The “Derby of the North” against SC Heerenveen is always the most emotionally charged fixture on the FC Groningen calendar. In his “De Warming Up” column for the December 7, 2014 matchday programme, manager Erwin van de Looi perfectly captured the tense, ambitious mood surrounding the Euroborg.
Van de Looi begins by highlighting a point of immense pride: his team was one of only three Eredivisie clubs still unbeaten at home. To describe the grueling winter schedule, he leans on a distinctly Dutch sporting metaphor, comparing the run of fixtures to cycling. “In the run-up to the home game against PSV, I used some cycling terms… We had some heavy mountain stages to go,” he writes. Having successfully navigated those “mountains” by picking up points against PSV and FC Twente, the manager notes that the team’s style of play is finally breeding real confidence.
However, the most historically significant part of the column is tucked away in the final paragraphs. Van de Looi mentions the “good news” surrounding the club, specifically highlighting the recent appointments and signings. He explicitly names the arrival of Performance Manager Gerard Kemkers and the signing of young Swedish midfielder Simon Tibbling. At the time of writing, these were just positive administrative updates to share with the fans before a big derby.
A Look into the Future
Reading this column from the vantage point of 2026 feels like reading the prologue to a fairytale. Van de Looi’s “mountain stages” were preparing his squad for the ultimate climb. The two names he casually drops—Gerard Kemkers and Simon Tibbling—would become instrumental in the club’s history. Kemkers would revolutionize the club’s physical preparation at the Topsportzorgcentrum, while Tibbling would become the creative engine that drove FC Groningen to their historic KNVB Cup victory just five months later. Van de Looi’s confidence wasn’t misplaced; he was quietly assembling a legendary team right in front of the fans’ eyes.