Football is a deeply tribal game, but occasionally, family ties transcend the colors of the shirt. Page 6 of the September 21, 2013 matchday programme features the traditional away manager’s column, penned by RKC Waalwijk boss Erwin Koeman. While the first half of the text is standard managerial speak about his team’s fight for Eredivisie survival, the final paragraph, titled “EER” (Honor), elevates this page into a profound historical document.
Koeman reflects on the surreal, deeply emotional experience of managing an away team at the Euroborg. “When I look to the right tonight, I see a stand named after my family,” he writes, referring to the Koeman Stand. He immediately deflects the honor to his father, the legendary Martin Koeman. “My father gave his heart to GVAV and FC Groningen. He is still very active for the club, at Corpus den Hoorn and in the Euroborg. Groningen is in my heart too. You never forget that. But tonight, I will put that emotion aside.”
For the fans reading this before kickoff, it was a beautiful reminder of the royal family of Groningen football. Erwin and his brother Ronald had become global stars, but their father Martin was the eternal, beating heart of the local club, still walking the corridors of the stadium every single week. Erwin’s column is a masterclass in balancing professional ruthlessness with deep, undeniable familial love for the opposition.
A Look into the Future
Reading Erwin Koeman’s words from September 2013 carries a heavy, heartbreaking weight in hindsight. Just three months after this match was played, in December 2013, Martin Koeman suffered a cardiac arrest and tragically passed away at the age of 75. This matchday programme captures one of the very last times Erwin managed a game at the Euroborg while his father was still alive and actively working for the club. The Koeman Stand he looked at that night remains a permanent monument, but this printed column is a fleeting, beautiful snapshot of a son paying tribute to his father’s living legacy.