The Dutch Football League is organized by the Royal Dutch Football Association (KNVB, Koninklijke Nederlandse Voetbalbond).The most successful teams are Ajax (36), PSV (24) and Feyenoord (16). Important teams of the past are HVV (10 titles), Sparta Rotterdam (6 titles) and Willem II (3 titles).
The annual match that marks the beginning of the season is called the Johan Cruijff Schaal (Johan Cruyff Shield). Contenders are the champions and the cup winners of the previous season.
Dutch professional clubs
Club Location Venue Capacity Manager ADO Den Haag The Hague Cars Jeans Stadion 15,000 Darije Kalezić Ajax Amsterdam Johan Cruyff Arena 55,885 Míchel AZ Alkmaar AFAS Stadion 19,500 Maarten Martens Excelsior Rotterdam Stadion Woudestein 4,600 Marinus Dijkhuizen Feyenoord Rotterdam Stadion Feijenoord 47,500 Brian Priske Go Ahead Eagles Deventer Adelaarshorst 10,000 René Hake Groningen Groningen Noordlease Stadion 22,550 Dick Lukkien Heerenveen Heerenveen Abe Lenstra Stadion 26,100 Robin van Persie Heracles Almelo Almelo Polman Stadion 12,242 Erwin van de Looi NEC Nijmegen Stadion de Goffert 12,650 Rogier Meijer PEC Zwolle Zwolle MAC³PARK Stadion 14,000 Johnny Jansen PSV Eindhoven Philips Stadion 35,000 Peter Bosz Roda JC Kerkrade Parkstad Limburg Stadion 19,979 Bas Sibum Sparta Rotterdam Rotterdam Het Kasteel 11,000 Jeroen Rijsdijk Twente Enschede De Grolsch Veste 30,000 John van den Brom Utrecht Utrecht Stadion Galgenwaard 23,750 Ron Jans Vitesse Arnhem GelreDome 21,248 Edward Sturing Willem II Tilburg Tilburg Koning Willem II Stadion 15,220 Peter Maes Almere City Almere Yanmar Stadion 5,800 Hedwiges Maduro Cambuur Leeuwarden Cambuur Stadion 15,000 Henk de Jong De Graafschap Doetinchem Stadion De Vijverberg 12,600 Jan Vreman Den Bosch 's-Hertogenbosch De Vliert 6,936 David Nascimento Dordrecht Dordrecht GN Bouw Stadion 4,100 Melvin Boel FC Eindhoven Eindhoven Jan Louwers Stadion 4,200 Willem Weijs Emmen Emmen Univé Stadion 8,309 Fred Grim Fortuna Sittard Sittard Fortuna Sittard Stadion 12,000 Danny Buijs Helmond Sport Helmond Stadion De Braak 3,600 Bob Peeters MVV Maastricht De Geusselt 10,000 Maurice Verberne NAC Breda Breda Rat Verlegh Stadion 20,500 Carl Hoefkens TOP Oss Oss Heesen Yachts Stadion 4,561 Ruud Brood RKC Waalwijk Waalwijk Mandemakers Stadion 7,508 Henk Fraser Telstar Velsen TATA Steel Stadion 5,338 Anthony Correia Volendam Volendam Kras Stadion 6,800 Regillio Simons VVV-Venlo Venlo De Koel 8,000 Rick Kruys
Former Dutch league teams
Koninklijke HFC AVV RAP (of Amsterdam) were the first official champions of the Netherlands in 1899. The club however became a Cricket club in 1916 following a total of 5 national football titles. Fortuna 54 (of Geleen) and Sittardia (of Sittard) merged to form Fortuna Sittard in 1968. Blauw Wit, DWS and De Volewijckers merged to form FC Amsterdam in 1972, which ceased to exist in 1982. PEC and the Zwolsche Boys merged to form PEC Zwolle in 1971, which became FC Zwolle in 1990. Sportclub Enschede and the Enschedese Boys merged to form FC Twente in 1965. DOS, Elinkwijk and Velox merged to form FC Utrecht in 1970. GVAV became FC Groningen in 1971. Alkmaar 54 and FC Zaanstreek merged to form AZ in 1967. Roda Sport and Rapid JC merged to form Roda JC in 1962. BVC Rotterdam and BVC Flamingos merged to form Scheveningen Holland Sport in 1954, which merged with ADO in 1971 to form FC Den Haag, and became ADO Den Haag in 1996. SVV and Dordrecht '90 merged to form SVV/Dordrecht '90 in 1991. The club has since been renamed FC Dordrecht. VC Vlissingen (from Flushing) became a professional club in 1990, changed its name to VCV Zeeland a year later, and became an amateur club again in 1992. FC Wageningen (founded in 1911) won the Dutch cup in 1939 and 1948, joined the Dutch professional league when it was formed in 1954, and remained professional until the club went bankrupt in 1992. HVC of Amersfoort was formed in 1905, joined the league in 1954, was renamed to SC Amersfoort in 1973 and went bankrupt in 1982. Fortuna Vlaardingen (formed in 1904) joined the professional league in 1955, was renamed to FC Vlaardingen in 1974 and went bankrupt in 1981. HFC Haarlem (formed in 1889) joined the professional league in 1954 and remained professional until the club went bankrupt in 2010. RBC Roosendaal (formed in 1927) joined the professional league in 1955 till 1971 and 1983 and remained professional until the club went bankrupt in 2011. AGOVV Apeldoorn (formed in 1913) joined the professional league in 1954 till 1971, returned to professional soccer on 1 July 2003, and went bankrupt in 2013. SC Veendam (formed in 1894) joined the professional league in 1954, and went bankrupt in 2013. Zwart-Wit '28 won the national amateur championship in 1971 and the national cup for women in 2000. Went bankrupt in 2004.
See also
Eerste Divisie Eredivisie List of football stadiums in the Netherlands
References
External links Midfield Dynamo's list of the Dutch football league's 'Big 3' and 'Best of the Rest' of the other clubs, midfielddynamo.com Orange Football Blog - Weekly summaries from the Eredivisie and other articles, nlplanet.com Official Eredivisie site Official Eerste Divisie website League321.com - Club stats records.
ja:エールディヴィジ