FC Twente Vrouwen is the women's football section of Dutch club FC Twente, based in Enschede, and competes in the Vrouwen Eredivisie, the top women's league in the Netherlands. Founded in 2007, it is one of the original members of the Eredivisie. It has been the most successful modern Dutch women's club, winning nine national championships, including two BeNe League titles, as well as winning the KNVB Women's Cup, KNVB Women's Super Cup[nl], and Eredivisie Cup[nl] three times each. Its home ground is Sportpark Schreurserve in Enschede, with important matches, including UEFA Women's Champions League knockout stage matches, being played at the larger De Grolsch Veste.
In the first half of 2006, FC Twente became the first professional Dutch football club to begin to create a women's section by appointing Mary Kok-Willemsen[nl] to set up its women's branch. Starting in 2007, the idea was to offer girls and women professional training six days a week and eventually build girls and women's teams. At that time, women's football in the Netherlands was amateur, and most talented female players left for Germany and other countries with professional leagues.[1] In November 2006, the club held a presentation of its women's football department proposal to other amateur clubs and the Netherlands women's national football team coach Vera Pauw.[2]
On 21 January 2007, after holding a players selection trials in two locations (Hengelo and Enschede) attended by 575 players, the club women's section was officially established, consisting of three teams, the senior first team and two youth teams.[3] In March 2007, the Royal Dutch Football Association (KNVB) announced FC Twente as one of the six teams to participate in the inaugural 2007–08 season of the Eredivisie Vrouwen, the professional women's Dutch league.[4]
Eredivisie (2007–2012)
Inaugural Eredivisie match in 2007
For the first Eredivisie season, coach Kok-Willemsen built a 22 player squad formed with eight players coming from Be Quick '28, two players from the Belgian league, and three players from the German league.[5]
The club played its first official match on 29 August 2007, also the first-ever Eredivisie game, home at the Arke Stadion in front of 5.500 spectators, losing 2–3 against SC Heerenveen.[6] Despite having a poor 2007–08 league season, finishing in fifth place (out of six teams), the club had a good run in the KNVB Women's Cup (Dutch Cup), winning its first trophy by beating FC Utrecht 3–1 in the Cup final.[7]
The 2008–09 season was difficult, as the team had many injured players during the season, and the club finished the league again in fifth place out of seven teams. In the Dutch Cup, the KNVB decided to take all Eredivisie clubs out of the competition in the Round of 16, in order to have the professional players prepared for the UEFA Women's Euro 2009.[7]
In the 2009–10 season, ten draws in 20 league matches meant the team was unable to challenge for the title and finished the league in fourth place out of six teams. It reached the semifinals of the Dutch Cup, where it lost to Ter Leede in a penalty shoot-out after a 3–3 draw.[7]
Twente players holding the 2011 Eredivisie trophy2011 Eredivisie Champions Ceremony
After ending the first three league seasons in the bottom half of the table, the outcome of the 2010–11 season would prove to be different. The club brought in American players Ashley Nick and Caitlin Farrell, new goalkeeper Sari van Veenendaal, and striker Joyce Mijnheer[nl]. The team had a strong season, leading the league at the winter break. The team clinched its first title on the last matchday, in a home match at the Grolsch Veste in front of over 7.000 spectators, a 4–1 win over Willem II, ending AZ Alkmaar's three-year championship run. Along with the title, the team qualified for next season's UEFA Women's Champions League. In the Dutch Cup, the team was eliminated in the quarterfinals.[7]
There were changes ahead of the 2011–12 season. Coach Kok-Willemsen took on a different role at the club, and John van Miert[nl] was appointed as the new coach. The team started league play well, taking all points available from the first four matches and in second place at the winter break, one point behind leaders ADO Den Haag. During that break, van Miert took a different function at the club, and Arjan Veurink became the team's coach. In the second half of the season, ADO Den Haag extended its lead, and Twente finished in second place, 14 points back. The club debut in European competitions in the 2011–12 UEFA Women's Champions League came on 28 September 2011 at De Adelaarshorst in Deventer, a 0–2 first leg defeat to Russian championsWFC Rossiyanka in the Round of 32. Twente also lost the second leg to the Russian team, 1–0. The team also reached the Dutch Cup semifinals that season and played the BeNe Super Cup, a match between the Dutch and Belgian league champions, losing 1–4 against Standard Liège.[7]
BeNe League (2012–2015)
In 2012, the BeNe League was created when the Dutch and Belgian domestic leagues merged. With the departures of Ashley Nick, Blakely Mattern, Joyce Mijnheer, and Lorca Van De Putte before the season and Courtney Goodson in the winter break, the team brought in Sherida Spitse and Jill Roord. The 2012–13 BeNe League was played in two stages, the first had a group of eight Dutch teams (BeNe League Orange), and FC Twente topped the group without losing a match. The second stage had the top four teams of the Dutch group and the top four teams from the Belgian group forming a new group (BeNe League A) to play for the championship. Twente won the Dutch championship, awarded to the best Dutch team in the BeNe League, on 10 May 2013, qualifying for Champions League participation the following season. It became the first BeNe League champions on 25 May 2013 in the last round of the season in a straight championship match against Standard Liège, which came into the match one point ahead of FC Twente. At the Grolsch Veste in front of 9.000 spectators, FC Twente came from behind to win the match 3–1.[8] The Tukkers narrowly missed a double, losing the Dutch Cup final on penalties to ADO Den Haag.[7]
The 2013–14 BeNe League season was played with all 15 teams, eight Dutch and seven Belgian, in a single group. Despite many player changes during the season and the removal of FC Utrecht from the league due to bankruptcy in the winter break, the club had a strong league performance, winning the Dutch championship (as best Dutch club in the league) on 16 May 2014 and eventually winning the BeNe League title on 6 June 2014, after a 7–0 win against Club Brugge. The team negotiated well the qualifying round of the 2013–14 UEFA Women's Champions League, winning two and losing one match to reach the Round of 32 where they drew French championsOlympique Lyon, which proved to be too strong, winning both legs by a 10–0 aggregate. The team reached the Dutch Cup semifinal, where it was beaten by Ajax 0–2.[7]
The club finished second in the 2014–15 BeNe League, two points behind Standard Liège. Despite missing a third BeNe League title it won the Dutch championship (as best Dutch club in the league) for the third consecutive year on 28 April 2015, after a 4–0 win over Anderlecht[9] In the 2014–15 UEFA Women's Champions League, the club drew French team Paris Saint-Germain as opponents in the Round of 32 and lost both legs (1–2 and 0–1).[10] The club won its second Dutch Cup, defeating Ajax 3–2 in the final.[11]
Eredivisie (2015–present)
This section needs to be updated. Please help update this article to reflect recent events or newly available information.(August 2022)
In 2015, the BeNe League dissolved, and the Eredivisie was re-introduced. The club won the Dutch championship for the fourth consecutive year after a 3–0 win over PEC Zwolle on 20 May 2016.[12] In the 2015–16 UEFA Women's Champions League, three wins in the qualification round got the team to the Round of 32, being drawn to play against German club Bayern Munich. After a 1–1 first leg draw at home in the Grolsch Veste, the team drew the second leg 2–2 in Germany, advancing on away goals rule to the Round of 16 for the first time.[13] The next opponents Spanish club Barcelona won both legs (0–1 and 0–1) in the Round of 16.[14] In the Dutch Cup, the team was eliminated by Ajax on penalty shoot-out, following a 0–0 draw in the quarterfinals.[15]
Ahead of the 2016–17 season, Tommy Stroot was appointed as coach.[16] The club ended the 2016–17 Eredivisie as runners-up behind Ajax. At the 2016–17 UEFA Women's Champions League, three wins in the qualification round got the team to the Round of 32, being drawn to play against Czech club Sparta Praha. In the first leg at home, the club won its first Champions League main tournament match by 2–0,[17] and, after a 3–1 win on the second leg, advanced to the Round of 16 for the second time.[18] The club next faced Spanish club Barcelona for the second consecutive year in the Round of 16. After losing both legs (0–1 and 0–4) it was eliminated from the competition.[19] In the Dutch Cup, the team lost 2–3 to PEC Zwolle in the quarterfinals.[20]
In the 2017–18 season, Twente was in first place at the end of the regular season portion of the competition, but finished second in the championship playoff to Ajax. Joëlle Smits led the team with 20 goals.[21]
FC Twente returned to the top of the league in the 2018–19 season, earning is sixth national championship.[22] Smits again led the team in scoring with 25 goals in Eredivisie play, and Renate Jansen had 18 goals. The two forwards combined for 61 percent of the team's 70 goals. By winning the league title, the club qualified for the 2019–20 UEFA Women's Champions League. In the Dutch Cup, Twente lost in the quarterfinals to Feyenoord, 0–3.[23]
In the 2019–20 UEFA Women's Champions League, Twente hosted its qualifying round group at the Sportpark Schreurserve in August 2019, prior to Eredivisie league play. Twente won its group, defeating Armenian club Alashkert 8–0, drawing with Turkish club Beşiktaş, then defeating Polish club Górnik Łęczna 2–0 to qualify for the 32-team knockout bracket.[24] Twente drew Austrian club St. Pölten. Each team won on the road, with Twente winning in St. Pölten 4–2, with new striker Fenna Kalma scoring a hat trick.[25] St. Pölten won in Enschede 2–1, and Twente advanced on aggregate goals, 5–4.[26] In the round of 16, Twente lost to VfL Wolfsburg by an aggregate goal score of 7–0.[27]
The 2019–20 Eredivisie season was suspended in March 2020 due to the COVID-19 pandemic, and no league champion was crowned. When matches were halted, Twente was in third place, two points behind Ajax. That finish meant Twente did not qualify for the following year's Champions League.[28] In the Dutch Cup, Twente won its only match, defeating lower level club Nooit Gedacht of Geffen 12–0 in the round of 16. A quarterfinal match against SC Heerenveen planned for March 2020 was suspended due to the COVID-19 pandemic.[29]
In 2020–2021, Twente returned to the top, narrowly. After the first half of the season, Twente was in first place by one point over PSV, which along with Ajax were clear top three teams in the league, based on results.[30] After the championship playoff, Twente again held a one point lead over PSV, and the two teams qualified for the 2021–22 UEFA Women's Champions League.[31] Twente clinched the title in the penultimate week, defeating the weaker ADO Den Haag as Ajax bested PSV. Twente had three of the four top goal scorers in the league, in Renate Jansen, Fenna Kalma, and Anna–Lena Stolze, respectively.[32][33][34] All three players averaged more than one goal per two games. All three trailed the team's former top scorer, Joëlle Smits, who had transferred to PSV in 2019.[35] In mid-2021, Stroot left to coach VfL Wolfsburg.[36]
Twente again won the Eredivisie in the 2021–22 season under new coach Robert de Pauw. The league switched to a triple round robin schedule, ending the championship playoff round format. Twente finished six points clear of Ajax and led the league by scoring 95 goals in 24 matches. The 26 goals conceded was second only to Ajax.[37] Kalma led the league with 33 goals, which tied or bested the goal count of the bottom five teams in the standings. She had four hat tricks, a total matched by all the other players in the league. Jansen had 17 goals and Kayleigh van Dooren had 13 goals, ranking third and fourth in the league, respectively.[38] In Champions League play, Twente hosted and won its first round of the Champions Path qualifying, defeating Tbilisi Nike and Spartak Subotica in August, before the start of the Eredivisie regular season. However, Twente lost to Benfica in the second round, with the decisive match being a 4–0 loss in the second leg in Seixal, Portugal. In that game, Twente conceded a hat trick to Benfica's Cloé Lacasse.[39] Twente also lost early in the KNVB Women's Cup, losing in the quarterfinals 3–0 to Feyenoord in Rotterdam.[40] de Pauw lasted just one season with the club, moving on to coach Bayer 04 Leverkusen.[41]
Joran Pot was announced as the team's coach on 26 January, 2022, coming from PEC Zwolle.[42]
*During the BeNe League period (2012 to 2015), the highest placed Dutch team is considered as national champion by the Royal Dutch Football Association.[47]
The Vrouwen Eredivisie, also known as the Azerion Vrouwen Eredivisie due to a sponsorship contract, is the highest women's football league in the Netherlands. Organized by the Royal Dutch Football Association (KNVB), it was established in 2007 as a professional league and played for five seasons until 2012, when the Netherlands and Belgium merged their leagues into a single combined league, the BeNe League. After three seasons, the BeNe League folded, and the Eredivisie restarted in the 2015–16 season. The top two Eredivisie teams each year qualify for the UEFA Women's Champions League.
Marlous Pieëte is a Dutch female retired footballer who played either as a midfielder or as a striker for Western Sydney Wanderers in the Australian W-League and international football for the Netherlands women's national football team.
Shanice Janice van de Sanden is a Dutch professional footballer who plays as a forward for Liga MX Femenil club Pachuca and the Netherlands national team.
SC Heerenveen Vrouwen is a Dutch women's football (soccer) club based in Heerenveen that competes in the Vrouwen Eredivisie, the top women's league in the Netherlands.
Sherida Spitse is a Dutch footballer who plays as a midfielder for Ajax and the Netherlands national team.
ADO Den Haag Vrouwen is a Dutch football club based in The Hague representing ADO Den Haag in the Vrouwen Eredivisie, the top women's football league in the Netherlands. Founded in 2007, the club is a founding member of the league. It is one of only three clubs to play in every season of the top Dutch league and the short-lived BeNe League, along with FC Twente and sc Heerenveen.
Renate Jansen is a Dutch professional footballer who plays as a striker for Eredivisie club PSV and the Netherlands national team. She has scored the most goals in the history of the top Dutch women's league.
Desiree van Lunteren is a Dutch footballer who plays as a right-back or a midfielder for AZ in the Eredivisie Vrouwen.
Eshly Bakker is a Dutch footballer who plays as midfielder or forward for Linköping FC in Sweden and the Netherlands national team.
The 2015–16 Eredivisie Vrouwen was the sixth season of the Netherlands women's professional football league, and the first season since 2011–12. The Eredivisie returned after a three-season absence, when it was replaced by the BeNe League, which included teams from the Netherlands and Belgium. The season took place from 21 August 2015 to 20 May 2016 with seven teams. FC Twente won its second Eredivisie title and became Dutch champions for a fourth consecutive year, including its BeNe League titles.
Marthe-Emilie Munsterman is a Dutch professional footballer who plays as a midfielder for Eredivisie club Utrecht. She has been capped twice by the Netherlands national team.
Danique Kerkdijk is a Dutch professional footballer who plays as a defender for Eredivisie club Twente.
The 2019–20 Eredivisie Vrouwen is the tenth season of the Netherlands women's professional football league. The season was intended to last from 23 August 2019 to 22 May 2020, but was suspended due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Twente began the season as defending champion, and no new champion was crowned.
The 2020–21 Eredivisie Vrouwen is the eleventh season of the Netherlands women's top professional football league. FC Twente, the reigning champions from the 2018-19 season, repeated as champions.
Feikje Anna Kalma is a Dutch professional footballer who plays as a striker for Frauen-Bundesliga club VfL Wolfsburg and the Netherlands national team.
Daphne van Domselaar is a Dutch professional footballer who plays as a goalkeeper for Women's Super League club Arsenal and the Netherlands national team.
Kayleigh Marit Ellen van Dooren is a Dutch professional footballer who plays as a midfielder for Eredivisie club Twente and the Netherlands national team.
Marisa Christiane Wilhelmina Olislagers is a Dutch professional footballer who plays as a left-back or midfielder for Women's Super League club Brighton & Hove Albion and the Netherlands national team.
Chasity Shivonia Charissa Grant is a Dutch professional footballer who plays as a right winger or right wing-back for Women's Super League club Aston Villa and the Netherlands national team.
Wieke Hendrikje Maria Kaptein is a Dutch professional footballer who plays as a midfielder for Women's Super League club Chelsea and the Netherlands national team.
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