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Go Ahead Eagles

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Go Ahead Eagles
Full nameGo Ahead Eagles
Nickname(s)The pride of the IJssel
Kowet (Dunglish pronunciation of "Go Ahead")
Founded2 December 1902; 121 years ago (1902-12-02)
GroundDe Adelaarshorst
Capacity10,400[1]
ChairmanJan Willem van Dop
Head coachPaul Simonis
LeagueEredivisie
2023–24Eredivisie, 9th of 18
Websitehttps://www.ga-eagles.nl/
Current season

Go Ahead Eagles are a Dutch professional football club from the city of Deventer in the province of Overijssel. They play in the Eredivisie, the top tier of Dutch football, having achieved promotion from the second tier Eerste Divisie in the 2020–21 season. The club's home stadium since 1920 is De Adelaarshorst. The club have won the national championship on four occasions, in 1917, 1922, 1930 and 1933.

They have produced numerous notable players including Raimond van der Gouw, René Eijkelkamp, Marc Overmars, Paul Bosvelt, Jan Kromkamp, Victor Sikora, Bert van Marwijk and Demy de Zeeuw while providing Henk ten Cate, Erik ten Hag and Leo Beenhakker with their first tastes of management.

History

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Early successes

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The club was founded in 1902 as Be Quick by the Hollander brothers. The name was changed to Go Ahead at the request of the Dutch Football Association in 1905.[2]

Go Ahead started in the second-tier Tweede Klasse. In 1911, the club reached promotion to the Eastern Eerste Klasse. In 1916, Go Ahead became champions of the Eastern Eerste Klasse for the first time, after which they faced off for the national championship in a competition with the other regional champions. In this championship playoffs for the national championship, however, the southern champions from Willem II proved too strong. A year later, however, Go Ahead took their first league title, a feat repeated in 1922, 1930 and 1933.[2]

Polygoonjournaal from 1922. Decisive match against Blauw-Wit in which Go Ahead became national champion. Location: Sportpark Hilversum. Without sound.

In the period between the First and Second World War, Go Ahead was by far the most successful team in the Eastern league. The club won the regional championship fifteen times during that period, and even won the title eight times in a row from 1916 to 1923. The last pre-war Eastern Championship was won in 1937. After that, the club fell on tough times. In 1941, Go Ahead suffered relegation to the Tweede Klasse. The following year, they promoted again. In 1948, the club became champion of the Eastern First Division for the sixteenth and final time. In the playoffs for the national championship with the other regional champions, Go Ahead finished third behind eventual champions, BVV Den Bosch, and Heerenveen.[2]

Professionalism and Europe

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The introduction of professionalism in 1954 was initially unsuccessful for Go Ahead. In 1956, the club finished second to last in the Tweede Divisie. In 1959, promotion to the Eerste Divisie was secured. On 7 October 1962, Go Ahead recorded their biggest win in club history. In Deventer the final score was 11–1 against Roda JC.[3] Promotion to the top-tier Eredivisie followed in 1963. In the twenty-four years that followed, the club continuously played at the highest level. Especially in the second half of the sixties, Go Ahead did well in the Eredivisie. For example, from 1966 to 1969, the club finished in the top five four times in a row, with the 1967–68 season as high point when Go Ahead finished third behind Ajax and Feyenoord.[2]

Go Ahead also had successes in the KNVB Cup in that period. The club reached the semi-finals four seasons in a row from 1965 to 1968. Those of 1966, 1967 and 1968 were lost, but in 1965, Go Ahead reached the final. This was lost 1–0 to Feijenoord, but because Feijenoord was also national champion, Go Ahead qualified for European football. In the first round, Scottish side Celtic, who would eventually go on to win the European Cup a season later, was drawn. Go Ahead lost the two legs, 0–1 and 6–0.[2][4]

On 1 July 1971, the suffix "Eagles" was added, following a suggestion from then head coach Barry Hughes, as the professional department of Go Ahead separated from the parent club.[5] The eagle is the charge in the coat of arms of the city of Deventer. The club had a strong start with their new name. Go Ahead Eagles were famously the only side to defeat Ajax in any competition during the 1971–72 season when they won 3–2 at De Adelaarshorst in the Eredivisie.[2]

In the 1970s and early 1980s, Go Ahead Eagles was a stable Eredivisie club. Relegation followed in 1987. A short Eredivisie period followed from 1992 to 1996, but afterwards the club played in the second-tier Eerste Divisie.[2] Partly due to the constant postponement of the construction of a new stadium, major financial concerns arose. Thanks to the help of investors, the club managed to survive in November 2003. In exchange for that help, the investors acquired 80% of the club's shares. The club is thus privately owned. The determining factor was former chairman Hans de Vroome, who owned approximately 50% of the shares.[6]

In May 2019, Alex Kroes took over 80% of the shares of Go Ahead Eagles, becoming the new owner.[7] On 16 May 2022, it was announced that Kroes intended to sell his share package to Kees Vierhouten – shareholder since 2021 – as of 1 July 2022, and to leave as owner of Go Ahead Eagles. In August 2022, this sale was officially endorsed by the licensing committee of the Dutch Football Association.[8]

Recent seasons

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After almost two decades in the Eerste Divisie, Go Ahead won promotion to the 2013–14 Eredivisie at the end of the 2012–13 season, winning the promotion play-offs.[9] The club remained in the top division for the 2014–15 season, finishing 13th.[citation needed]

Go Ahead Eagles would compete in Europe in the 2015–16 UEFA Europa League due to the Netherlands' first place in UEFA Respect Fair Play ranking. National Fair Play winner Twente withdrew due to financial difficulties, making the place for Go Ahead Eagles. However, they also suffered relegation after losing 2–0 on aggregate to De Graafschap in the May 2015 promotion/relegation play-offs.[10] In July 2015, they were beaten 2–5 on aggregate by Hungarian side Ferencváros[11] in the first Europa League qualifying round with the home leg played in Emmen due to the Adelaarshorst being renovated, and the away leg without spectators because the Hungarians were serving a ban by UEFA.[citation needed]

The club bounced back to the Eredivisie on the first attempt in May 2016 after beating De Graafschap 5–2 on aggregate in the promotion/relegation play-offs,[12] but were relegated again at the end of the 2016–17 season.[citation needed]

In May 2021, Go Ahead finished second in the Eerste Divisie, earning promotion back to the Eredivisie after four seasons in the second tier.[13]

Honours

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Domestic results

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EredivisieEerste DivisieEredivisieEerste DivisieEredivisieEerste DivisieEredivisieEerste Divisie
Historical chart of league performance

Below is a table with Go Ahead Eagles' domestic results since the introduction of professional football in 1956.

European record

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Season Competition Round Club Home Away Aggregate
1965–66 European Cup Winners' Cup 1R Scotland Celtic 0–6 0–1 0–7
1967 Intertoto Cup GS Belgium Lierse 1–2 0–2 4th
France Rouen 5–0 3–4
Switzerland Grenchen 3–1 0–2
1969 Intertoto Cup GS Poland Szombierki Bytom 2–2 0–1 3rd
Sweden Östers IF 1–1 2–3
Switzerland Lugano 1–1 4–0
1984 Intertoto Cup GS Belgium Standard Liège 1–1 2–4 4th
Denmark OB 1–1 0–3
Germany Eintracht Braunschweig 2–1 1–2
2015–16 UEFA Europa League 1R Hungary Ferencváros 1–1[14] 1–4[15] 2–5
2024–25 UEFA Conference League 2R Norway Brann 0–0[16] 1–2 1–2
Notes
  • Goals by Go Ahead Eagles are listed first.
  • 1R: First round
  • GS: Group stage

Rivalries

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Go Ahead Eagles' biggest rivals are PEC Zwolle.[17] Both clubs are located close to the river IJssel, hence the name IJssel-derby for their encounters. Other teams who share a rivalry with Go Ahead Eagles include FC Twente and De Graafschap.[citation needed]

Current squad

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As of 27 September 2024[18]

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 Germany GER Luca Plogmann
2 DF Netherlands NED Mats Deijl
3 DF Germany GER Gerrit Nauber
4 DF Netherlands NED Joris Kramer
5 DF Netherlands NED Dean James
6 MF Netherlands NED Calvin Twigt
7 FW Denmark DEN Jakob Breum
8 MF Netherlands NED Evert Linthorst
9 FW Netherlands NED Milan Smit
10 FW Denmark DEN Søren Tengstedt
11 FW Netherlands NED Bobby Adekanye
15 MF Netherlands NED Robbin Weijenberg
16 FW Sweden SWE Victor Edvardsen
17 MF Belgium BEL Mathis Suray
No. Pos. Nation Player
19 FW Finland FIN Oliver Antman
21 MF Netherlands NED Enric Llansana
22 GK Belgium BEL Jari De Busser
23 FW Norway NOR Oliver Valaker Edvardsen
24 DF Netherlands NED Luca Everink
25 DF Netherlands NED Jamal Amofa
26 DF Netherlands NED Julius Dirksen
27 FW Netherlands NED Finn Stokkers
28 DF Netherlands NED Pim Saathof
29 DF Denmark DEN Aske Adelgaard
30 GK Netherlands NED Sven Jansen
33 GK Netherlands NED Nando Verdoni

Out on loan

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

No. Pos. Nation Player
MF Belgium BEL Xander Blomme (at Excelsior until 30 June 2025)
No. Pos. Nation Player
FW Belgium BEL Thibo Baeten (at Roda JC until 30 June 2025)

Former players

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National team players

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The following players were called up to represent their national teams in international football and received caps during their tenure with Go Ahead Eagles: [check quotation syntax]

  • Players in bold actively play for Go Ahead Eagles and for their respective national teams. Years in brackets indicate careerspan with Go Ahead Eagles.

National team players by Confederation

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Member associations are listed in order of most to least amount of current and former Go Ahead Eagles players represented Internationally

Total national team players by confederation
Confederation Total (Nation) Association
AFC 4 Australia Australia (1), Indonesia Indonesia (3)
CAF 5 Nigeria Nigeria (2), Cape Verde Cape Verde (1), Comoros Comoros (1), Togo Togo (1)
CONCACAF 3 Curaçao Curaçao (2), Suriname Suriname (1)
CONMEBOL 0  
OFC 0  
UEFA 21 Netherlands Netherlands (11), Denmark Denmark (2), Estonia Estonia (2), Finland Finland (2), Moldova Moldova (2), Faroe Islands Faroe Islands (1), Iceland Iceland (1)

Players in international tournaments

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The following is a list of Go Ahead Eagles players who have competed in international tournaments, including the FIFA World Cup, UEFA European Championship, Africa Cup of Nations, CONCACAF Gold Cup, and the Caribbean Cup. To this date no Go Ahead Eagles players have participated in the AFC Asian Cup, or the OFC Nations Cup while playing for Go Ahead Eagles.

Cup Players
Italy 1934 FIFA World Cup Netherlands Leo Halle
Socialist Federal Republic of Yugoslavia UEFA Euro 1976 Netherlands Peter Arntz
Tunisia 1994 Africa Cup of Nations Nigeria Peter Rufai
United States 1994 FIFA World Cup Nigeria Peter Rufai
Martinique 2017 Caribbean Cup Curaçao Jarchinio Antonia
United States 2017 CONCACAF Gold Cup Curaçao Jarchinio Antonia
Cameroon 2021 Africa Cup of Nations Comoros Yacine Bourhane

Coaching staff

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Position Name
Head Coach Netherlands Paul Simonis
Assistant Coach Netherlands Henk den Bruggen
Goalkeeping Coach Netherlands Matthijs Hoorstwald
Fitness Coach Netherlands Maurits Thijkhuis
Trainer scout Netherlands Frank Berghuis
Opponent Analyst Netherlands Gert Jan Karsten
Scout Netherlands Jan Groeneweg
Netherlands Dennis Hulshoff
Netherlands Jules Reimerink
Sports Scientist Netherlands Tim van der Meulen
Physiotherapist Netherlands Frank Nab
Secretary Netherlands Adrie Steenbergen
Kit Manager Netherlands Carla Whittie-Bruggeman
Academy Manager Netherlands Eric Whittie
Team Manager Netherlands Alfred Knippenberg
Technical Director Netherlands Paul Bosvelt

Coaching history

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See also

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References

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  1. ^ "De Adelaarshorst – Go Ahead Eagles".
  2. ^ a b c d e f g "Historie - Go Ahead Eagles". ga-eagles.nl. Go Ahead Eagles. Retrieved 20 October 2020.
  3. ^ "Go Ahead - Roda 1962" (in Dutch). Go Ahead Eagles. 16 February 2017. Archived from the original on 26 February 2022. Retrieved 20 October 2020.
  4. ^ Sullivan, Joe (26 October 2015). "Go Ahead Eagles celebrate Golden Anniversary of meeting Celtic". celticfc.net. Celtic F.C. Retrieved 20 October 2020. So, it would seem that the 7-0 aggregate score ended Go Ahead's European story right then and there but, as it turns out, their fairytale adventure of getting into Europe via the back door didn't end there for the club who changed their name to Go Ahead Eagles in 1971.
  5. ^ "Go Ahead Eagles – About Us". Archived from the original on 26 November 2011. Retrieved 19 November 2011.
  6. ^ Arentsen, Dennis (16 May 2018). "De Vroome wil zijn aandelen in GA Eagles aan stichting schenken". de Stentor (in Dutch). Retrieved 20 October 2020.
  7. ^ "KNVB keurt overname aandelen goed: Kroes machtigste man binnen Go Ahead". Voetbal International (in Dutch). 31 May 2019. Retrieved 8 March 2024.
  8. ^ "Alex Kroes vertrekt als grote baas van Go Ahead Eagles". Algemeen Dagblad. 16 May 2022. Retrieved 8 March 2024.
  9. ^ "Eredivisie review: Go Ahead Eagles end 17-year exile from the Eredivisie". Sky Sports. 26 May 2013. Retrieved 13 June 2013.
  10. ^ Graafschap duwt Go Ahead Eagles naar Eerste Divisie – Algemeen Dagblad (in Dutch)
  11. ^ Ferencváros maat te groot voor GA Eagles - GA Eagles (in Dutch)
  12. ^ Go Ahead Eagles naar eredivisie - De Telegraaf (in Dutch)
  13. ^ "Go Ahead Eagles promoveert op doelsaldo naar eredivisie, De Graafschap met lege handen" [Go Ahead Eagles promoted to Eredivisie on goal difference, De Graafschap empty handed] (in Dutch). Nederlandse Omroep Stichting. 12 May 2021. Retrieved 13 May 2021.
  14. ^ "Go Ahead Eagles vs. Ferencváros". UEFA. Retrieved 26 July 2024.
  15. ^ "Ferencváros vs. Go Ahead Eagles". UEFA. Retrieved 26 July 2024.
  16. ^ "Go Ahead Eagles vs. Brann". UEFA. Retrieved 26 July 2024.
  17. ^ Tonie van Ringelestijn and Joël Groeneveld (May 1999). "Betaald voetbal in Zwolle van 1980 tot 1999. Van PEC naar FC Zwolle" (in Dutch). Archived from the original on 29 September 2007. Retrieved 17 March 2007. FC Zwolle – Go Ahead Eagles Rivalry.
  18. ^ "Selectie". www.ga-eagles.nl. Go Ahead Eagles. Retrieved 25 January 2018.
  19. ^ "De trainer van Go Ahead". Deventer Dagblad (in Dutch). 5 August 1946. Retrieved 12 October 2022.
  20. ^ "Go- Ahead krijgt Tsjechische oefenmeester". Deventer Dagblad (in Dutch). 19 June 1948. Retrieved 12 October 2022.
  21. ^ "Trainer S. Nagy gaat Go-Ahead verlaten" (in Dutch). Deventer Dagblad. 9 November 1950. Retrieved 12 October 2022.
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