Every local academy dreams of producing a player who embodies the raw, unyielding spirit of their region. For FC Groningen in 2014, that player was a 20-year-old right-back from the small eastern village of Beerta: Hans Hateboer. The November matchday programme against PSV dedicated its main feature to the young defender, capturing him right in the middle of a chaotic, spectacular breakthrough year.
The article immediately highlights the sheer turbulence of his introduction to professional football. “The entrance of Hans Hateboer into the first team… was highly talked about with an assist and a red card,” the text recalls, referencing his unforgettable debut against RKC Waalwijk in January 2014. Hateboer himself reflects on the whirlwind of emotions, from being thrown into the deep end, to celebrating European qualification on the Grote Markt, to suddenly finding himself playing for Jong Oranje (the Dutch U21s). “The things I have experienced in my first professional season are hard to match,” he admits.
However, the interview is not just a highlight reel; it delves into his tactical and physical struggles. Hateboer openly discusses playing through pain during the pre-season and his difficulties adapting to manager Erwin van de Looi’s new tactical setup. “I am absolutely not satisfied with my own input in the team yet. We all still need to get used to each other in the 4-4-2 system, but there is certainly an upward trend. For me as a right-back, it takes getting used to that there isn’t always a right-winger directly in front of me.” He also acknowledges the internal competition with Tom Hiariej and looks forward to the ultimate test: facing PSV’s star winger, Memphis Depay.
A Look into the Future
Reading this profile from the perspective of 2026 is a testament to Hateboer’s incredible work ethic. The raw, aggressive kid from Beerta who struggled with a 4-4-2 system in Groningen would eventually evolve into one of the most dynamic wing-backs in Europe. After winning the KNVB Cup with Groningen, he transferred to Atalanta Bergamo in Italy. There, under Gian Piero Gasperini, he became a crucial cog in a team that dazzled in the UEFA Champions League and won the Europa League, earning numerous caps for the senior Dutch national team. Yet, looking back at this 2014 programme, you can already see the foundation of his success: brutal honesty, physical resilience, and an absolute refusal to back down from a challenge.