PSV 10-0 Feyenoord, a “dark day” in De Kuip’s history – but where are those players now?

October 24, 2010 is a day that lives in infamy for Feyenoord as the Rotterdammers suffered a humbling and humiliating 10-0 defeat at PSV Eindhoven.

“Our defending after the interval was absolutely disgraceful. This is a dark day in the history of Feyenoord. What happened here doesn’t just hurt me as a coach, but also as a fan of the club Feyenoord,” was how the head coach for the losing side, Mario Been, summarised things in his post-match press conference.

The result, Feyenoord’s worst-ever defeat, sent shock waves across Europe and came at a time when the club were frantically working to avoid bankruptcy. It is suggested the financial situation explains why losing 10-0 was not deemed reason enough to sack Been, who had been great servant of De Kuip in his playing days; as one account puts it, ‘they couldn’t afford to.’ Only after the club-saving takeover, 10th-place finish and a dressing-room vote to oust the head coach did Feyenoord decide to replace Been with Ronald Koeman the following summer.

For the hosts, it was PSV at their ruthless best under pragmatist Fred Rutten, but they could not challenge for the championship. That stayed in Amsterdam with Ajax.

Read for the fortunes of all 22 players present on the field at kick-off.

PSV Eindhoven

Goalkeeper: Andreas Isaksson

• Age: 40
• Current club: Retired
• PSV appearances: 174

Two Swedish footballing icons were born on 3 October 1981. One was Zlatan Ibrahovic, the other was Andreas Isaksson.

Isaksson was the heir to Petr Cech at Rennes and would soon follow the Czech shot-stopper to the Premier League by joining Manchester City. That association was ultimately brief – but not before he would concede eight in the infamous defeat against Middlesbrough – and the Swede moved to PSV, where he firmly established himself as an undisputed starter and was finally on the right side of a hammering here.

Isaksson eventually left for Turkish outfit Kasımpaşa and then returning home with Djurgårdens IF. It was in Turkey in 2018 that the 133-time cap Sweden international called time on a near two-decade-long career, half of which he spent as the Sweden’s reigning ‘Goalkeeper of the Year’.

Right-back: Atiba Hutchinson

• Age: 38
• Current club: Besiktas
• PSV appearances: 115

Few could have foreseen Hutchinson becoming the player he is at Beşiktaş, where he lifted back-to-back championships. The 37-year-old Canadian defensive midfielder – who played at right-back against Feyenoord – was a steady hand at PSV, where he made 80 league appearances in three seasons. But it’s fair to say he’s enhanced his profile, and trophy cabinet, while in Turkey.

Centre-back: Marcelo

• Age: 34
• Current club: Lyon
• PSV appearances: 139

PSV signed no fewer than seven players ahead of the 2010/11 season, including the aforementioned Hutchinson and Brazilian centre-back Marcelo.

The latter remained in Eindhoven for three seasons before joining the Bundesliga’s Hannover 96. From there he’d represent Beşiktaş, before moving onto his current club, Lyon in 2017.

Centre-back: Wilfred Bouma

• Age: 43
• Current club: Retired
• PSV appearances: 347

Bouma left to a hero’s farewell when he joined Aston Villa from PSV in 2005. The multifunctional Dutch defender enjoyed a modest Premier League career before returning in 2010 and going on to play his final games as a professional.

Left-back: Erik Pieters

• Age: 33
• Current club: Burnley
• PSV appearances: 140

The year 2010 proved a breakthrough year for Pieters, who made his international debut for the Netherlands just months before this game. Stoke City would bring him to England three years later. He’d remain there – bar a very brief loan spell at Amiens – through their 2017 relegation until joining Burnley in the summer of 2019.

Central midfielder: Orlando Engelaar

• Age: 42
• Current club: Retired
• PSV appearances: 116

A surprise call-up for Euro 2008 earned then-FC Twente midfielder Orlando Engelaar – who began his career at Feyenoord – a big move to Bundesliga club Schalke 04. He didn’t last long, though, and would return to the Eredivisie with PSV signing him a year after initially leaving.

He would then join Melbourne Heart before ending his career at Twente.

Central midfielder: Ibrahim Afellay

• Age: 35
• Current club: Retired
• PSV appearances: 225

This was one of Ibrahim Afellay’s final games in his first spell with boyhood club PSV as Barcelona, then managed by Pep Guardiola, would sign him a few months later. However, the 2007 Dutch Football Talent of the Year failed to validate those premature comparisons with Andres Iniesta at the Camp Nou. He made 21 league appearances before following Bojan Krkic to Stoke City in 2015.

Several seasons and a number of injury setbacks later, and Afellay returned to PSV, picking up where he left off as club captain. However, it would only last one season, with Afellay bidding a tearful farewell following the early end to the Eredivisie.

Ibi heeft nieuws voor jullie…
𝗜’𝗺 𝗻𝗼𝘁 𝗰𝗿𝘆𝗶𝗻𝗴, 𝘆𝗼𝘂’𝗿𝗲 𝗰𝗿𝘆𝗶𝗻𝗴 😢#HabIBI pic.twitter.com/XqaCsb4zeU

— PSV (@PSV) May 27, 2020

Right-winger: Jeremain Lens

• Age: 33
• Current club: Besiktas
• PSV appearances: 138

Jeremain Lens turned pro at AZ under Louis van Gaal, but it was with PSV he truly established himself as a Dutch intentional. After bagging 34 goals across 96 league matches, he’d join Ukraine giants Dynamo Kyiv. Sunderland later signed him and lived to regret it. David Moyes was moved to describe Lens as “disgracefully disrespectful” in 2017, when quotes emerged suggesting the player, then at loan at Besiktas, wanted to see his parent club relegated so as to make getting out his contract “easier”.

Since leaving England, Lens has exclusively played in Turkey, with Fenerbahçe and Beşiktaş, before joining the latter on a permanent basis.

Attacking midfielder: Ola Toivonen

• Age: 35
• Current club: Malmo FF
• PSV appearances: 199

The last World Cup finals in Russia saw Ola Toivonen call time on his international career with Sweden (but not before scoring against Germany). That summer also saw him join A-League club Melbourne Victory; before that he was at Toulouse and Rennes, whom he joined from PSV where he remains a cult favourite by virtue of his 61 league goals. After two years in Australia, Toivonen is now back with Malmo.

Left-winger: Balázs Dzsudzsák

• Age: 34
• Current club: Debrecen
• PSV appearances: 162

In 2010, it seemed only a matter of time before Balázs Dzsudzsák cemented himself as one of Europe’s premier forwards. Dzsudzsák scored twice and set up another two goals against Feyenoord and was named Hungarian footballer of the year shortly after, having ended the previous season with more assists than any Eredvisie player.

But despite expressing an interest in moving to La Liga, that big move never transpired. Where former teammate Dries Mertens would join Napoli, Dzsudzsák moved to then emerging Russian side Anzhi Makhachkala. They would become the first of many clubs he’d represent across this past decade, the former Hungarian international is now back at boyhood club Debrecen.

Striker: Jonathan Reis

• Age: 32
• Current club: Retired
• PSV appearances: 41

Like Dzsudzsák, Jonathan Reis – who scored a hat-trick in this game – was seemingly destined for greatness after signing for PSV in 2007. Also like Dzsudzsák, he would sadly never fulfil that potential.

Injuries and drug abuse would blight his career and Reis was even sacked after testing positive for a banned substance, before returning in the summer of 2010.

Reis later represented Vitesse and has since played in Brazil and Japan.

Feyenoord

Goalkeeper: Rob van Dijk

• Age: 52
• Current club: Retired
• Feyenoord appearances: 57

A club stalwart, Rob van Dijk (no relation to Virgil) was there in the 1993 when Feyenoord lifted the championship.

He’d return in 2008 before hanging up his gloves at the end of the 2010/11 season but temporarily came out of retirement when FC Utrecht needed a goalkeeper after Michel Vorm joined Swansea City.

Right-back: Kelvin Leerdam

• Age: 31
• Current club: Inter Miami
• Feyenoord appearances: 113

Had Leerdam not been sent off away to PSV just under a decade ago, this article might not even exist. After all, Feyenoord were only 1-0 down when the defender received his second yellow – staring at a probable defeat, but perhaps not quite the heaviest defeat in the club’s history.

A graduate of Feyenoord’s esteemed academy, Leerdam proved to be a reliable performer for the Rotterdammers before joining Vitesse where he continued in that vein. He’s since moved stateside and now represents Inter Miami after representing Seattle Sounders, with whom he lifted the 2019 MLS Cup.

Centre-back: Stefan de Vrij

• Age: 29
• Current club: Inter Milan
• Feyenoord appearances: 154

Soon after Koeman joined as Feyenoord boss he made Stefan de Vrij the captain and he’s never looked back since. After becoming a mainstay with the Dutch national team, and impressing under Louis van Gaal at the 2014 World Cup finals, De Vrij switch to Lazio before later moving to Serie A rivals Inter Milan, where he’s lifted the 2020/21 Scudetto under Antonio Conte’s leadership.

Centre-back: André Bahia

• Age: 37
• Current club: Retired
• Feyenoord appearances: 213

A seven-year association with Feyenoord ensured André Bahia will forever be remembered by De Kuip.

After leaving in 2011 for Turkish club Samsunspor, Bahia returned home to Brazil with Botafogo, and from there Bahia signed with Japanese outfit Shonan Bellmare, his last club.

Left-back: Tim de Cler

• Age: 43
• Current club: Retired
• Feyenoord appearances: 109

“It is hard to realise what happened,” Tim de Cler told reporters after the game. “After the first goal and the red card everyone just played their own match and we totally collapsed.”

Feyenoord was De Cler’s third club, having previously turned out for AZ and boyhood club Ajax. Those Amsterdam connections though wouldn’t matter a great deal, as he would go on to make over 100 appearances for the Rotterdammers.

Central midfielder: Leroy Fer

• Age: 30
• Current club: Alanyaspor
• Feyenoord appearances: 159

It quickly became obvious that Feyenoord wouldn’t keep hold of Leroy Fer. League rivals FC Twente snapped him before selling him onto Norwich City, where he never really showed his potential. Swansea City did manage to see the best of Fer who can now be found back in Turkey with Alanyaspor whom he joined from the Rotterdammers where he played the ‘elder statesman’ role.

Central midfielder: Kamohelo Mokotjo

• Age: 30
• Current club: FC Cincinnati
• Feyenoord appearances: 38

Kamohelo Mokotjo, like former teammate Fer, would come into his own at FC Twente, whom he joined from PEC Zwolle. Those performances in Enschede caught the eye of Brentford and the South African international became an integral fixture at the Championship club as they chased promotion to the Premier League, but he’s since moved onto MLS outfit FC Cincinnati.

Right-winger: Ruben Schaken

• Age: 39
• Current club: Retired
• Feyenoord appearances: 136

A tireless forward, Ruben Schaken wouldn’t make his senior international debut until well into his early 30s. After five seasons with Feyenoord, he’d relocate to Azerbaijan. There, he played for Inter Baku before ending his professional career at ADO Den Haag.

Attacking midfielder: Luigi Bruins

• Age: 34
• Current club: VV Smitshoek
• Feyenoord appearances: 109

Another youngster who had the world at his feet. Luigi Bruins promised so much but fumbled the delivery. After leaving Feyenoord, he’d play in Austria and France with two spells at Rotterdam rivals Excelsior, where the attacking midfielder was based until joining VV Smitshoek.

Left-winger: Georginio Wijnaldum

• Age: 30
• Current club: Paris Saint-Germain
• Feyenoord appearances: 135

Very few could have seen the trajectory Wijnaldum’s career would take. In the ensuing years following this game, he’s played in various positions for club and country. At PSV, he was nominally an attacking midfielder but at Liverpool (who signed him from Newcastle United as a goalscoring wideman), he was Jurgen Klopp’s studious No.8 and a key member of their Champions League and Premier League-winning side before leaving for Paris Saint-Germain this summer.

Striker: Luc Castaignos

• Age: 29
• Current club: OFI
• Feyenoord appearances: 42

Dubbed the ‘new Thierry Henry’ after excelling in an international youth tournament, Luc Castaignos has come nowhere close to reaching those heights. A combination of fruitless career decisions – joining Inter Milan so young – and injuries can explain why he’s not playing his football in a major European league right now.