Heracles Almelo is a Dutch professionalfootball club based inAlmelo, founded in 1903. The club has won theDutch national title twice, in1927 and1941. Heracles won theEerste Divisie title in2004–05, gaining promotion to theEredivisie for the first time in 28 years. The club remained in the top flight for 17 seasons before suffering relegation at the end of the2021–22 season.
In2012, they reached theKNVB Cup final for the first time, losing toPSV in the final. The club's main rival isTwente.
The club was founded on 3 May 1903 asHeracles, after the demigod son ofZeus. They changed their name on 1 July 1974 to SC Heracles '74 and finally settled on the current name in 1998.
Heracles finished sixth in the Eredivisie during the2015–16 season, qualifying for the end of season European play-offs. The club first defeatedGroningen and thenUtrecht and thus qualified for the first time in club history for European football, starting in the third qualifying round of the2016–17 UEFA Europa League.[1]
A run of three consecutive losses saw Heracles end the2021–22 season in sixteenth place, condemning them to the promotion/relegation play-offs. The club were relegated to theEerste Divisie after losing 6–1 toExcelsior on aggregate in the semifinals.[2] Less than a year later, theHeraclieden sealed an immediate return to the top flight, with a 3–0 home win overJong PSV securing them a top two finish in the2022–23 Eerste Divisie and only a week afterPEC Zwolle had done so.[3][4] On 19 May 2023, Heracles won their third Eerste Divisie title after defeatingJong Ajax in the last round of play.[5][6]
Heracles Almelo currently play at theAsito Stadion inAlmelo. TheAsito Stadion was built in 1999 with a capacity 6,900, this was expanded in 2005 to hold 8,500. After renovation of the stadium at the beginning of 2015–16 season, it currently holds 13,500 spectators.
Note: Flags indicate national team as defined underFIFA eligibility rules; some limited exceptions apply. Players may hold more than one non-FIFA nationality.
Note: Flags indicate national team as defined underFIFA eligibility rules; some limited exceptions apply. Players may hold more than one non-FIFA nationality.