There are goalkeepers who pad their stats against lower-league opposition, and then there are goalkeepers who save their absolute best performances for the brightest lights. By November 2013, FC Groningen shot-stopper Marco Bizot was firmly establishing himself as the latter. Page 18 of the matchday programme against Roda JC provides the statistical proof of his heroics.
The “Essent Speler van het Jaar” section announces the SMS voting results from the previous home fixture—a massive, hard-fought 1-0 victory over Dutch giants PSV. The fans were absolutely unequivocal in their assessment of who won them the game. Bizot claimed a staggering 61% of the vote, completely overshadowing the defensive masterclass of runner-up Eric Botteghin (19%) and the attacking flair of Filip Kostic (11%).
Earlier in the season, we documented Bizot winning the Man of the Match award for his heroics in a 1-1 draw against Ajax. Now, he had done it again against PSV, this time securing a clean sheet and all three points. The photo on the page shows him proudly holding his bouquet alongside Botteghin and Kostic. With this landslide victory, Bizot vaulted into the top three of the overall season standings, proving that the Euroborg faithful recognized that their recent surge up the Eredivisie table was built on the foundation of his safe hands.
A Look into the Future
Marco Bizot‘s reputation as a big-game player was forged in these exact matches at the Euroborg. His ability to command his box and pull off reflex saves against top-tier opposition eventually earned him a move to KRC Genk, and later a highly successful return to the Netherlands with AZ Alkmaar, where he broke Eredivisie clean-sheet records. By 2026, he is an established international-caliber goalkeeper playing in France’s Ligue 1. This 2013 programme page captures the exact era when he transformed from a promising youngster into an undeniable match-winner.