Dutch clubs have a reputation for making the most of their resources, developing talents and picking up bargains – perhaps unsurprisingly since they cannot compete on price with sides from bigger leagues. But things do not always turn out well and the Eredivisie has seen its share of flops. Here are the most notable from 2000 to 2010.
6. Kevin Vandenbergh (2007; Genk to Utrecht; €1M)
The son of one of the most prolific strikers for Belgium in the 1980s, Kevin Vandenbergh seemed ready to follow his father Erwin Vandenbergh as he scored 43 times for Genk between 2002 and 2005. His transfer to Utrecht two years later promised much, but was a complete disaster. Vandenbergh was picked out by coach Foeke Booy, who wanted to put him up front in his 4-4-2 formation. Booy though left just weeks later, heading for Saudi Arabia, and was succeeded by Willem van Hanegem, whose 4-3-3 wasn’t the best use of Vanderbergh’s talents. In his first season the Belgian played just 11 times, and things didn’t improve under current coach Ton du Chatinier. When he departed in the summer of 2010, the Belgian had just three goals to show for his spell in the Eredivisie.
7. Leandro Do Bomfim (2002; EC Vitoria to PSV Eindhoven; €5M)
Since the 1980s, PSV Eindhoven have proven they have an eye for talent spotting in the South American market – Brazil in particular – and Romario, Ronaldo, Alex, Heurelho Gomes and, currently, Jonathan Reis, stand as proof of this. But it is not possible for the Dutch club to win them all. Leandro Do Bomfim signed up in 2002, having cost €5M and arriving tipped as the next big thing in Brazilian football. Soon though the Eredivisie giants discovered that they had not unearthed the next Ronaldo, but an attacking midfielder without the mental strength to succeed at the highest level. After three unimpressive seasons the player controversially joined FC Porto, leaving PSV with no choice other than to appeal to FIFA for compensation. They won, but it did not hide the fact that Leandro was not a success.
8. Vagif Javadov (2010; FK Qarabag to FC Twente; Undisclosed)
It is not possible to judge a player on a single match alone; That is the lesson FC Twente learned with Azerbaijani forward Vagif Javadov, who was snapped up in January 2010 from FK Qarabag. Javadov had impressed the Tukkers in a Europa League preliminary round clash just six months earlier, making the Dutch work overtime to see off the Azerbaijani side. Once in Enschede however, the forward – a CSKA Moscow youth academy product – failed to even make his debut with the first team due to a combination of injuries and an inability to settle. Javadov is currently on loan back in Baku, with little chance of finding his way to Holland once again.
9. Bob Peeters (2000; Roda JC to Vitesse; €6.8M)
In the summer of 2000, Vitesse striker Pierre van Hoojidonk spread panic in Arnhem after deciding to leave to join Portuguese giants Benfica. Coach Ronald Koeman chose to reinvest almost all the money received by the Dutch club – 15M Guilders out of 16M – on Belgian forward Bob Peeters, Roda JC’s top scorer the previous season. Soon Vitesse discovered though what the Dutch press dubbed finding they had swapped a Ferrari for a FIAT syndrome. Peeters scored 17 goals in three seasons; Van Hoojidonk had managed 25 in just one.
10. Matias Cahais (2008; Boca Juniors to Groningen; Loan)
Great expectations were attached to defender Matias Cahais upon his arrival at the Euroborg. In January 2008, Cahais was the object of a great many clubs’ desires, including Real Madrid, Chelsea and Ajax. Small steps was the philosophy though of the, at the time, Argentina Under-20 captain, who won the FIFA World Youth Cup in 2007. Cahais chose little Groningen, trying to avoid biting off more than he could chew, for his first taste of European football. In Holland however, the Argentine failed to show the talent which had won him fans at clubs across the world. The Green-Whites sent him back to Argentina after 11 dull games, happy to have saved their money having only picked Cahais up on a six-month loan.
Fonte: Inside Futbol
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