Fixtures

Netherlands Eredivisie 03/30 19:00 27 Go Ahead Eagles vs Excelsior - View
Netherlands Eredivisie 04/02 18:00 28 Excelsior vs PSV - View
Netherlands Eredivisie 04/06 18:00 29 PEC Zwolle vs Excelsior - View
Netherlands Eredivisie 04/12 18:00 30 Excelsior vs FC Volendam - View
Netherlands Eredivisie 04/28 12:30 31 Ajax vs Excelsior - View
Netherlands Eredivisie 05/06 18:00 32 Excelsior vs NEC - View

Results

Netherlands Eredivisie 03/16 19:00 26 [15] Excelsior v RKC [16] D 1-1
Netherlands Eredivisie 03/10 11:15 25 [4] AZ v Excelsior [15] L 4-0
Netherlands Eredivisie 03/03 15:45 24 [12] Fortuna Sittard v Excelsior [15] L 5-2
Netherlands Eredivisie 02/25 11:15 23 [15] Excelsior v Vitesse [18] L 1-2
Netherlands Eredivisie 02/17 17:45 22 [10] Sparta Rotterdam v Excelsior [15] L 4-2
Netherlands Eredivisie 02/10 17:45 21 [14] Excelsior v FC Twente [3] L 0-3
Netherlands Eredivisie 02/02 19:00 20 [14] Almere City FC v Excelsior [11] L 2-1
Netherlands Eredivisie 01/27 20:00 19 [10] Excelsior v FC Utrecht [14] D 1-1
Netherlands Eredivisie 01/19 19:00 18 [15] Excelsior v Heerenveen [9] W 3-0
Netherlands Cup 01/16 19:00 4 Excelsior v FC Groningen L 0-2
Netherlands Eredivisie 01/13 20:00 17 [1] PSV v Excelsior [13] L 3-1
Europe Friendlies 01/07 14:30 - Excelsior v St Pauli - CANC

Stats

 TotalHomeAway
Matches played 43 20 23
Wins 7 4 3
Draws 17 10 7
Losses 19 6 13
Goals for 54 25 29
Goals against 81 29 52
Clean sheets 9 4 5
Failed to score 11 5 6

Wikipedia - Excelsior Rotterdam

Excelsior Rotterdam, commonly known as Excelsior, is a Dutch professional football club based in Rotterdam, Netherlands. They play in the Eredivisie, the top tier of Dutch football from the 2022–23 season following promotion. The club was founded on 23 July 1902 and was formerly known as "Rotterdamse Voetbal en Atletiek Vereniging Excelsior" (Rotterdam Football and Athletics Club Excelsior). Excelsior's home stadium is the Stadion Woudestein – for sponsorship reasons known as the Van Donge & De Roo Stadion – which has a capacity of about 4,500, one of the smallest stadiums hosting professional football in the Netherlands.

History

Early history

Excelsior were officially formed on 23 July 1902 as Rotterdamse Voetbal en Atletiek Vereniging Excelsior (English: Rotterdam Football and Athletics Club Excelsior). However, the initial founders of the club, a group of close friends located in the Kralingen district of Rotterdam, were already playing their football matches together on the fields of the eighteenth century buitenplaats Woudesteyn. After the actual establishment of the club, the municipality officially gave permission to use the land. As football was still an elite sport at the beginning of the 20th century, Excelsior became one of the first working class clubs in the Netherlands.

First successes

In the season 1945–46, Excelsior gained their first success by promoting to the Eerste Klasse, the highest tier of Dutch football before professional football was introduced in 1954. The deciding match against VUC was played in De Kuip and attracted 52.000 spectators. Excelsior relegated in the next season, but managed to promote for the second time in the season 1951–52. After the introduction of professional football, Excelsior won the Eerste Divisie championship three times (1974, 1979 and 2006) and promoted to the Eredivisie various times, usually to relegate not long afterwards.

Excelsior once reached the KNVB Cup final in the season 1929–30, but lost the match to fellow Rotterdam club Feyenoord (0–1). Excelsior's biggest pre-war achievement was the win of the Zilveren Bal trophy. Excelsior beat Feyenoord (5–0) in the finals of the highly rated pre-season tournament.

Founding father of Dutch professional football

In the mid-fifties, Excelsior were the leading club behind the introduction of professional football in the Netherlands. When the KNVB continued to refuse payments in football, Excelsior chairman Henk Zon and board member Aad Libregts managed to persuade association president Hans Hopster, in cooperation with the directors of Feyenoord, Sparta and ADO Den Haag. In August 1954 the KNVB accepted the proposal and professional football was introduced in the Netherlands.

Excelsior in the 1963–64 Season

Pioneers

Being the smallest professional club in Rotterdam, Excelsior always had to be creative to survive. This creativity made Excelsior play a pioneering role within Dutch football. In 1958 Excelsior became the first Dutch club with covered stands. Later, in 1974, Excelsior also were the first Dutch club with shirt advertising. Against the then existing rules, the club put an 'A' on the shirt. The character was supposed to stand for 'Team A', but in reality it stood for Akai, the company of main investor Rob Albers. The KNVB decided to ban the 'A' from the shirt and it would take until 1982 for shirt advertising to be introduced. Akai would adorn the shirts of Excelsior until the season 1999–00.

Millennium

In 2002, the year in which the club was officially 100 years old, Excelsior returned to the Eredivisie. They did this after spending more than 20 years in the second tier of Dutch football. They were relegated after one season. In the 2005/2006 season Excelsior became champions of the Eerste Divisie and were promoted back to the Eredivisie once again.

Between 1997 and 2005 Excelsior had a partnership with Rotterdam rivals Feyenoord. Excelsior became Feyenoord's satellite club. As such, Feyenoord gave Excelsior money and players (either on loan or free transfer).

A majority of the Excelsior fans have always been against a partnership with Feyenoord. Michel van der Neut, chairman of Excelsior's supporters club, claimed: "Excelsior sold her soul with the extended partnership. Excelsior simply stops existing this way."

Recent history

In 2010 Excelsior returned to the highest tier of Dutch football, after defeating crosstown rival Sparta Rotterdam in the final of the Eredivisie promotion/relegation play-offs. The team was mostly composed by Feyenoord loanees and was coached by former Feyenoord youth coach Alex Pastoor. In the 2010–11 season Excelsior made a flying start in the Eredivisie, gaining ten points in its first five matches, including a home victory in the Rotterdam derby against Feyenoord (3–2). In the remainder of the season, Excelsior upset some of the larger league teams at home, winning against AZ and getting draws against Groningen and eventual league champions Ajax. In the final match of the regular season, Excelsior got a 4–1 win away at Vitesse Arnhem, a result that left them one goal short of staying up. Finishing 16th, Excelsior had to face FC Den Bosch and Helmond Sport in the relegation / promotion play-offs. A 4–2 home win against Helmond sport ensured another season of Eredivisie football for Excelsior.

Excelsior finished bottom of the table in the Eredivisie at the end of the 2011–12 season, managing only four wins in 34 matches. The club was again relegated to the Eerste Divisie and has had ups and downs since. In the 2022–23 season Excelsior will be playing in the Eredivisie after being relegated in 2019.[]

Eerste DivisieEredivisieEredivisieEerste DivisieEredivisieEerste DivisieEerste Divisie
Excelsior is a professional soccer team based in Rotterdam, Netherlands. The team was founded in 1902 and has a rich history in Dutch football. Excelsior plays in the Dutch second division, known as the Eerste Divisie, and has a loyal fan base that supports the team at home and away matches.

The team's home stadium is the Van Donge & De Roo Stadion, which has a capacity of 4,500 spectators. Excelsior's colors are red and black, and the team's logo features a stylized eagle with its wings spread wide.

Excelsior has a reputation for playing an attacking style of football, with a focus on quick passing and movement off the ball. The team has produced several talented players over the years, including Robin van Persie, who began his career at Excelsior before moving on to play for top European clubs like Arsenal and Manchester United.

Despite being a smaller club, Excelsior has a strong sense of community and pride in its history. The team's motto, "Nil Volentibus Arduum," translates to "Nothing is impossible for those who want it," and reflects the team's determination and spirit.