Football Season Guide

Feyenoord's financial problems put the club under lots of pressure over the recent years but last season finally showed their ambitions and quality again. The Rotterdam outfit weren't a title candidate at the start of last season but Giovanni van Bronckhorst's men claimed their first Eredivisie title since 1999 nonetheless. This gave the city and the club a much-needed boost and Feyenoord will now look for a way to repeat last season's results. This won't be an easy mission at all however as teams like Ajax and PSV Eindhoven will put the pressure on Van Bronckhorst's men from day one. The Champions League ticket and the title resulted in a positive atmosphere in the De Kuip Stadium but the club had to respond on the transfer market due to some departures. Club icon and team captain Dirk Kuyt ended his career while regulars like Eljero Elia, Rick Karsdorp and Terence Kongolo left the club to test their skills on a higher level. Promising players like Ridgeciano Haps, Kevin Diks and Jerry St. Juste joined the Rotterdam side but these Dutch youngsters still have everything to prove and it remains to be seen whether they will live up to the expectations or not. On the other hand, experienced players like Karim El Ahmadi (the new team captain), Eric Botteghin, Nicolai Jorgensen (last season's Eredivisie top scorer) and Jens Toornstra are still in Rotterdam which is positive news to say the least. Van Bronckhorst will have the potential available once again to surprise but the busy schedule, including group matches in the Champions League, will test this outfit during the first months of the season. Demanding another title would be a bit too much to ask but Feyenoord's goal is to compete for top spot again. Dealing with this new kind of pressure will be the first mission of the new campaign.