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Football in the Netherlands

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Football in the Netherlands
Country	Netherlands
Governing body	KNVB
National teams	men's national team women's national team
First played	1886
National competitions
FIFA World Cup UEFA European Championship UEFA Nations League
Club competitions
League: Eredivisie Eredivisie (women) Eerste Divisie Cups: KNVB Cup KNVB Women's Cup Johan Cruyff Shield
International competitions
FIFA Club World Cup UEFA Champions League UEFA Women's Champions League UEFA Europa League UEFA Conference League UEFA Super Cup

Football is the most popular sport in theNetherlands.^[1] To highlight the popularity of the sport, 66% of the Dutch population stated that they planned to followUEFA Euro 2024.^[2]

Football was introduced to theNetherlands byPim Mulier in the 19th century when in 1879, at the age of 14, he foundedHaarlemsche Football Club. Over the next 30 years, football gained popularity in the Netherlands and the late 1890s and early 1900s saw the foundation of many new clubs, notablySparta Rotterdam in 1888, which is the oldest professional football club in the country,AFC Ajax in 1900,Feyenoord Rotterdam in 1908, andPSV Eindhoven in 1913.

TheRoyal Dutch Football Association (KNVB) was founded on 8 December 1889 and joinedFIFA in 1904 as one of the founding members alongside the Football Associations ofBelgium,Denmark,France,Spain,Sweden, andSwitzerland.

Professional football was introduced in 1954, with the establishment of the Dutch Professional Football Association (Nederlandse Beroeps Voetbal Bond, or NBVB). The first professional game was played on 14 August 1954 betweenAlkmaar '54 andSC Venlo. The KNVB had opposed professional football for a long time, but eventually submitted to pressure and merged with the NBVB in November 1954 to form a new football association and a new (professional) league.^[3]^[4]

From 1956, the top flight of Dutch football is theEredivisie (English:Premier Division, literallyHonorary Division). The second level is theEerste Divisie (First Division). The third level is theTweede Divisie (Second Division). Below that are two amateur divisions: the fourth level is theDerde Divisie (Third Division), formerly Topklasse, and the fifth level theHoofdklasse. The Topklasse was launched in 2010, before that time promotion to or relegation from the Eerste Divisie was not possible. In 2016, the Topklasse was renamed Derde Divisie and the Tweede Divisie was revived.^[5]

The Netherlands nationalmen's andwomen's team are usually dressed in orange and have a historic tradition of aesthetic possession football based around technical ability and attacking flair.^[6]^[7] They won the European Championship in 1988, and have competed in many European and World Cups. The men's team finished second in the 1974,1978 and 2010 World Cups and third in theUEFA Euro 1976 and2014 World Cup tournament. They have reached many finals (1974 World Cup,1978 World Cup,Euro 1988,2010 World Cup) and semi-finals (Euro 1976,1998 World Cup,Euro 2000,Euro 2004,2014 World Cup,Euro 2024).^[8]^[9]^[10]^[11] The women's team also managed to reach the final in its just secondFIFA Women's World Cup, where they reached the2019 Women's World Cup but failed to win. This means the Netherlands is the second country in the world where both men's and women's teams reached the final of respective gender's World Cup yet failed to win both times, the other being Sweden.The women also won theWomen's Euro 2017.Only the Netherlands and Germany have won both the men's and the women's European Championship.

Structure of the competition (from the 2016–17 season)

[edit]

Level	League(s)/Division(s)
Professional football
1	Eredivisie 18 clubs
2	Eerste Divisie 20 clubs
Semi-professional football
3	Tweede Divisie 18 clubs
Amateur football
	Saturday		Sunday
4	Derde Divisie Saturday 18 clubs		Derde Divisie Sunday 18 clubs
5	Saturday Hoofdklasse A 16 clubs	Saturday Hoofdklasse B 16 clubs	Sunday Hoofdklasse A 16 clubs	Sunday Hoofdklasse B 16 clubs
6	District West 1:Saturday Eerste Klasse A14 clubs District West 2:Saturday Eerste Klasse B14 clubs District South 1:Saturday Eerste Klasse C14 clubs District East:Saturday Eerste Klasse D14 clubs District North:Saturday Eerste Klasse E14 clubs (All divisions run in parallel)		District West 1:Sunday Eerste Klasse A14 clubs District West 2:Sunday Eerste Klasse B13 clubs District South 1:Sunday Eerste Klasse C14 clubs District South 2:Sunday Eerste Klasse D14 clubs District East:Sunday Eerste Klasse E13 clubs District North:Sunday Eerste Klasse F14 clubs (All divisions run in parallel)
7	District West 1:Saturday Tweede Klasse A14 clubs District West 1:Saturday Tweede Klasse B14 clubs District West 2:Saturday Tweede Klasse C14 clubs District West 2:Saturday Tweede Klasse D14 clubs District South 1:Saturday Tweede Klasse E14 clubs District South 1:Saturday Tweede Klasse F14 clubs District East:Saturday Tweede Klasse G14 clubs District East:Saturday Tweede Klasse H14 clubs District North:Saturday Tweede Klasse I14 clubs District North:Saturday Tweede Klasse J14 clubs (All divisions run in parallel)		District West 1:Sunday Tweede Klasse A14 clubs District West 1:Sunday Tweede Klasse B14 clubs District West 2:Sunday Tweede Klasse C14 clubs District West 2:Sunday Tweede Klasse D13 clubs District South 1:Sunday Tweede Klasse E14 clubs District South 1:Sunday Tweede Klasse F14 clubs District South 2:Sunday Tweede Klasse G14 clubs District South 2:Sunday Tweede Klasse H14 clubs District East:Sunday Tweede Klasse I14 clubs District East:Sunday Tweede Klasse J14 clubs District North:Sunday Tweede Klasse K14 clubs District North:Sunday Tweede Klasse L14 clubs (All divisions run in parallel)
8	District West 1 Saturday Derde Klasse A14 clubs,Saturday Derde Klasse B14 clubs Saturday Derde Klasse C14 clubs,Saturday Derde Klasse D14 clubs District West 2 Saturday Derde Klasse A14 clubs,Saturday Derde Klasse B14 clubs Saturday Derde Klasse C14 clubs,Saturday Derde Klasse D14 clubs District South 1 Saturday Derde Klasse A14 clubs,Saturday Derde Klasse B14 clubs Saturday Derde Klasse C14 clubs,Saturday Derde Klasse D14 clubs District East Saturday Derde Klasse A14 clubs,Saturday Derde Klasse B14 clubs Saturday Derde Klasse C14 clubs,Saturday Derde Klasse D14 clubs District North Saturday Derde Klasse A14 clubs,Saturday Derde Klasse B14 clubs Saturday Derde Klasse C14 clubs,Saturday Derde Klasse D14 clubs (All divisions run in parallel)		District West 1 Sunday Derde Klasse A14 clubs,Sunday Derde Klasse B14 clubs Sunday Derde Klasse C14 clubs,Sunday Derde Klasse D14 clubs District West 2 Sunday Derde Klasse A15 clubs,Sunday Derde Klasse B14 clubs Sunday Derde Klasse C14 clubs,Sunday Derde Klasse D14 clubs District South 1 Sunday Derde Klasse A14 clubs,Sunday Derde Klasse B14 clubs Sunday Derde Klasse C14 clubs,Sunday Derde Klasse D14 clubs District South 2 Sunday Derde Klasse A14 clubs,Sunday Derde Klasse B14 clubs Sunday Derde Klasse C14 clubs,Sunday Derde Klasse D14 clubs District East Sunday Derde Klasse A14 clubs,Sunday Derde Klasse B14 clubs Sunday Derde Klasse C14 clubs,Sunday Derde Klasse D14 clubs District North Sunday Derde Klasse A12 clubs,Sunday Derde Klasse B12 clubs Sunday Derde Klasse C12 clubs,Sunday Derde Klasse D12 clubs (All divisions run in parallel)
9	District West 1 Saturday Vierde Klasse A14 clubs,Saturday Vierde Klasse B13 clubs, Saturday Vierde Klasse C10 clubs,Saturday Vierde Klasse D14 clubs, Saturday Vierde Klasse E12 clubs,Saturday Vierde Klasse F11 clubs, Saturday Vierde Klasse G12 clubs District West 2 Saturday Vierde Klasse A13 clubs,Saturday Vierde Klasse B12 clubs, Saturday Vierde Klasse C13 clubs,Saturday Vierde Klasse D13 clubs Saturday Vierde Klasse E13 clubs,Saturday Vierde Klasse F14 clubs Saturday Vierde Klasse G13 clubs District South 1 Saturday Vierde Klasse A14 clubs,Saturday Vierde Klasse B14 clubs, Saturday Vierde Klasse C14 clubs,Saturday Vierde Klasse D14 clubs District East Saturday Vierde Klasse A13 clubs,Saturday Vierde Klasse B12 clubs, Saturday Vierde Klasse C14 clubs,Saturday Vierde Klasse D12 clubs, Saturday Vierde Klasse E12 clubs District North Saturday Vierde Klasse A12 clubs,Saturday Vierde Klasse B13 clubs, Saturday Vierde Klasse C13 clubs,Saturday Vierde Klasse D12 clubs (All divisions run in parallel)		District West 1 Sunday Vierde Klasse A14 clubs,Sunday Vierde Klasse B14 clubs, Sunday Vierde Klasse C14 clubs,Sunday Vierde Klasse D14 clubs, Sunday Vierde Klasse E14 clubs,Sunday Vierde Klasse F14 clubs, Sunday Vierde Klasse G14 clubs,Sunday Vierde Klasse H12 clubs District West 2 Sunday Vierde Klasse A13 clubs,Sunday Vierde Klasse B14 clubs District South 1 Sunday Vierde Klasse A14 clubs,Sunday Vierde Klasse B14 clubs, Sunday Vierde Klasse C14 clubs,Sunday Vierde Klasse D14 clubs, Sunday Vierde Klasse E14 clubs,Sunday Vierde Klasse F14 clubs, Sunday Vierde Klasse G14 clubs,Sunday Vierde Klasse H14 clubs District South 2 Sunday Vierde Klasse A14 clubs,Sunday Vierde Klasse B14 clubs, Sunday Vierde Klasse C14 clubs,Sunday Vierde Klasse D14 clubs, Sunday Vierde Klasse E14 clubs,Sunday Vierde Klasse F14 clubs, Sunday Vierde Klasse G14 clubs,Sunday Vierde Klasse H14 clubs District East Sunday Vierde Klasse A14 clubs,Sunday Vierde Klasse B14 clubs, Sunday Vierde Klasse C14 clubs,Sunday Vierde Klasse D14 clubs, Sunday Vierde Klasse E15 clubs,Sunday Vierde Klasse F12 clubs, Sunday Vierde Klasse G12 clubs,Sunday Vierde Klasse H12 clubs District North Sunday Vierde Klasse A13 clubs,Sunday Vierde Klasse B14 clubs, Sunday Vierde Klasse C13 clubs,Sunday Vierde Klasse D13 clubs, Sunday Vierde Klasse E14 clubs,Sunday Vierde Klasse F14 clubs (All divisions run in parallel)
10	District North Saturday Vijfde Klasse A13 clubs,Saturday Vijfde Klasse B12 clubs, Saturday Vijfde Klasse C13 clubs,Saturday Vijfde Klasse D14 clubs, Saturday Vijfde Klasse E14 teams (All divisions run in parallel)		District West 1 Sunday Vijfde Klasse A11 clubs,Sunday Vijfde Klasse B13 clubs, Sunday Vijfde Klasse C6 clubs,Sunday Vijfde Klasse D11 clubs, Sunday Vijfde Klasse E10 clubs District South 1 Sunday Vijfde Klasse A14 clubs,Sunday Vijfde Klasse B14 clubs, Sunday Vijfde Klasse C13 clubs,Sunday Vijfde Klasse D14 clubs District South 2 Sunday Vijfde Klasse A14 clubs,Sunday Vijfde Klasse B14 clubs, Sunday Vijfde Klasse C14 clubs,Sunday Vijfde Klasse D14 clubs, Sunday Vijfde Klasse E13 clubs,Sunday Vijfde Klasse F14 clubs, Sunday Vijfde Klasse G13 clubs,Sunday Vijfde Klasse H13 clubs, Sunday Vijfde Klasse I13 clubs District East Sunday Vijfde Klasse A12 clubs,Sunday Vijfde Klasse B11 clubs, Sunday Vijfde Klasse C13 clubs,Sunday Vijfde Klasse D12 clubs, Sunday Vijfde Klasse E12 clubs,Sunday Vijfde Klasse F11 clubs, Sunday Vijfde Klasse G13 clubs,Sunday Vijfde Klasse H13 clubs District North Sunday Vijfde Klasse A13 clubs,Sunday Vijfde Klasse B14 clubs, Sunday Vijfde Klasse C13 clubs,Sunday Vijfde Klasse D13 clubs, Sunday Vijfde Klasse E14 clubs,Sunday Vijfde Klasse F14 clubs (All divisions run in parallel)

Structure of the competition (until the 2015–16 season)

[edit]

Level	League(s)/Division(s)
Professional football
1	Eredivisie 18 clubs
2	Eerste Divisie 20 clubs
Amateur football
	Saturday			Sunday
3	Topklasse Saturday 16 clubs			Topklasse Sunday 16 clubs
4	Saturday Hoofdklasse A 14 clubs	Saturday Hoofdklasse B 14 clubs	Saturday Hoofdklasse C 14 clubs	Sunday Hoofdklasse A 14 clubs	Sunday Hoofdklasse B 14 clubs	Sunday Hoofdklasse C 14 clubs
5	District West 1:Saturday Eerste Klasse A14 clubs District West 2:Saturday Eerste Klasse B14 clubs District South 1:Saturday Eerste Klasse C14 clubs District East:Saturday Eerste Klasse D14 clubs District North:Saturday Eerste Klasse E14 clubs (All divisions run in parallel)			District West 1:Sunday Eerste Klasse A14 clubs District West 2:Sunday Eerste Klasse B14 clubs District South 1:Sunday Eerste Klasse C14 clubs District South 2:Sunday Eerste Klasse D14 clubs District East:Sunday Eerste Klasse E14 clubs District North:Sunday Eerste Klasse F14 clubs (All divisions run in parallel)
6	District West 1:Saturday Tweede Klasse A14 clubs District West 1:Saturday Tweede Klasse B14 clubs District West 2:Saturday Tweede Klasse C14 clubs District West 2:Saturday Tweede Klasse D14 clubs District South 1:Saturday Tweede Klasse E14 clubs District South 1:Saturday Tweede Klasse F14 clubs District East:Saturday Tweede Klasse G14 clubs District East:Saturday Tweede Klasse H14 clubs District North:Saturday Tweede Klasse I14 clubs District North:Saturday Tweede Klasse J14 clubs (All divisions run in parallel)			District West 1:Sunday Tweede Klasse A14 clubs District West 1:Sunday Tweede Klasse B14 clubs District West 2:Sunday Tweede Klasse C14 clubs District West 2:Sunday Tweede Klasse D14 clubs District South 1:Sunday Tweede Klasse E14 clubs District South 1:Sunday Tweede Klasse F14 clubs District South 2:Sunday Tweede Klasse G14 clubs District South 2:Sunday Tweede Klasse H14 clubs District East:Sunday Tweede Klasse I14 clubs District East:Sunday Tweede Klasse J14 clubs District North:Sunday Tweede Klasse K14 clubs District North:Sunday Tweede Klasse L14 clubs (All divisions run in parallel)
7	District West 1 Saturday Derde Klasse A12 clubs,Saturday Derde Klasse B12 clubs Saturday Derde Klasse C12 clubs,Saturday Derde Klasse D12 clubs District West 2 Saturday Derde Klasse A12 clubs,Saturday Derde Klasse B12 clubs Saturday Derde Klasse C12 clubs,Saturday Derde Klasse D12 clubs District South 1 Saturday Derde Klasse A12 clubs,Saturday Derde Klasse B12 clubs Saturday Derde Klasse C12 clubs,Saturday Derde Klasse D12 clubs District East Saturday Derde Klasse A12 clubs,Saturday Derde Klasse B12 clubs Saturday Derde Klasse C12 clubs,Saturday Derde Klasse D12 clubs District North Saturday Derde Klasse A12 clubs,Saturday Derde Klasse B12 clubs Saturday Derde Klasse C12 clubs,Saturday Derde Klasse D12 clubs (All divisions run in parallel)			District West 1 Sunday Derde Klasse A12 clubs,Sunday Derde Klasse B12 clubs Sunday Derde Klasse C12 clubs,Sunday Derde Klasse D12 clubs District West 2 Sunday Derde Klasse A12 clubs,Sunday Derde Klasse B12 clubs Sunday Derde Klasse C12 clubs,Sunday Derde Klasse D12 clubs District South 1 Sunday Derde Klasse A12 clubs,Sunday Derde Klasse B12 clubs Sunday Derde Klasse C12 clubs,Sunday Derde Klasse D12 clubs District South 2 Sunday Derde Klasse A12 clubs,Sunday Derde Klasse B12 clubs Sunday Derde Klasse C12 clubs,Sunday Derde Klasse D12 clubs District East Sunday Derde Klasse A12 clubs,Sunday Derde Klasse B12 clubs Sunday Derde Klasse C12 clubs,Sunday Derde Klasse D12 clubs District North Sunday Derde Klasse A12 clubs,Sunday Derde Klasse B12 clubs Sunday Derde Klasse C12 clubs,Sunday Derde Klasse D12 clubs (All divisions run in parallel)
8	District West 1 Saturday Vierde Klasse A12 clubs,Saturday Vierde Klasse B12 clubs, Saturday Vierde Klasse C12 clubs,Saturday Vierde Klasse D12 clubs, Saturday Vierde Klasse E12 clubs,Saturday Vierde Klasse F12 clubs, Saturday Vierde Klasse G12 clubs,Saturday Vierde Klasse H12 clubs District West 2 Saturday Vierde Klasse A12 clubs,Saturday Vierde Klasse B12 clubs, Saturday Vierde Klasse C12 clubs,Saturday Vierde Klasse D12 clubs District South 1 Saturday Vierde Klasse A12 clubs,Saturday Vierde Klasse B12 clubs, Saturday Vierde Klasse C12 clubs,Saturday Vierde Klasse D12 clubs, Saturday Vierde Klasse E12 clubs District East Saturday Vierde Klasse A12 clubs,Saturday Vierde Klasse B12 clubs, Saturday Vierde Klasse C12 clubs,Saturday Vierde Klasse D12 clubs, Saturday Vierde Klasse E12 clubs District North Saturday Vierde Klasse A12 clubs,Saturday Vierde Klasse B12 clubs, Saturday Vierde Klasse C12 clubs,Saturday Vierde Klasse D12 clubs (All divisions run in parallel)			District West 1 Sunday Vierde Klasse A12 clubs,Sunday Vierde Klasse B12 clubs, Sunday Vierde Klasse C12 clubs,Sunday Vierde Klasse D12 clubs, Sunday Vierde Klasse E12 clubs,Sunday Vierde Klasse F12 clubs, Sunday Vierde Klasse G12 clubs,Sunday Vierde Klasse H12 clubs District West 2 Sunday Vierde Klasse A12 clubs,Sunday Vierde Klasse B12 clubs, Sunday Vierde Klasse C12 clubs,Sunday Vierde Klasse D12 clubs, Sunday Vierde Klasse E12 clubs,Sunday Vierde Klasse F12 clubs District South 1 Sunday Vierde Klasse A12 clubs,Sunday Vierde Klasse B12 clubs, Sunday Vierde Klasse C12 clubs,Sunday Vierde Klasse D12 clubs, Sunday Vierde Klasse E12 clubs,Sunday Vierde Klasse F12 clubs, Sunday Vierde Klasse G12 clubs,Sunday Vierde Klasse H12 clubs District South 2 Sunday Vierde Klasse A12 clubs,Sunday Vierde Klasse B12 clubs, Sunday Vierde Klasse C12 clubs,Sunday Vierde Klasse D12 clubs, Sunday Vierde Klasse E12 clubs,Sunday Vierde Klasse F12 clubs, Sunday Vierde Klasse G12 clubs,Sunday Vierde Klasse H12 clubs District East Sunday Vierde Klasse A12 clubs,Sunday Vierde Klasse B12 clubs, Sunday Vierde Klasse C12 clubs,Sunday Vierde Klasse D12 clubs, Sunday Vierde Klasse E12 clubs,Sunday Vierde Klasse F12 clubs, Sunday Vierde Klasse G12 clubs,Sunday Vierde Klasse H12 clubs District North Sunday Vierde Klasse A12 clubs,Sunday Vierde Klasse B12 clubs, Sunday Vierde Klasse C12 clubs,Sunday Vierde Klasse D12 clubs, Sunday Vierde Klasse E12 clubs,Sunday Vierde Klasse F12 clubs (All divisions run in parallel)
9	District West 1 Saturday Vijfde Klasse A12 clubs,Saturday Vijfde Klasse B12 clubs, Saturday Vijfde Klasse C12 clubs District North Saturday Vijfde Klasse A12 clubs,Saturday Vijfde Klasse B12 clubs, Saturday Vijfde Klasse C12 clubs,Saturday Vijfde Klasse D12 clubs (All divisions run in parallel)			District West 1 Sunday Vijfde Klasse A12 clubs,Sunday Vijfde Klasse B12 clubs, Sunday Vijfde Klasse C12 clubs,Sunday Vijfde Klasse D12 clubs, Sunday Vijfde Klasse E12 clubs,Sunday Vijfde Klasse F12 clubs, Sunday Vijfde Klasse G12 clubs,Sunday Vijfde Klasse H12 clubs District West 2 Sunday Vijfde Klasse A12 clubs,Sunday Vijfde Klasse B12 clubs, Sunday Vijfde Klasse C12 clubs,Sunday Vijfde Klasse D12 clubs District South 1 Sunday Vijfde Klasse A12 clubs,Sunday Vijfde Klasse B12 clubs, Sunday Vijfde Klasse C12 clubs,Sunday Vijfde Klasse D12 clubs, Sunday Vijfde Klasse E12 clubs,Sunday Vijfde Klasse F12 clubs, Sunday Vijfde Klasse G12 clubs,Sunday Vijfde Klasse H12 clubs, Sunday Vijfde Klasse I12 clubs,Sunday Vijfde Klasse J12 clubs, District South 2 Sunday Vijfde Klasse A12 clubs,Sunday Vijfde Klasse B12 clubs, Sunday Vijfde Klasse C12 clubs,Sunday Vijfde Klasse D12 clubs, Sunday Vijfde Klasse E12 clubs,Sunday Vijfde Klasse F12 clubs, Sunday Vijfde Klasse G12 clubs,Sunday Vijfde Klasse H12 clubs District East Sunday Vijfde Klasse A12 clubs,Sunday Vijfde Klasse B12 clubs, Sunday Vijfde Klasse C12 clubs,Sunday Vijfde Klasse D12 clubs, Sunday Vijfde Klasse E12 clubs,Sunday Vijfde Klasse F12 clubs, Sunday Vijfde Klasse G12 clubs,Sunday Vijfde Klasse H12 clubs District North Sunday Vijfde Klasse A12 clubs,Sunday Vijfde Klasse B12 clubs, Sunday Vijfde Klasse C12 clubs,Sunday Vijfde Klasse D12 clubs, Sunday Vijfde Klasse E12 clubs,Sunday Vijfde Klasse F12 clubs (All divisions run in parallel)
10	District North Saturday Zesde Klasse A13 clubs,Saturday Zesde Klasse B12 clubs, Saturday Zesde Klasse C11 clubs,Saturday Zesde Klasse D13 clubs, Saturday Zesde Klasse E14 clubs (All divisions ran in parallel)			District West 1 Sunday Zesde Klasse A12 clubs,Sunday Zesde Klasse B14 clubs, Sunday Zesde Klasse C14 clubs,Sunday Zesde Klasse D12 clubs District South 2 Sunday Zesde Klasse A12 clubs,Sunday Zesde Klasse B11 clubs, Sunday Zesde Klasse C11 clubs,Sunday Zesde Klasse D11 clubs, Sunday Zesde Klasse E12 clubs,Sunday Zesde Klasse F11 clubs, Sunday Zesde Klasse G12 clubs District East Sunday Zesde Klasse A12 clubs,Sunday Zesde Klasse B14 clubs, Sunday Zesde Klasse C14 clubs,Sunday Zesde Klasse D14 clubs, Sunday Zesde Klasse E12 clubs,Sunday Zesde Klasse F12 clubs District North Sunday Zesde Klasse A12 clubs,Sunday Zesde Klasse B12 clubs, Sunday Zesde Klasse C12 clubs,Sunday Zesde Klasse D14 clubs (All divisions ran in parallel)

Zesde Klasse was abolished in 2015.

Structure of the competition (until the 2009–10 season)

[edit]

Level	League(s)/Division(s)
1	Eredivisie 18 clubs
2	Eerste Divisie 20 clubs
	Saturday			Sunday
3	Saturday Hoofdklasse A 14 clubs	Saturday Hoofdklasse B 14 clubs	Saturday Hoofdklasse C 14 clubs	Sunday Hoofdklasse A 14 clubs	Sunday Hoofdklasse B 14 clubs	Sunday Hoofdklasse C 14 clubs
4	District West 1:Saturday Eerste Klasse A12 clubs District West 2:Saturday Eerste Klasse B12 clubs District South 1:Saturday Eerste Klasse C12 clubs District East:Saturday Eerste Klasse D12 clubs District North:Saturday Eerste Klasse E12 clubs (All divisions run in parallel)			District West 1:Sunday Eerste Klasse A12 clubs District West 2:Sunday Eerste Klasse B12 clubs District South 1:Sunday Eerste Klasse C12 clubs District South 2:Sunday Eerste Klasse D12 clubs District East:Sunday Eerste Klasse E12 clubs District North:Sunday Eerste Klasse F12 clubs (All divisions run in parallel)
5	District West 1:Saturday Tweede Klasse A12 clubs District West 1:Saturday Tweede Klasse B12 clubs District West 2:Saturday Tweede Klasse C12 clubs District West 2:Saturday Tweede Klasse D12 clubs District South 1:Saturday Tweede Klasse E12 clubs District South 1:Saturday Tweede Klasse F12 clubs District East:Saturday Tweede Klasse G12 clubs District East:Saturday Tweede Klasse H12 clubs District North:Saturday Tweede Klasse I12 clubs District North:Saturday Tweede Klasse J12 clubs (All divisions run in parallel)			District West 1:Sunday Tweede Klasse A12 clubs District West 1:Sunday Tweede Klasse B12 clubs District West 2:Sunday Tweede Klasse C12 clubs District West 2:Sunday Tweede Klasse D12 clubs District South 1:Sunday Tweede Klasse E12 clubs District South 1:Sunday Tweede Klasse F12 clubs District South 2:Sunday Tweede Klasse G12 clubs District South 2:Sunday Tweede Klasse H12 clubs District East:Sunday Tweede Klasse I12 clubs District East:Sunday Tweede Klasse J12 clubs District North:Sunday Tweede Klasse K12 clubs District North:Sunday Tweede Klasse L12 clubs (All divisions run in parallel)
6	District West 1 Saturday Derde Klasse A12 clubs,Saturday Derde Klasse B12 clubs Saturday Derde Klasse C12 clubs,Saturday Derde Klasse D12 clubs District West 2 Saturday Derde Klasse A12 clubs,Saturday Derde Klasse B12 clubs Saturday Derde Klasse C12 clubs,Saturday Derde Klasse D12 clubs District South 1 Saturday Derde Klasse A12 clubs,Saturday Derde Klasse B12 clubs Saturday Derde Klasse C12 clubs,Saturday Derde Klasse D12 clubs District East Saturday Derde Klasse A12 clubs,Saturday Derde Klasse B12 clubs Saturday Derde Klasse C12 clubs,Saturday Derde Klasse D12 clubs District North Saturday Derde Klasse A12 clubs,Saturday Derde Klasse B12 clubs Saturday Derde Klasse C12 clubs,Saturday Derde Klasse D12 clubs (All divisions run in parallel)			District West 1 Sunday Derde Klasse A12 clubs,Sunday Derde Klasse B12 clubs Sunday Derde Klasse C12 clubs,Sunday Derde Klasse D12 clubs District West 2 Sunday Derde Klasse A12 clubs,Sunday Derde Klasse B12 clubs Sunday Derde Klasse C12 clubs,Sunday Derde Klasse D12 clubs District South 1 Sunday Derde Klasse A12 clubs,Sunday Derde Klasse B12 clubs Sunday Derde Klasse C12 clubs,Sunday Derde Klasse D12 clubs District South 2 Sunday Derde Klasse A12 clubs,Sunday Derde Klasse B12 clubs Sunday Derde Klasse C12 clubs,Sunday Derde Klasse D12 clubs District East Sunday Derde Klasse A12 clubs,Sunday Derde Klasse B12 clubs Sunday Derde Klasse C12 clubs,Sunday Derde Klasse D12 clubs District North Sunday Derde Klasse A12 clubs,Sunday Derde Klasse B12 clubs Sunday Derde Klasse C12 clubs,Sunday Derde Klasse D12 clubs (All divisions run in parallel)
7	District West 1 Saturday Vierde Klasse A12 clubs,Saturday Vierde Klasse B12 clubs, Saturday Vierde Klasse C12 clubs,Saturday Vierde Klasse D12 clubs, Saturday Vierde Klasse E12 clubs,Saturday Vierde Klasse F12 clubs, Saturday Vierde Klasse G12 clubs,Saturday Vierde Klasse H12 clubs District West 2 Saturday Vierde Klasse A12 clubs,Saturday Vierde Klasse B12 clubs, Saturday Vierde Klasse C12 clubs,Saturday Vierde Klasse D12 clubs District South 1 Saturday Vierde Klasse A12 clubs,Saturday Vierde Klasse B12 clubs, Saturday Vierde Klasse C12 clubs,Saturday Vierde Klasse D12 clubs, Saturday Vierde Klasse E12 clubs District East Saturday Vierde Klasse A12 clubs,Saturday Vierde Klasse B12 clubs, Saturday Vierde Klasse C12 clubs,Saturday Vierde Klasse D12 clubs, Saturday Vierde Klasse E12 clubs District North Saturday Vierde Klasse A12 clubs,Saturday Vierde Klasse B12 clubs, Saturday Vierde Klasse C12 clubs,Saturday Vierde Klasse D12 clubs (All divisions run in parallel)			District West 1 Sunday Vierde Klasse A12 clubs,Sunday Vierde Klasse B12 clubs, Sunday Vierde Klasse C12 clubs,Sunday Vierde Klasse D12 clubs, Sunday Vierde Klasse E12 clubs,Sunday Vierde Klasse F12 clubs, Sunday Vierde Klasse G12 clubs,Sunday Vierde Klasse H12 clubs District West 2 Sunday Vierde Klasse A12 clubs,Sunday Vierde Klasse B12 clubs, Sunday Vierde Klasse C12 clubs,Sunday Vierde Klasse D12 clubs, Sunday Vierde Klasse E12 clubs,Sunday Vierde Klasse F12 clubs District South 1 Sunday Vierde Klasse A12 clubs,Sunday Vierde Klasse B12 clubs, Sunday Vierde Klasse C12 clubs,Sunday Vierde Klasse D12 clubs, Sunday Vierde Klasse E12 clubs,Sunday Vierde Klasse F12 clubs, Sunday Vierde Klasse G12 clubs,Sunday Vierde Klasse H12 clubs District South 2 Sunday Vierde Klasse A12 clubs,Sunday Vierde Klasse B12 clubs, Sunday Vierde Klasse C12 clubs,Sunday Vierde Klasse D12 clubs, Sunday Vierde Klasse E12 clubs,Sunday Vierde Klasse F12 clubs, Sunday Vierde Klasse G12 clubs,Sunday Vierde Klasse H12 clubs District East Sunday Vierde Klasse A12 clubs,Sunday Vierde Klasse B12 clubs, Sunday Vierde Klasse C12 clubs,Sunday Vierde Klasse D12 clubs, Sunday Vierde Klasse E12 clubs,Sunday Vierde Klasse F12 clubs, Sunday Vierde Klasse G12 clubs,Sunday Vierde Klasse H12 clubs District North Sunday Vierde Klasse A12 clubs,Sunday Vierde Klasse B12 clubs, Sunday Vierde Klasse C12 clubs,Sunday Vierde Klasse D12 clubs, Sunday Vierde Klasse E12 clubs,Sunday Vierde Klasse F12 clubs (All divisions run in parallel)
8	District West 1 Saturday Vijfde Klasse A12 clubs,Saturday Vijfde Klasse B12 clubs, Saturday Vijfde Klasse C12 clubs District West 2 Saturday Vijfde Klasse A12 clubs,Saturday Vijfde Klasse B12 clubs, Saturday Vijfde Klasse C12 clubs,Saturday Vijfde Klasse D12 clubs District North Saturday Vijfde Klasse A12 clubs,Saturday Vijfde Klasse B12 clubs, Saturday Vijfde Klasse C12 clubs,Saturday Vijfde Klasse D12 clubs (All divisions run in parallel)			District West 1 Sunday Vijfde Klasse A12 clubs,Sunday Vijfde Klasse B12 clubs, Sunday Vijfde Klasse C12 clubs,Sunday Vijfde Klasse D12 clubs, Sunday Vijfde Klasse E12 clubs,Sunday Vijfde Klasse F12 clubs, Sunday Vijfde Klasse G12 clubs,Sunday Vijfde Klasse H12 clubs District West 2 Sunday Vijfde Klasse A12 clubs,Sunday Vijfde Klasse B12 clubs, Sunday Vijfde Klasse C12 clubs,Sunday Vijfde Klasse D12 clubs District South 1 Sunday Vijfde Klasse A12 clubs,Sunday Vijfde Klasse B12 clubs, Sunday Vijfde Klasse C12 clubs,Sunday Vijfde Klasse D12 clubs, Sunday Vijfde Klasse E12 clubs,Sunday Vijfde Klasse F12 clubs, Sunday Vijfde Klasse G12 clubs,Sunday Vijfde Klasse H12 clubs, Sunday Vijfde Klasse I12 clubs,Sunday Vijfde Klasse J12 clubs, District South 2 Sunday Vijfde Klasse A12 clubs,Sunday Vijfde Klasse B12 clubs, Sunday Vijfde Klasse C12 clubs,Sunday Vijfde Klasse D12 clubs, Sunday Vijfde Klasse E12 clubs,Sunday Vijfde Klasse F12 clubs, Sunday Vijfde Klasse G12 clubs,Sunday Vijfde Klasse H12 clubs District East Sunday Vijfde Klasse A12 clubs,Sunday Vijfde Klasse B12 clubs, Sunday Vijfde Klasse C12 clubs,Sunday Vijfde Klasse D12 clubs, Sunday Vijfde Klasse E12 clubs,Sunday Vijfde Klasse F12 clubs, Sunday Vijfde Klasse G12 clubs,Sunday Vijfde Klasse H12 clubs District North Sunday Vijfde Klasse A12 clubs,Sunday Vijfde Klasse B12 clubs, Sunday Vijfde Klasse C12 clubs,Sunday Vijfde Klasse D12 clubs, Sunday Vijfde Klasse E12 clubs,Sunday Vijfde Klasse F12 clubs (All divisions run in parallel)
9	District North Saturday Zesde Klasse A13 clubs,Saturday Zesde Klasse B12 clubs, Saturday Zesde Klasse C11 clubs,Saturday Zesde Klasse D13 clubs, Saturday Zesde Klasse E14 clubs (All divisions ran in parallel)			District West 1 Sunday Zesde Klasse A12 clubs,Sunday Zesde Klasse B14 clubs, Sunday Zesde Klasse C14 clubs,Sunday Zesde Klasse D12 clubs District South 2 Sunday Zesde Klasse A12 clubs,Sunday Zesde Klasse B11 clubs, Sunday Zesde Klasse C11 clubs,Sunday Zesde Klasse D11 clubs, Sunday Zesde Klasse E12 clubs,Sunday Zesde Klasse F11 clubs, Sunday Zesde Klasse G12 clubs District East Sunday Zesde Klasse A12 clubs,Sunday Zesde Klasse B14 clubs, Sunday Zesde Klasse C14 clubs,Sunday Zesde Klasse D14 clubs, Sunday Zesde Klasse E12 clubs,Sunday Zesde Klasse F12 clubs District North Sunday Zesde Klasse A12 clubs,Sunday Zesde Klasse B12 clubs, Sunday Zesde Klasse C12 clubs,Sunday Zesde Klasse D14 clubs (All divisions ran in parallel)
10				District North Sunday Zevende Klasse A11 clubs,Sunday Zevende Klasse B11 clubs, Sunday Zevende Klasse C11 clubs (All divisions ran in parallel)

Zevende Klasse was abolished in 2010.

Competition finals

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The following 25 European finals (club and international tournaments) took place at Dutch venues, or are scheduled to take place at them:

Those which involved a Dutch side are marked with an asterisk (*)

1962 European Cup final,Olympisch Stadion – (Attendance: 65,000)
1963 European Cup Winners' Cup final,De Kuip – (Attendance: 49,000)
1968 European Cup Winners' Cup final, De Kuip – (Attendance: 53,000)
1972 European Cup final,* De Kuip – (Attendance: 67,000)
1973 European Super Cup,* Olympisch Stadion – second leg (Attendance: 25,000)
1974 European Cup Winners' Cup final, De Kuip – (Attendance: 4,000)
1974 UEFA Cup final,* De Kuip – second leg (Attendance: 59,317)
1975 UEFA Cup final,*Diekman Stadion – second leg (Attendance: 21,767)
1977 European Cup Winners' Cup final, Olympisch Stadion – (Attendance: 66,000)
1978 UEFA Cup final,*Philips Stadion – second leg (Attendance: 27,000)
1981 UEFA Cup final,* Olympisch Stadion – second leg (Attendance: 28,500)
1982 European Cup final, De Kuip – (Attendance: 46,000)
1985 European Cup Winners' Cup final, De Kuip – (Attendance: 38,500)
1987 European Super Cup,*De Meer Stadium – first leg (Attendance: 27,000)
1988 European Super Cup,* Philips Stadion – second leg (Attendance: 17,100)
1991 European Cup Winners' Cup final, De Kuip – (Attendance: 43,500)
1992 UEFA Cup final,* Olympisch Stadion – second leg (Attendance: 42,000)
1995 UEFA Super Cup,* Olympisch Stadion – second leg (Attendance: 23,000)
1997 UEFA Cup Winners' Cup final, De Kuip – (Attendance: 52,000)
1998 UEFA Champions League final,Amsterdam Arena – (Attendance: 48,500)
UEFA Euro 2000 final, De Kuip – (Attendance: 50,000)
2002 UEFA Cup final,* De Kuip – (Attendance: 45,611)
2006 UEFA Cup final, Philips Stadion – (Attendance: 33,100)
2013 UEFA Europa League final, Amsterdam Arena (Attendance: 46,163)
2023 UEFA Nations League final, De Kuip – (Attendance: 41,110)

Women's football

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Main article:Women's football in the Netherlands

More woman play football than any other sport in the Netherlands.

Futsal

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The top division for Futsal in the Netherlands are the FutsalEredivisie and theFutsal Eredivisie (women)

Largest Dutch football stadiums

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#	Stadium	Capacity	City	Province	Home Team	Opened	Notes
1	Johan Cruijff ArenA	55,600	Amsterdam	North Holland	Ajax	1996	UEFA Category 4 stadium
2	De Kuip	51,117	Rotterdam	South Holland	Feyenoord	1936	UEFA Category 4 stadium
3	Philips Stadion	35,000	Eindhoven	North Brabant	PSV	1916	UEFA Category 4 stadium
4	De Grolsch Veste	30,205	Enschede	Overijssel	FC Twente	1998

References

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^"- NOCNSF".nocnsf.nl. Retrieved5 August 2025.
^https://www.dpgmediagroup.com/nl-NL/adverteren/grow/inzicht/branche-inzichten/202402-sportzomer-onderzoek/?referrer=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.google.com%2F
^"Netherlands - Regional Analysis". Rsssf.com. 9 August 2013. Retrieved6 October 2013.
^"Back to the future". ESPN FC. 30 March 2004. Retrieved6 October 2013.
^"Plannen tweede divisie gaan door" [Plans for a new Tweede Divisie starting 2016/2017].NOS.nl (in Dutch). 2 December 2014.
^"How a self-imposed stereotype and the Bosman ruling caused the demise of Dutch football".thesefootballtimes.co. 25 October 2017.
^"The Exquisite Corpus of Dutch Football - Hua Hsu". The Atlantic. 14 June 2010. Retrieved6 October 2013.
^Simon Kuper (7 June 2011)."The Dutch style and the Dutch nation - Soccer - SI.com". Sports Illustrated. Retrieved6 October 2013.
^Rob Bagchi (2 June 2010)."Holland's World Cup history is a tale of greatness without glory | Football".The Guardian. Retrieved6 October 2013.
^Billingham, Neil (5 July 2010)."How Holland became the Brazil of European football". Sabotage Times. Archived from the original on 18 March 2013. Retrieved12 April 2014.
^"How We Play".The New York Times. Retrieved11 March 2015.

External links

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History of the KNVB(in Dutch) (archived 22 October 2007)
League321.com – Dutch football league tables, records & statistics database(in English).

Football in the Netherlands

Overview

International

Men	Netherlands B team U-21 U-19 U-17 U-16 Variants (Beach Futsal)
Women	Netherlands women W U-19 W U-17

Leagues

Men	Eredivisie (1956–) Eerste Divisie (1956–) Tweede Divisie (1956–71, 2016–) Derde Divisie (2010–) Vierde Divisie (1974–) Eerste Klasse (1890–) Tweede Klasse (1890–) Derde Klasse (1898-) Vierde Klasse (1923–) Vijfde Klasse (1996–) Zesde Klasse (1996–2015) Zevende Klasse (1996–2010) Achtste Klasse (1996–2001)
Women	BeNe League (with Belgium, 2012–15) Eredivisie (2007–12, 2015–) Topklasse (2011–) Hoofdklasse (1973–) Eerste Klasse (1994–) Tweede Klasse Derde Klasse Vierde Klasse Vijfde Klasse Futsal Eredivisie Futsal Hoofdklasse

Cups

Men	Johan Cruyff Shield (1949–) KNVB Cup (1898–) KNVB Amateur Cup (1980–2016) KNVB Reserve Cup (1997–2012) KNVB District Cup (1959–)
Women	BeNe Super Cup (with Belgium, 2011–13) KNVB Women's Cup (1980–)

Tournaments

Men	Amsterdam Tournament (1975–2009) Copa Amsterdam Feyenoord Tournament (1978–91) Future Cup Otten Cup

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