Willem II Tilburg (Dutch pronunciation:[ˈʋɪləmˈtʋeː]), commonly known simply asWillem II, is a Dutchfootball club based inTilburg, Netherlands. They play in theEerste Divisie, the second tier ofDutch football, following relegation from theEredivisie in the2024–25 season. The club was founded on 12 August 1896 asTilburgia. On 12 January 1898, the club was renamedWillem II afterDutch kingWilliam II (1792–1849), who, as Prince ofOrange and commander of theDutch army, had his military headquarters in Tilburg during theBelgian uprising of 1830, spent much time in the city after becoming king, and died there.[1]
With regard to European competition, Willem II first appeared inUEFA Cup Winners' Cup of 1963 where they lost toManchester United in the first round by an aggregate score of 7–2. In 1998–99, Willem once again competed in theCup Winners' Cup and after beatingDinamo Tbilisi of Georgia 6–0 in both legs, Willem then lost to Spanish sideReal Betis in the second round, 4–1 on aggregate. A second place in the Eredivisie of1999 guaranteed the club aUEFA Champions League berth for the first time. At the tournament's group stage, Willem only attained two points in their six group G matches and were thus eliminated. After reaching the KNVB Cup final in2005 where they lost 4–0 againstPSV Eindhoven, Willem II again qualified again for the UEFA Cup, in which they lost to French sideAS Monaco in the first round by 5–1 on aggregate.[1]
Historical chart of league performance
At the end of the 2010–11 season, Willem II were relegated from the Eredivisie for the first time in 24 years. In the 2011–12 season under new managerJurgen Streppel Willem II was promoted back to the Eredivisie, but they went right back down the next season after finishing bottom of the table. The club became champions of theEerste Divisie in the subsequent season and were thus promoted back to the Eredivisie.[1]
In early 2015, journalists atDe Volkskrant revealed that Willem II had itsmatches fixed by an "Asian gambling syndicate", who had paid Willem's players a total sum of €100,000 to lose matches againstAjax andFeyenoord (in October and December 2009). According to the journalists, midfielderIbrahim Kargbo was the Asians' main contact within the club; Kargbo denies having accepted their money.[1][2] TheRoyal Dutch Football Association called the affair "the most concrete case of match fixing in the Netherlands" and took legal action as well as askingUEFA andFIFA to reevaluate previous matches.[3]
In 2019, Willem II reached the KNVB Cup final for the fourth time in their history. They beatAZ Alkmaar in the semi-finals after a penalty shoot-out, but were heavily beaten by in thefinal byAjax.
The fans of Willem II have close links with the fans of Englishchampionship clubBristol City. Willem supporters have been known to travel to Bristol, with Bristol City fans heading the other way to Tilburg. At Bristol City's game on 31 October 2009 againstSheffield Wednesday, some Willem II fans were seen in the 'Eastend' of theAshton Gate Stadium, and songs were sung about Willem II by City fans.[4][5] On 3 August 2024, the teams played each other for the first time in a pre-season friendly at Ashton Gate stadium in Bristol.
Willem II longest-running and deepest rivalry is with their neighbour,NAC Breda. This rivalry originated in the 1920s. Matches between the two are referred to as the derby of Brabant. The two cities of Breda and Tilburg are just 20 kilometres apart, leading to an intense feeling of a cross-town rivalry, heightened by a feeling that it is city against city with local pride at stake.
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.
^A Dutch-born footballer,Raymond Victoria representedNetherlands Antilles internationally, prior to the countries dissolution in 2010, with Curaçao considered by both UEFA and FIFA as the only inherit successor to the national team of former Netherlands Antilles.
^A Dutch-born footballer,Nuelson Wau representedNetherlands Antilles internationally, prior to the countries dissolution in 2010, with Curaçao considered by both UEFA and FIFA as the only inherit successor to the national team of former Netherlands Antilles.
1914–15 Koninklijke HFC (3/3) 1915–16 Quick Den Haag (4/4) 1916–17 Ajax (1/19) 1917–18 RHC (1/2) 1918–19 not played 1919–20 CVV 1920–21 Schoten 1921–22 not played 1922–23 not played 1923–24 not played 1924–25 ZFC 1925–26 LONGA 1926–27 VUC Den Haag 1927–28 RHC (2/2) 1928–29 not played 1929–30 Feyenoord (1/14)
1930–31 not played 1931–32 DFC (2/2) 1932–33 not played 1933–34 Velocitas 1897 1934–35 Feyenoord (2/14) 1935–36 Roermond 1936–37 EVV 1937–38 VSV 1938–39 FC Wageningen (1/2) 1939–40 not played 1940–41 not played 1941–42 not played 1942–43 Ajax (2/19) 1943–44 Willem II (1/2) 1944–45 not played
1945–46 not played 1946–47 not played 1947–48 FC Wageningen (2/2) 1948–49 Quick 1888 1949–50 PSV (1/11) 1950–51 not played 1951–52 not played 1952–53 not played 1953–54 not played 1954–55 not played 1955–56 not played 1956–57 Fortuna '54 (1/2) 1957–58 Sparta (1/3) 1958–59 VVV 1959–60 not played
Current season
Indonesia (2)
Morocco (3),
Guinea (2),
Burkina Faso (1),
Cape Verde (1),
Gambia (1),
Ghana (1),
Sierra Leone (1)
Curaçao (5),
Suriname (1),
United States (1)
Ecuador (2),
Peru (1)
New Zealand (2)
Netherlands (18),
Finland (5),
Belgium (3),
Armenia (2),
Greece (2),
Hungary (2),
Sweden (2),
Czech Republic (1),
Israel (1),
Kosovo (1),
Luxembourg (1),
Northern Ireland (1),
Slovakia (1)
Nils Thörner
