Sometimes, reading an old matchday programme is like opening a time capsule of European football royalty. Page 6 of the November 2014 edition features an interview with PSV manager Phillip Cocu. While Cocu discusses his team’s resilience and their battle on three fronts, it is a single paragraph detailing the recent international break that truly drops the jaw of any modern football fan.
The text casually lists the ten PSV players who were away on international duty: Georginio Wijnaldum, Memphis Depay, Jetro Willems, Luciano Narsingh, Luuk de Jong, Jeffrey Bruma, Karim Rekik, Jorrit Hendrix, Santiago Arias, and Andrés Guardado. It is an absolutely terrifying assembly of talent for an Eredivisie side. Against this juggernaut, FC Groningen could only boast two youth internationals away that week: Dino Islamović (Sweden U21) and Hans Hateboer (Netherlands U21).
Yet, despite managing a squad destined for global superstardom, Cocu’s tone regarding the upcoming match was one of deep caution. “Groningen away is not an easy game for anyone in the Eredivisie,” Cocu admitted. He was acutely aware of Groningen’s unbeaten home streak. The Euroborg had cultivated a reputation as a graveyard for the traditional “Top 3” clubs, a place where sheer northern grit could neutralize millions of euros worth of talent.
A Look into the Future
By 2026, the PSV squad listed on this page has scattered across the highest echelons of world football, winning Champions Leagues with Liverpool, starring for Barcelona and Manchester United, and becoming legends in Mexico. They would go on to comfortably win the Eredivisie title that 2014/2015 season. However, Cocu’s respect for the Euroborg was entirely justified. The fact that FC Groningen could stand toe-to-toe with this specific generation of PSV players, defending their home turf with a developing 4-4-2 system, underscores just how formidable the Green-White army was during that magical cup-winning campaign.