For any club outside the traditional Dutch “Top Three,” a home fixture against Ajax is the ultimate red-letter day on the calendar. It is the match where the stadium is loudest, the tension is highest, and heroes are forged. Page 18 of the September 2014 matchday programme captures the immediate aftermath of exactly such a heroic afternoon at the Euroborg.
The “Essent Speler van het Jaar” column proudly announces the voting results following a spectacular 2-0 home victory over the reigning champions from Amsterdam. The Man of the Match award went to the Brazilian bedrock of the defense, Eric Botteghin, who secured 24% of the SMS votes. Botteghin didn’t just keep a clean sheet against the lethal Ajax attack; he broke the deadlock by scoring the opening goal.
Interestingly, the voting was incredibly tight. Local boy and academy product Yoëll van Nieff finished a close second with 22% of the votes, highlighting how much the fans appreciated a homegrown talent stepping up on the biggest stage. This victory over Ajax was an early-season statement of intent from manager Erwin van de Looi’s squad, proving they could go toe-to-toe with the absolute best in the country on their own turf.
A Look into the Future
By 2026, this specific 2-0 victory over Ajax is remembered as one of the foundational moments of the historic 2014/2015 season. It instilled a deep sense of belief within the squad that culminated in their KNVB Cup triumph. For Eric Botteghin, performances like this one—combining defensive dominance with crucial goals against top opposition—put him firmly on the radar of the traditional giants. He would eventually transfer to Feyenoord, where he won the Eredivisie title, proving that the giant-slayer of the Euroborg was destined to become a giant himself.