Before a player becomes a superstar, they have to survive the grueling process of adaptation. The December 19, 2013 cup programme features a massive, three-page interview with 21-year-old Serbian winger Filip Kostić, capturing him right at the moment he transformed from a struggling reserve into the undisputed talisman of FC Groningen.
The interview opens with a charming behind-the-scenes detail: Kostić is conducting the interview in English, right after finishing a Dutch lesson with teacher (and youth coach) Arjen Jorritsma. Kostić is brutally honest about his difficult first year in the Netherlands. “I didn’t know the language, didn’t know the city, and only had a very limited role in and around the first team,” he admits. He credits his time playing for the reserves under coach Dick Lukkien for keeping his fitness up, but notes that a good conversation with manager Erwin van de Looi over the summer changed everything.
Kostić reflects on his breakthrough moments, specifically his first official goal in the home match vs PSV, made even more special because his father was in the stadium. He also mentions his goals in the home match vs Roda JC and the away match vs Heracles Almelo . But the absolute historical gold of this interview is found on page 7, under the header “FINALE”.
The interviewer reminds Kostić that exactly 25 years ago (in 1989), FC Groningen reached its only KNVB Cup final in history. Kostić’s response is ambitious and clear: “Then it is time that we reach the final for the second time… If we win against NEC, we go through to the quarter-finals. And in the final, we naturally want to win. FC Groningen has the best supporters in the Netherlands and they deserve such a beautiful reward once again!”
A Look into the Future
The immediate aftermath of this interview was a bitter disappointment. Filip Kostić and his teammates did not beat NEC that evening; they suffered a shock 0-1 defeat, abruptly ending their 2013/2014 cup run and rendering his ambitious words tragically ironic for the night. However, Kostić had spoken the ultimate ambition into existence. The psychological groundwork was laid. Exactly one season later, in 2014/2015, FC Groningen fulfilled Kostić’s prophecy, reaching the final and winning the KNVB Cup for the first time in club history. Although Kostić himself had already been sold to VfB Stuttgart by the time the trophy was lifted, this printed interview proves that the dream of cup glory was actively brewing in the dressing room long before it became a reality.