Every club legend has to start somewhere. Before they become global superstars, they are just young players trying to win over a critical home crowd. Page 18 of the September 2013 matchday programme captures exactly this moment for a 20-year-old Serbian winger named Filip Kostic.
The page announces the results of the “Essent Man of the Match” SMS voting for the previous home game against FC Utrecht. With a commanding 44% of the votes, Kostic comfortably beat out defender Timo Letschert (21%) and veteran midfielder Nick van der Velden (17%). The photo shows Kostic receiving his bouquet of flowers on the pitch of the Euroborg, a traditional Dutch footballing honor. What makes this page so compelling is the historical context printed right below it: the list of previous “Player of the Year” winners. By winning this first Man of the Match award, Kostic was taking his very first step toward joining a pantheon that included Arjen Robben, Luis Suarez, and Dusan Tadic.
For the fans texting their votes at 60 cents a pop, Kostic was a revelation. His blistering pace down the left flank and his relentless work ethic immediately resonated with the pragmatic, hard-working ethos of the northern supporters. He wasn’t just a player; he was an engine.
A Look into the Future
Filip Kostic did not just win that single Man of the Match award; he went on to have a spectacular season, eventually earning a lucrative transfer to VfB Stuttgart in Germany. By 2026, Kostic’s career has been nothing short of phenomenal, culminating in a Europa League victory with Eintracht Frankfurt and a high-profile move to Juventus. Looking back at this humble programme page, it serves as the official starting pistol for the career of one of the best crossers in modern European football, proving once again that the Euroborg is one of the continent’s greatest launching pads for raw talent.