Twente

Football Club Twente (Dutch pronunciation: [ɛfˈseː ˈtʋɛntə]) is a Dutch professional football club from the city of Enschede. The club was formed in 1965 by the merger of 1926 Dutch champions, Sportclub Enschede and Enschedese Boys. They were the holders of the 2011 KNVB Cup and Johan Cruyff Shield trophies, and were Eredivisie champions in the 2009–10 season; the team has also finished as Eredivisie runner-up twice, was runner-up in the 1974–75 UEFA Cup, and has won the KNVB Cup three times. Twente's home ground since 1998 is De Grolsch Veste. Since 2019, the club has played in the Eredivisie, the top division of Dutch football.

History

Foundation and early years

The club was formed in 1965 as a merger of two professional clubs, Sportclub Enschede and the Enschedese Boys. One of such predecessors, SC Enschede, had also won a single Dutch championship in 1926.

The first successes of the club started just after the merger of 1965, under the innovative coach Kees Rijvers. Twente finished third in 1969, fourth in 1970, fifth in 1971, third in 1972 and again in 1973. The team's key figures were local heroes, such as Epi Drost, Eddy Achterberg, Kick van der Vall and Theo Pahlplatz. Their finest Eredivisie season was 1973–74, in which Twente battled for the Dutch championship with Feyenoord. A head-to-head confrontation in the final game of the season, in Rotterdam, where Feyenoord prevailed 3–2, sealed Twente's fate in second. Nonetheless, this earned the side a position in the UEFA Cup.

The Tukkers (as people from the Dutch region of Twente are generally called) nearly made the very most out of that UEFA Cup ticket—after beating Juventus in the semi-finals, Twente lost to German side Borussia Monchengladbach in the finals (0–0, 1–5).

In 1977, Twente won its first trophy, the KNVB Cup, after beating PEC Zwolle 3–0.

The 1980s and 1990s

After enjoying some success in the 1970s, prospects went downhill for Twen

This page also has a version in other languages :  Твенте (russian)