VVV
Full nameVenlose Voetbal Vereniging Venlo
Nickname(s)The Good Old,
Venlose Trots,
Pride of the South,
Yellow Black Army
Short nameVVV
Founded7 February 1903 (1903-02-07)
GroundDe Koel
Capacity8,000
ChairmanHai Berden
Head coachRick Kruys
LeagueEerste Divisie
2022–23Eerste Divisie, 7th of 20
WebsiteClub website

VVV-Venlo (Dutch pronunciation: [ˌveːveːˈveː ˈvɛnloː], VVV stands for Venlose Voetbal Vereniging [ˈvɛnloːzə ˈvudbɑl vəˈreːnəɣɪŋ] meaning "Venlo Football Club") is a Dutch football club from Venlo, a city on the border with Germany. They play in the Eerste Divisie, the second tier of Dutch football, following relegation from the Eredivisie in the 2020–21 season. The club plays its home games in the Covebo Stadion – De Koel stadium, which is named after one of the club's sponsors Covebo Uitzendgroep. VVV's home colours are yellow and black.

History

Foundation and first decades (1903–1952)

VVV originated from the association football club De Gouden Leeuw, which was founded by a group of friends in Venlo at the end of the nineteenth century. A few more name changes would occur, and the team was also known as Valuas for some time. Eventually, it was decided on 7 February 1903 to change the name to Venlose Voetbal Vereniging (VVV), the current name of the club. VVV wrote itself into the history books as one of the oldest clubs in Dutch professional football. In 1909, the clubs VITOS and THOR merged and became part of VVV. Quick followed in 1910.[1]

During the first years of its existence, VVV could not enter the highest league of Dutch football. This was due to the fact that before the 1911–12 season, there was no first-tier Eerste Klasse in the southern Netherlands, but only Eastern and a Western Eerste Klasse. From the 1912–13 season, the South also competed in its own Eerste Klasse. VVV has been part of this since its introduction into Dutch football, with varying degrees of success. After the 1921–22 season, the club suffered relegation to the second-tier Tweede Klasse. Afterwards, the team played for some time in the Tweede Klasse, in which they won the championship during several seasons. They, however, failed to reach promotion to the Eerste Klasse again afterwards. After the end of World War II, the number of Eerste Klasse teams was expanded, which also included VVV. From 1948 to 1952, the club achieved fourth-place finishes in the Eerste Klasse.

Recent years (2006–present)

VVV returned to the Eredivisie, the highest league in the Netherlands, by defeating RKC Waalwijk (3–0) in the promotion/relegation play-offs in the 2006–07 season. After one season in the Eredivisie, VVV-Venlo were relegated back to the Eerste Divisie. After a single season, VVV-Venlo won the 2008–09 Eerste Divisie title and returned to the Eredivisie.

In the 2009–10 season, the team booked its best league result since 1988 after finishing 12th in the Eredivisie. Another remarkable event was the transfer of star player Keisuke Honda to CSKA Moscow. They also signed toddler Baerke van der Meij on a symbolic ten-year contract, after a video featuring him scoring a hat trick into a toy box became popular.[2] Honda was replaced by Gonzalo and the club signed Japanese player Maya Yoshida. The departure of Honda turned out to be a key point in the club's season. In the second half of the season, the team was not able to win matches and barely escaped from relegation.

At the end of the season, key players Ruben Schaken and Adil Auassar both signed with Feyenoord on a free transfer. Gonzalo returned to his employer Groningen, while Sandro Calabro signed with Swiss side St. Gallen. The club contracted Ruud Boymans and the Nigerian Ahmed Musa to strengthen the squad for the 2010–11 season. They avoided relegation, but it was a harsh season in which Jan van Dijk was fired and former international Patrick Paauwe terminated his contract after losing the competition from his competitors.

Belgian manager Glen De Boeck was signed for the next season, but failed to improve the results. As a result of that, he resigned in December 2011. Ton Lokhoff was recruited as the new manager and succeeded in avoiding relegation by winning the post-season play-offs. However, in the 2012–13 season, the club was relegated after losing the promotion/relegation play-offs against Go Ahead Eagles. The club finished fifth in its first Eerste Divisie season since its promotion in 2009. But again, the club bounced back and returned to the Eredivisie in 2017, after clinching promotion by defeating RKC Waalwijk.[3]

On 24 October 2020, VVV-Venlo suffered the biggest defeat in Eredivisie history[4] by losing to Ajax at home 13–0.[5]

Japanese players

Since Keisuke Honda transferred from Nagoya Grampus in 2008, a slew of Japanese players have played at VVV-Venlo, including Maya Yoshida, Robert Cullen and Yuki Otsu. Sef Vergoossen, a legendary manager of the club, and Japanese agent Tetsuro Kiyooka were a bridge between the Japanese players and the club.[6]

Community support

The official club mascot since 1 July 2004 is a dog named "Koelie" (English: Coolie).

The Jan Klaassens Museum, set up in 2003 is located in the city center of Venlo and is operated by the Limburgs Museum. Since 2005, VVV has annually presented the Jan Klaassens Award to the greatest talent from its own youth academy.[7]

The Herman Teeuwen Memorial, named after the club icon who died suddenly in 2003, since 2004 has been organised by the club, usually with well-known foreign clubs participating on an invitational basis.

VVV announced in July 2015 that they would be retiring the number 28 shirt in memory of youth player Beau Vilters, who had previously worn that number but was killed in a traffic accident on 14 June 2015, at the age of 18.[8]

In April 2011, after a viral video of a local toddler, Baerke van der Meij, grandson of VVV player Jan van der Meij, showing him scoring a hat trick into his toy box, the club gave the 18-month-old an honorary contract.[9]

Stadium

VVV-Venlo currently play at De Koel in Venlo. The stadium holds 8,000 people and was built in 1972. It is named after its main sponsor, hence its current name, Covebo Stadion De Koel.

Results

EredivisieEerste DivisieEredivisieEerste Divisie

Players

Current squad

As of 31 August 2023[10]

Note: Flags indicate national team as defined under FIFA eligibility rules. Players may hold more than one non-FIFA nationality.

No. Pos. Nation Player
1 GK Netherlands NED Jan de Boer
2 DF Netherlands NED Robin Lathouwers
3 DF Netherlands NED Roel Janssen
4 DF Netherlands NED Rick Ketting
5 DF Netherlands NED Simon Janssen
7 FW Netherlands NED Soulyman Allouch
8 MF Belgium BEL Elias Sierra
9 FW Greece GRE Michalis Kosidis (on loan from AEK Athens)
11 MF Netherlands NED Thijme Verheijen
12 MF Netherlands NED Joep Kluskens
13 MF Czech Republic CZE Richard Sedláček
No. Pos. Nation Player
14 MF Netherlands NED Levi Smans
15 DF Netherlands NED Stan Henderikx
16 MF Netherlands NED Robert Klaasen
17 FW Netherlands NED Martijn Berden
18 FW Netherlands NED Pepijn Doesburg (on loan from Dordrecht)
19 DF Netherlands NED Sem Dirks
20 DF Curaçao CUW Dylan Timber
21 DF Netherlands NED Moreno Rutten
22 GK Germany GER Tim Schrick
30 GK Netherlands NED Jens Craenmehr
44 FW Denmark DEN Magnus Kaastrup (on loan from Lyngby)

Youth players in use

Note: Flags indicate national team as defined under FIFA eligibility rules. Players may hold more than one non-FIFA nationality.

No. Pos. Nation Player
23 MF Netherlands NED Berkan Can Bartu
24 MF Netherlands NED Mohammed Odriss
No. Pos. Nation Player
26 DF Germany GER Lennart Mehler
27 DF Republic of the Congo CGO Slone Matondo

Retired numbers

28 Netherlands Beau Vilters , defender (2014–15) posthumous honour

Notable players

Domestic results

Historical chart of league performance

Below is a table with VVV-Venlo's domestic results since the introduction of the Eredivisie in 1956.

Club staff

Position Staff
Head CoachNetherlands Rick Kruys
Assistant Head CoachNetherlands Jay Driessen
First-Team CoachNetherlands Frank van Kempen
Goalkeeper CoachNetherlands John Roox
Chief ScoutNetherlands Jan Verbong
ScoutNetherlands Marc van Hintum
Team DoctorNetherlands Rolf Timmermans
PhysiotherapistNetherlands Rinus Louwers
Netherlands Hans Kuijpers
Netherlands Falk Louwers
Team OfficialNetherlands Harrold Kerren
AdvisorNetherlands Hai Berden
Director of FootballNetherlands Stan Valckx
Sports coordinatorNetherlands Albert van der Weide
ManagerNetherlands Niels Mulders
Technical DirectorNetherlands Willem Janssen

Coaching history

 
Years Name Nat.
1954–56 Ferdi Silz Germany
1956–60 Wilhelm Kment Austria
1961–63 Ferdi Silz Germany
1964–65 Josef Gesell Germany
1968–69 Bas Paauwe Netherlands
1970–72 Josef Gesell Germany
1972–78 Rob Baan Netherlands
1978–79 Hans Croon Japan
1979 Sef Vergoossen (a.i.) Netherlands
1979–81 Jan Morsing Netherlands
1981–86 Sef Vergoossen Netherlands
1986–88 Jan Reker Netherlands
 
Years Name Nat.
1989 Sef Vergoossen (a.i.) Netherlands
1992–94 Frans Körver Netherlands
1995–96 Jan Versleijen Netherlands
1996 Joop Brand (a.i.) Netherlands
1996–98 Henk van Stee Netherlands
1998–2000 Hennie Spijkerman Netherlands
2000–01 Jan Versleijen Netherlands
2001–04 Wim Dusseldorp Netherlands
2004–05 Adrie Koster Netherlands
2005–06 Herbert Neumann Germany
2006–08 André Wetzel Netherlands
2008–10 Jan van Dijk Netherlands
 
Years Name Nat.
2010–11 Willy Boessen (a.i.) Netherlands
2011 Glen De Boeck Belgium
2011 Willy Boessen (a.i.) Netherlands
2012–13 Ton Lokhoff Netherlands
2013–14 René Trost Netherlands
2014–19 Maurice Steijn Netherlands
2019 Robert Maaskant Netherlands
2019 Jay Driessen (a.i.) Netherlands
2019–2021 Hans de Koning Netherlands
2021–2022 Jos Luhukay Netherlands
2022–present Rick Kruys Netherlands

References

  1. "KNVB clubs". RSSSF. Retrieved 1 September 2020.
  2. "Club 'signs up' hat-trick toddler". 28 April 2011 via www.bbc.co.uk.
  3. VVV-Venlo na vier jaar terug in de eredivisie – NOS (in Dutch)
  4. "VVV-Venlo vs. Ajax Amsterdam – Football Match Report – October 24, 2020 – ESPN". ESPN.com. Retrieved 23 June 2021.
  5. "Eredivisie > Fixtures > Wedstrijdoverzicht (en-US)". eredivisie.nl.
  6. Venlo chief eyes new Japanese talent, The Japan Times, 3 April 2014
  7. Simon Janssen wint Jan Klaassens Award Officiële website VVV-Venlo, 30 July 2019
  8. Nummer 28... – VVV-Venlo, 10 July 2015
  9. "Dutch football club VVV 'signs up' hat-trick toddler". 28 April 2011 via www.bbc.co.uk.
  10. "Selectie". vvv-venlo.nl. Retrieved 29 June 2018.
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