel decided to retire from professional football on 12 May 2013. He mentioned wanting to make way for younger players and rest his body, especially his injured left knee. After his last game, he said he was interested in becoming a coach.
International Career with the Netherlands
Mark van Bommel first played for the Netherlands on 7 October 2000, in a 4–0 win against Cyprus. However, he didn't play in a major tournament until 2006. The Netherlands didn't qualify for the 2002 FIFA World Cup, and an injury kept him out of UEFA Euro 2004.
He was chosen for the 2006 FIFA World Cup. At the tournament, Van Bommel played in three of his country's games. He usually played as a defensive midfielder, helping to protect the defense. In a tough match against Portugal, known as "The Battle of Nuremberg" due to many fouls, he was one of the first players to receive a yellow card.
After the 2006 World Cup, Van Bommel decided not to play for the national team as long as Marco van Basten was the coach. However, when his father-in-law, Bert van Marwijk, became the new coach, Van Bommel returned to the team. He was a key player in the Dutch team for the 2010 FIFA World Cup.
Van Marwijk chose Van Bommel to be the new captain of the Netherlands, taking over from Giovanni van Bronckhorst. He captained the team for the first time in a 5–0 win against San Marino. He also led the Netherlands to a record-breaking 11–0 victory against San Marino in 2011. After the Netherlands were knocked out of UEFA Euro 2012, Van Bommel retired from international football. He scored ten goals in his 79 international appearances.
Becoming a Coach
Starting as an Assistant
Mark van Bommel began his coaching journey as an assistant manager in January 2014. He joined the Netherlands U17 national team. In 2015, he became an assistant to his father-in-law, Bert van Marwijk, for the Saudi Arabia national team. He worked there for two years. In 2017, he was appointed head coach of the PSV youth (U19) team. In 2018, he again assisted Van Marwijk, this time with the Australia national team at the 2018 FIFA World Cup.
Coaching PSV
On 22 June 2018, PSV Eindhoven, who were the Dutch champions, announced that Van Bommel would be their new manager. He signed a three-year deal, replacing Phillip Cocu. His first senior match as a manager was in the 2018 Johan Cruyff Shield against Feyenoord. PSV lost on penalties after a 0–0 draw. A week later, in his first league game, PSV won 4–0 at home. His team had an amazing start, winning 14 games in a row. However, their winning streak ended with a 2–1 loss to Feyenoord. On 16 December 2019, Van Bommel was sacked by PSV after a loss to Feyenoord, with the team in fourth place.
Time at VfL Wolfsburg
On 2 June 2021, VfL Wolfsburg in Germany announced Van Bommel as their new head coach. In his first cup match on 8 August, his team won 3–1. However, they were later disqualified because he used too many substitutes. Six days later, he won his first Bundesliga game 1–0. Wolfsburg started well, topping the league in September after four wins. But a series of eight games without a win led to his dismissal on 24 October.
Leading Royal Antwerp to Victory
On 26 May 2022, Royal Antwerp in Belgium hired Van Bommel as their manager. He was brought in by their sporting director, Marc Overmars, who was his former teammate. In his first season, he led the team to win the Belgian Cup, beating K.V. Mechelen 2–0 in the final. He also won the Belgian Pro League, which was a huge achievement. Antwerp secured the title on the very last day of the season with a 2–2 draw. This was the club's first league championship in 66 years!
Van Bommel led Antwerp to a second straight cup final in 2024, but they lost. He left the club in June 2024 when his contract ended.
Trophies and Awards
Mark van Bommel won many important trophies and received several awards during his career as both a player and a manager.
Player Honours
- 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 (Dutch Super Cup): 2000, 2001, 2003, 2012
- Barcelona
- La Liga (Spanish League): 2005–06
- Supercopa de España (Spanish Super Cup): 2005
- UEFA Champions League (European Club Championship): 2005–06
- Bayern Munich
- Bundesliga (German League): 2007–08, 2009–10
- DFB-Pokal (German Cup): 2007–08, 2009–10
- UEFA Champions League runner-up: 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 Football Talent of the Year: 1999
- Dutch Footballer of the Year: 2001, 2005
- Dutch Football Golden Boot: 2005
- ESM Team of the Year: 2004–05
Manager Honours
- 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
See also
In Spanish: Mark van Bommel para niños
