Full name | Feyenoord Academy | ||
---|---|---|---|
Ground | Sportcomplex Varkenoord Rotterdam | ||
Capacity | 3.531 | ||
Academy Director | ![]() | ||
Website | Club website | ||
Feyenoord Academy, often referred to as Varkenoord, is the youth academy of the professional football club Feyenoord located in Rotterdam, the Netherlands. The Feyenoord Academy received the official international youth academy status from the KNVB [1] and is located at Sportcomplex Varkenoord.
Feyenoord Academy has been voted as the best developmental system in the Netherlands, winning the Rinus Michels Award for best youth academy five years in a row since 2009. No other academy produced more players for the 2014 FIFA World Cup in Brazil, where eleven former Feyenoord Academy players were active. [2] In May 2010, Feyenoord Academy won the Rinus Michels Award for the first time. Ajax and Sparta Rotterdam were the other nominees. Feyenoord Academy won the award for its innovation within the academy, the overall success of its teams in the national youth leagues and the high number of players in the national youth teams. [3]
Feyenoord Academy was officially founded in the summer of 2010, when the youth academies of Feyenoord and Excelsior merged. The newly formed academy received the official regional youth academy status from the KNVB and was based on the structure of the former Feyenoord youth academy, with the addition of various Excelsior youth players and staff members. Feyenoord's poor financial situation, the rise in transfer fees and the increase in value of young players signaled a further need for Feyenoord and Excelsior to further support the academy. The cooperation between Feyenoord and Exelsior was terminated as of July 2015, where the academy continued solely as Feyenoord's youth academy. [4] The goal of the Feyenoord Academy is to develop young players into professional football players for Feyenoord's first team squad. [5]
The Feyenoord Academy comprises age-group teams ranging from U8's up to the flagship U19's. The youngest players are scouted at amateur clubs in the direct surroundings of Rotterdam. For the age of twelve and older the academy extends its scouting area, mainly to the remaining part of the Netherlands, Belgium and Scandinavia. Until the U12 team, the players only have training sessions during the evening and are largely guided by part-time coaches. When players are ready to join secondary education they start training during daytime. A close partnership with LOOT-school Thorbecke allows Feyenoord Academy to offer players a full-time training program, while the school adapts its time table to the players training program. [5]
Feyenoord U21 plays in the Beloften Eredivisie and the Premier League International Cup. The team plays its home matches at Varkenoord. Between 2010 and 2018 the reserve team was officially disbanded, but kept participating in the Beloften Eredivisie without a permanent squad. The formation varied and consisted of reserve players from Feyenoord's first team squad, with the possible addition of emerging academy players. [6] As of the 2020/21 season, the reserve team has been replaced with an Under-21 team.
Note: Flags indicate national team as defined under FIFA eligibility rules. Players may hold more than one non-FIFA nationality.
|
|
|
Name | Age | Pos | Debut |
---|---|---|---|
![]() | 28 years, 6 days | DF | 4 October 2015 |
![]() | 26 years, 169 days | GK | 13 August 2017 |
![]() | 24 years, 1 day | DF | 25 October 2017 |
![]() | 19 years, 97 days | MF | 12 August 2021 |
![]() | 22 years, 238 days | DF | 21 August 2022 |
![]() | 20 years, 38 days | MF | 27 August 2023 |
The following is a list of players who have played in the Feyenoord Academy and represented a country at full international level. Players who are currently playing at Feyenoord are highlighted in bold.
Amsterdamsche Football Club Ajax, also known as AFC Ajax, Ajax Amsterdam, or commonly Ajax, is a Dutch professional football club based in Amsterdam, that plays in the Eredivisie, the top tier in Dutch football. Historically, Ajax is the most successful club in the Netherlands, with 36 Eredivisie titles and 20 KNVB Cups. It has continuously played in the Eredivisie since the league's inception in 1956, and along with Feyenoord and PSV Eindhoven, it is one of the country's "big three" clubs that have dominated that competition.
Excelsior Rotterdam, commonly known as Excelsior, is a Dutch professional football club based in Rotterdam, Netherlands. They play in the Eredivisie, the top tier of Dutch football from the 2022–23 season following promotion. The club was founded on 23 July 1902 and was formerly known as "Rotterdamse Voetbal en Atletiek Vereniging Excelsior". Excelsior's home stadium is the Stadion Woudestein – for sponsorship reasons known as the Van Donge & De Roo Stadion – which has a capacity of about 4,500, one of the smallest stadiums hosting professional football in the Netherlands.
Sparta Rotterdam is a Dutch professional football club based in Rotterdam. Established on 1 April 1888, Sparta Rotterdam is the oldest professional football team in the Netherlands.
Lambertus van Marwijk is a Dutch football manager who serves as an advisor for MVV Maastricht. As a player, he played for the Go Ahead Eagles, AZ, MVV and Fortuna Sittard amongst other clubs and also represented the Netherlands once.
Arend Martijn "Arne" Slot is a Dutch professional football manager and former player who is currently the head coach of Premier League club Liverpool.
Marinus "Rinus" David Israël is a Dutch former professional football player and manager who is currently a scout. Nicknamed "Iron Rinus", he formed a solid defence line at Feyenoord with Theo Laseroms.
Andwélé Cedric Slory is a Dutch former professional footballer. He played as a right winger.
Luigi Bruins is a Dutch professional footballer who plays as an attacking midfielder for VV Smitshoek.
Theo van Duivenbode is a Dutch former footballer who played for Ajax and Feyenoord and was part of their European and Intercontinental Cup victory in 1970.
Erwin Mulder is a Dutch professional footballer who plays as a goalkeeper for Go Ahead Eagles. He is a former Netherlands U20's international and also received a call up to the senior Netherlands side in 2012.
Thijs Libregts is a Dutch football coach and former player, who played professionally as a defender in the 1950s. His daughter Patricia was one of the Netherlands' leading water polo players in the 1980s and 1990s.
Jong Ajax, also referred to as Ajax II or Ajax 2, is a Dutch association football team. It is based in Amsterdam and competes in the Dutch Eerste Divisie.
The term Rotterdam derby refers to the local derbies in Rotterdam played between two of the three professional football clubs Feyenoord, Sparta Rotterdam or Excelsior. It specifically refers to individual matches between the clubs, but can also be used to describe the general ongoing rivalry between the clubs, players and/or fans.
Jordy Clasie is a Dutch professional footballer who plays as a midfielder for Eredivisie club AZ.
The Beloften Eredivisie was the highest football league for reserve teams in the Netherlands organized by the Royal Dutch Football Association (KNVB). The league was founded in 1992 as Reserve Teams Eredivisie and this name was in use until the 2000–01 season. The second teams are called beloften teams.
The 2013–14 AFC Ajax season saw the club participate in the Eredivisie, the KNVB Cup and the UEFA Champions League. The first training took place on 24 June 2012, and the traditional AFC Ajax Open Day was held on 25 July, followed by a testimonial match on 3 July for retired former Ajax forward Sjaak Swart for his 75th birthday.
Jong PSV is a Dutch football team based in Eindhoven. It is the reserve team of PSV Eindhoven and plays in the Eerste Divisie since the 2013–14 season.
During the 2015–16 season AZ competed in the Eredivisie for the 18th consecutive season the KNVB Cup and the Europa League after qualifying for the 3rd qualification round due to finishing 3rd the previous season.
Lutsharel Geertruida is a Dutch professional footballer who plays for Eredivisie club Feyenoord and the Netherlands national team. Mainly a right-back, he can also play as a centre-back and defensive midfielder.
The 2019–20 FC Utrecht season was the club's 50th season in existence and the 50th consecutive season in the top flight of Dutch football. In addition to the domestic league, FC Utrecht participated in this season's editions of the KNVB Cup. The season covered the period from 2 August 2019 to 10 May 2020. Due to COVID-19, the last day of play was on 8 March 2020.