For many Dutch people, it is the greatest football stadium in The Netherlands. The Feyenoord fans have been able to lift their team in the most desperate times in De Kuip and wake the entire city up. Besides, it is a place of many special stories and elements.
Those who have never been to a home match of Feyenoord have surely seen and heard of De Kuip, or as it is officially known Stadion Feijenoord. You have a perfect view of the ground from the river Meuse when driving over the Van Brienenoord Bridge. Especially at night, when the stadium shines even brighter than it does during the day.
Inside, fans go wild. All game long the fans on the Gerard Meijer stand will sing, shout, berate, whistle and clap at the players (or referees) on the pitch. The noise reverberates from the roof and when all fans join in on the action, it is by far the most intimidating stadium for any away side in The Netherlands.
The intimidating atmosphere is only enhanced by the narrowly placed seats, the blistering concrete, the lowest stands which are held together by scaffolds and the judging stern looks of the bronze statues of former coach Ernst Happel and star player Coen Moulijn.
Make sure to book a stadium tour because there is so much more to see than the Feyenoord Museum next door. The eccentric murals in the players’ tunnel are full of milestones and highlights from the past and present. At the Olympia stand, a wall made out of stained glass showcases the old city centre before it was bombarded during WWII. Even the deformed ‘De Voetballer’ statue is loved and can never be removed according to Feyenoord’s faithful.
Feyenoord’s legendary Austrian manager Ernst Happel, who won the European Cup with the club in 1970, was a regular customer at café ‘t Haantje, which is located in the heart of the Lombardijen neighbourhood. A coffee, a glass of cognac and a meatball were Happel’s favourite orders whilst he played his favourite card games. Happel and former players Willem van Hanegem and Ove Kindvall all used to live in close proximity to ‘t Haantje, which is still a beloved bar for a pre-drink ahead of the game for Feyenoord fans.
You will find Feyenoord supporters all over Rotterdam. Great spots are Café aan Zet, De Schuimspaan and café Timmer. At the fancy wine bar 1Nul8 on shopping street De Meent, you might even bump into Robin van Persie enjoying a glass at his own table. Former player and now pundit René van der Gijp is a frequent visitor at The Harbour Club, which is also a hotspot for many Feyenoord players if they are not already enjoying a fine meal at Aqua Asia Club.
Feyenoord legend Coen Moulijn, who is considered one of the greatest leftwingers in Dutch football history, learnt his trait by kicking balls at the so-called ‘Wall of Moulijn’ on the Bloklandstraat in Rotterdam. For hours and hours, he used to kick a football against a wall, that was demolished but has been rebuilt since 2014. The wall is now a mural with quotes and photos from his legacy.
‘So this is the Coolsingel’, said Johan Cruijf in 1984 when he just became champions with Feyenoord. The boulevard, which has been refurbished with more trees and fewer roads, is according to sportgeschiedenis.nl the place where athletes have been honoured since 1921. The French boxer Georges Carpentier was the first one. Nowadays the Coolsingel has become synonymous with title fevers. In pure excitement, Feyenoord fans tend to jump into the fountain before they have even been crowned champions. The last time this happened was in 2017 when Dirk Kuijt lifted the trophy to the ecstatic crowd on the Coolsingel. But soon we may expect another one.
There are many ways to get to De Kuip (metro, tram, train, car) but if you go by water taxi you will have a view of the entire skyline. On top of that, the taxi is lightning quick and it is just a lot of fun. You avoid all the traffic jams and when you arrive at the stadium you can quickly grab a beer or snack at Bennie Beer, which is named after former Feyenoord defender Bennie Wijnstekers.
Tickets can be bought through the official website of Feyenoord. On match days you can also still buy tickets at the ticket office in the stadium, but for the big games against Ajax or PSV, it is advised to secure your spot by buying a ticket online.
Images: Pim Ras
