In so-called smaller European nations, outside of the big five leagues, football can often become a largely predictable affair with a few select teams generally hoovering up trophies and enjoying success between them.
Historically, Portugal has always had a ‘big three’ consisting of Porto, Benfica and Sporting CP. Turkey’s equivalent features Galatasaray, Fenerbahce, and Besiktas. In Scotland, Celtic and Rangers are far more successful than any other club while Anderlecht, Club Brugge and Standard Liege dominate proceedings in Belgium.
The same is true of the Netherlands, where three major clubs – Ajax, PSV and Feyenoord – have claimed 75 national league titles combined. With bigger stadiums, better youth facilities, greater fan bases and ultimately more wealth than the rest, it is no surprise that they have often made up the top three positions in the Dutch Eredivisie.
Between 2008 and 2010, though, all hell broke loose as two clubs outside the traditional big three won the Eredivisie title.
In 2009-10, the much-maligned Steve McLaren steered FC Twente to their first-ever Dutch league title, a success that immediately followed AZ Alkmaar’s second-ever title win in 2008-09 under the management of former Ajax manager Louis van Gaal.
When Van Gaal returned to AZ – the club where he had started his coaching career as assistant manager between 1986-88 – it appeared his time as a top coach had come to an end following spells in charge of Ajax, the Dutch national team and Barcelona.
The reverse was true, though, as after revitalising the club by leading them to a second-, third- and first-place finish in his four seasons in charge, Van Gaal was hired by Bayern Munich, the Netherlands again, Manchester United and the Netherlands (again).
AZ’s shock title win worked wonders for their coach, but what became of their players? Here’s where AZ’s class of 08/09 are now.
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Sergio Romero
Age: 36
Position: Goalkeeper
2008/09 apps: 28
Current club: Boca Juniors
Sergio Romero’s professional career practically started in Alkmaar as he was signed by Van Gaal in 2007 after making only five appearances for Racing Club in Argentina prior to the move.
In total, he spent four years at AZ before joining Sampdoria. During his time in Italy, Romero helped his side earn promotion from Serie B while he also spent a season on loan at Monaco.
Van Gaal signed him for the second time for United, where he went on to win the League Cup, Europa League and FA Cup before joining Venezia and now Boca Juniors.
Gill Swerts
Age: 40
Position: Right-back
2008/09 apps: 28
Retired in: 2019
A steady if unspectacular full-back, Gill Swerts was a virtual ever-present in the side during the title win and stuck around for a further two years before returning to Feyenoord where he started his career.
Swerts spent just one season in Rotterdam before taking in spells with SønderjyskE in Denmark, NAC Breda and Notts County, who he represented in the 2015-16 season.
He last played for Belgian outfit KFC Lille whom he joined in January 2019.
Kew Jaliens
Age: 44
Position: Centre-back
2008/09 apps: 24
Retired in: 2015
After spending seven years in Alkmaar, Kew Jaliens embarked on a new challenge by joining Wisla Krakow for a couple of seasons before heading to Australia to play for Newcastle Jets and then Melbourne City, where he ended his career.
These days, he has moved into coaching, taking up roles as an assistant manager for the quite brilliantly named semi-pro club Weston Workers Bears FC in Australia’s New South Wales and most recently Newcastle Jets FC Youth team.
Niklas Moisander
Age: 37
Position: Centre-back
2008/09 apps: 22
Current club: Malmo
A pre-season signing from PEC Zwolle in 2008, Niklas Moisander became a key member of Van Gaal’s back four and remained integral to the side for four years until he left for Ajax.
While in Amsterdam, Moisander added two more Eredivisie titles to his collection before deciding to take his career to Italy with Sampdoria and then Germany to Werder Bremen in the summer of 2016.
Hector Moreno
Age: 35
Position: Centre-back
2008/09 apps: 15
Current club: Monterrey
A regular starter in the side prior to fracturing his metatarsal midway through the campaign, an injury that ruled the Mexican out of action for over three months.
Moreno left AZ in 2011 to join Espanyol and following four productive seasons in Catalunya, he made a return to Dutch football in 2015 by signing for PSV, whom he helped win the league title in the 2015-16 season.
He joined Roma in the summer of 2017, before moving to Real Sociedad the following January and even turning out in Qatar with Al-Gharafa. He is now back in his homeland with Monterrey and hasn’t yet retired from international football, racking up 132 caps for Mexico.
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Ragnar Klavan
Age: 37
Position: Centre-back
2008/09 apps: 12
Current club: Unattached
Replacing Moreno at the heart of AZ’s back four was the Estonia international Ragnar Klavan, who joined on an initial loan deal from Heracles before signing permanently after the title win.
Klavan stayed at AZ until 2012 when he moved to German side Augsburg and after establishing himself as the captain there during his four years, he joined Liverpool in Jurgen Klopp’s first summer transfer window.
With his winner against Burnley on New Year’s Day in 2018, Klavan became the first Estonian to score in Premier League history. He would move to Serie A team Cagliari that summer after slipping down the pecking order at Anfield and has since had a spell back in Estonia with Paide Linnameeskond.
Away from the pitch, it has recently been announced that he will be the spokesperson for Estonia at this year’s Eurovision in Liverpool, meaning he will be reading out the nation’s points allocation.
Sebastien Pocognoli
Age: 35
Position: Left-back
2008/09 apps: 28
Retired in: 2021
Signed by Van Gaal in 2007 after starting his career with Genk, Sebastien Pocognoli was AZ’s starting left-back for two-and-a-half years but returned to Belgium in 2010 to sign for Standard Liege.
From there he went to Germany to line up for Hannover 96 and after two seasons with them, he was on the move again, joining West Brom where he struggled to secure a starting spot before they loaned him out to Brighton in 2016
He was sold a year later, back to his old club Standard Liege, where he remained for two seasons before joining Saint Gilloise. The full-back retired in 2019 but has remained Les Unionistes as their U21 head coach.
Demy de Zeeuw
Age: 39
Position: Right-midfield
2008/09 apps: 30
Retired in: 2015
After impressing Van Gaal in a pre-season friendly while playing for Go Ahead Eagles, Demy de Zeeuw transferred to AZ in 2005 and he was a cog in their midfield by the time of their title success.
Shortly after lifting the title, De Zeeuw joined Ajax where he won a Dutch Cup and an Eredivisie title before he took in spells abroad for the first time in his career, playing for Spartak Moscow and then Anderlecht. He most recently played for NAC Breda.
David Mendes da Silva
Age: 40
Position: Central midfielder
2008/09 apps: 29
Retired in: 2017
Another Van Gaal signing, David Mendes da Silva was a versatile, combative midfielder who earned seven caps for the Netherlands during his peak years.
After four years in Alkmaar, he joined Red Bull Salzburg where he spent three years prior to a move to Panathinaikos, where he acted as player-assistant manager for a season.
He then went on to play for Sparta Rotterdam for the second time in his career before retiring in 2017.
Stijn Schaars
Age: 39
Position: Central midfielder
2008/09 apps: 29
Retired in: 2019
Van Gaal’s playmaker in midfield, Stijn Schaars possessed a powerful left foot and excellent vision and was pivotal in helping his side win the title. During that season, he was compared in style to former Liverpool captain Steven Gerrard by the Dutch press.
He earned 24 caps for the Netherlands between 2006 and 2016 and went on to play for Sporting CP and PSV before joining SC Heerenveen where he hung up his boots.
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Maarten Martens
Age: 38
Position: Attacking midfielder
2008/09 apps: 33
Retired in: 2015
The imaginatively named Maarten Martens made more appearances than any other player in AZ’s squad and his efficient performances on the left-flank were clearly appreciated by his manager.
Undoubtedly the best years of Maartens career were spent with AZ. He played eight seasons with the club before trying his hand in Greece with PAOK and then returning to Belgium to play for Cercle Brugge.
After hanging up his boots, he became a youth coach for their rivals Club Brugge and is now manager of Jong AZ.
Mousa Dembele
Age: 35
Position: Striker
2008/09 apps: 23
Retired in: 2022
Given the manner in which he has dominated games in Tottenham’s midfield, it is strange to think that Mousa Dembele started his career as a central striker.
Indeed, he managed 10 league goals in 2008/09, the same number he managed in seven years at Tottenham.
Dembele spent one further season in the Netherlands before moving on to England. The Belgian international spent two seasons in west London with Fulham, before switching to north London.
Injuries halted Dembele’s progress and he ultimately moved to China by signing for Guangzhou R&F in 2019, before pulling the curtain down on his career last year.
Mounir El Hamdaoui
Age: 38
Position: Striker
2008/09 apps: 31
Retired in: 2022
The 2008/09 season was undoubtedly Mounir el Hamdaoui’s best – having failed to impress at Spurs after an initial breakthrough with Excelsior – as he struck 23 goals to fire his side to the title. A move to Ajax in 2010 followed and despite scoring 13 goals in 26 league games, disciplinary issues led to him leaving for Fiorentina.
His career stalled in Florence and he was loaned to Malaga for half a season before rejoining AZ during the 2015/16 season. Most recently, he played for Qatari side Al Kharaitiyat — whom he joined after spells with Excelsior and FC Twente — and DHSC back in the Netherlands, but like Dembele, he bowed out last year.
Graziano Pelle
Age: 37
Position: Striker
2008/09 apps: 20
Current club: Unattached
It took a while for Graziano Pelle to get going and it would be fair to say he was still finding his feet while playing for AZ as he was predominantly a substitute during the season they won the title.
The towering Italian finally exploded into life when playing for Feyenoord – via spells at Parma and Sampdoria – where he scored 55 goals in 65 games, leading to a move to Southampton.
After two years on the south coast, Pelle joined Shandong Luneng in China ahead of the 2016-17 season, becoming one of the best-paid players in the world in the process. He remained there for four years and had a brief spell at Parma in 2021, but has been unattached since then.