Sportvereniging Roda Juliana Combinatie Kerkrade (Dutch pronunciation: [ˈspɔrtfəˌreːnəɣɪŋ ˈroːdaː ˌjyliˈjaːnaː ˌkɔmbiˈnaː(t)si ˈkɛr(ə)kˌraːdə]; Ripuarian: Sjport Verainiejoeng Roda Juliana Combinaatsiejoeën Kirchroa [ˈʃpɔχt fəˈʁaɪnijuŋ ˈʁoːdaː ˌjyliˈjaːnaː kɔmbinaːtsiˈjuəŋ ˈkeʁəçʁoə]),[tone?] also known as Roda JC Kerkrade ([ˈroːdaː jeːˈseː ˈkɛr(ə)kˌraːdə]) or commonly Roda JC or Roda, is a Dutch professional football club based in Kerkrade, Netherlands. Roda JC Kerkrade plays in the Eerste Divisie. The club was founded by a merger between Rapid JC and Roda Sport in 1962. They were placed in the Eerste Divisie, and after a relegation they were promoted back to the top division in 1973, where they would stay for 41 years until being relegated in 2014. In 2009–10, they added Kerkrade to the name to create brand awareness and get financial support.

Roda JC
Club logo
Full nameSportvereniging Roda
Juliana Combinatie Kerkrade
Nickname(s)De Koempels (Miners)
De Trots van het Zuiden (The Pride of the South)

De Limburgers
Founded27 June 1962; 61 years ago (1962-06-27)
GroundParkstad Limburg Stadion
Kerkrade
Capacity19,979
OwnerBert Peels
Stijn Koster
Roger Hodenius
Mercurius
CEOJordens Peters
Head coachBas Sibum
LeagueEerste Divisie
2022–23Eerste Divisie, 15th of 20
WebsiteClub website
Current season

Roda JC is known as the "coal-miner's club"; fans of archrival club MVV, from the provincial capital of Maastricht, say those words condescendingly. However, in Kerkrade and the surrounding area, they are said with pride and respect, although the last Dutch coal mines were closed in the 1970s.[1][2]

Roda JC's club honours include seven European campaigns and six KNVB Cup finals, of which they won two. One of its predecessors in club's "family tree" of mergers, Rapid JC, were champions of the Netherlands in 1956. Ten out of eleven players on that Rapid JC team were coal miners.

History edit

 
The history of the forming of Roda JC

Merge (1955–1962) edit

Roda JC Kerkrade came into being as the result of a merger of several football clubs from Kerkrade. In 1954, SV Kerkrade (established 1926) and SV Bleijerheide (1914) merged to form Roda Sport. That same year, Rapid '54 (1954) and amateur club Juliana (1910) merged to form Rapid JC. Rapid JC was one of the most successful clubs of that time, winning the Championship play-off in 1956. In later years they would only finish in the top 10 once, when they finished second in the 1958–59 season. Roda Sport, however, were relegated to the Tweede Divisie and stayed there until the latest merger with Rapid JC, to form Roda JC.

Struggling and staying at the top division (1963–94) edit

After the merger they began in the Eerste Divisie in the 1962–63 season, but were relegated the same season after finishing 16th. The following season they almost achieved promotion again, but they lost in the play-off and remained in the Tweede Divisie for eight years. After their return to the Eerste Divisie, it only took a further two seasons before they were promoted to the Eredivisie, when they finished first.

The club are finally in the premier division, but did not manage to qualify for a European competition even though they finished near the top several times. They only qualified for Europe once when they lost in the finals of the KNVB Cup in 1975, but they lost in the first round, 5–3 on aggregate, to Anderlecht. In the 1986–87 season they finally finished high enough for the UEFA Cup play-offs in the Netherlands, but lost their place to Utrecht. One year later they finished 15th and struggled to avoid relegation to the Eerste Divisie. They did, however, reach the finals of the KNVB Cup. Since PSV already had a place in Europe by winning the Eredivisie, Roda JC also earned a place in the European Cup. With the financial backing of entrepreneur Nol Hendriks, this was the club's most memorable European campaign, when Roda made it through the winter in the European Cup Winners' Cup before succumbing to the superb strikers of Bulgarian Sredets Sofia, Hristo Stoichkov, Lyuboslav Penev and Emil Kostadinov, who became superstars in Europe's major football leagues. Two years later, they finished fifth twice, but only once gained a place in a European competition. They did well in the KNVB Cup in 1990–91, reaching the semi-finals, and a year later reached the finals.

Dutch and European success (1994–2002) edit

Since 1994, the club has managed to achieve several successes both in Europe and the Netherlands during the Nol Hendriks era. Most notable was their second-place finish in the Eredivisie in 1994–95. They also won the KNVB Cup twice, in 1996–97 and 1999–2000. As a result of these successes, they qualified for several European competitions. In the 1997–98 UEFA Cup Winners' Cup, Roda was eliminated in the quarter-finals by Vicenza 1–9 on aggregate. Roda's most memorable European match was played on 28 February 2002. After a 0–1 defeat at the hands of Milan in Kerkrade, Roda caused panic at San Siro by winning the return leg by the same score (0-1). The only goal scored during this match was made by Mark Luijpers. Roda even took the lead in the penalty shoot-out, but ended up losing the series, only being one penalty away from eliminating Milan.

Since then, Roda have only qualified twice for the UEFA Intertoto Cup, in 2003–04 and 2004–05. In later years, they did manage to qualify for the play-offs but never won it.

Roda's position in Dutch football is best illustrated by their history in the KNVB Cup. Roda were good enough to make it to six finals, but the first three times and the last time the opponent in the final was one of the "Big Three" – and Roda went home with the silver medal: PSV won in 1976 and 1988 and Feyenoord in 1992 and 2008. However, in two of the club's cup finals, a non-Big Three side was the opponent. Both times, the cup went to Kerkrade: Heerenveen were defeated in 1997 and NEC in 2000.

Decline (2002–2013) edit

Since 1992, Roda have been in discussions with neighbours Fortuna Sittard, as well as MVV and VVV, with a view to merging to form a new club, named FC Limburg.[3] A statement of intent was published by Roda and Fortuna in November 2008 and in early 2009 financial backing was found for the scheme.[3] All these attempts, however, floundered.

In 2008, the club gained its final notable success by reaching the KNVB Cup final. In the final, opponent and home side Feyenoord proved to be too strong, winning 2–0. One year later, the two teams met again in De Kuip for the final round of the 2008–09 Eredivisie season. Roda JC needed a win to avoid direct relegation, and against all odds, Roda JC defeated Feyenoord to qualify for the promotion/relegation play-offs. Roda eventually won the play-offs, defeating Cambuur in a penalty shoot-out.

In 2010, the club added "Kerkrade" to its name, so the new full name of the sports club is now Roda JC Kerkrade. This was one of the conditions set by the municipality of Kerkrade, in return for their sponsorship.

Roda JC finished in 16th position in the 2012–13 Eredivisie season and were therefore again forced to participate in the play-offs. The Coal Miners came out victorious again after a late free-kick winner by Mark-Jan Fledderus against Sparta Rotterdam, extending the club's stay at the highest level for another season.

Relegations, Eerste Divisie and turmoil (2014–2019) edit

Roda JC finished 18th in the 2013–14 Eredivisie and were relegated in May 2014, ending a 41-year period of football at the highest national level. However, they bounced back from the Eerste Divisie on their first attempt after defeating NAC after extra time in a promotion/relegation play-off final.[4]

In January 2017, Dubai-based Swiss-Russian businessman Aleksei Korotaev[5] took a minority interest in the club[6] and brought former French international Nicolas Anelka with him in an advisory role.[7] After Korotaev was jailed for alleged fraud in Dubai later that year, Anelka dropped his involvement with the club.[8]

The club was relegated for a second time in their history in May 2018, after finishing the season in 16th place and subsequently losing 2–1 on aggregate to Eerste Divisie side Almere City in the promotion and relegation play-offs.[9]

The following seasons were marked by ups and downs in the second tier, finishing as low as 17th in the abandoned 2019–20 season, and as high as the fifth in the 2021–22 season, where they were, however, knocked out by Excelsior 4–2 on aggregate in the playoffs. The club also went through turmoil behind the scenes, and had been close bankruptcy several times in the late 2010s.

In May 2019, Mexican investor Mauricio García de la Vega became involved in the club, acquiring 25% of the shares. However, the club faced consequences for not disclosing this to the licensing commission beforehand, receiving a three-point deduction from the Royal Dutch Football Association (KNVB) in December 2019.[10][11] García de la Vega's presence led to significant tensions within the organisation, as it later emerged that he had threatened several staff members.[12]

The situation reached a climax on 27 September 2019, when angry fans chased him out of the stadium.[13] Following this, on 5 October 2019, Roda JC announced that García de la Vega had withdrawn his investment and departed from the club.[14] Instead, a consortium of local investors assumed control of 80% of the club shares (with Korotaev retaining 20%) and pledged to cover the club's €900,000 debt.[15][16] The KNVB approved the plan in January 2020, effectively rendering the club debt-free.[17]

Stabilisation (2020–present) edit

In September 2020, the Royal Dutch Football Association (KNVB) greenlit the acquisition of Roda JC, transferring ownership to the Roda JC Foundation.[18] Spearheaded by a local consortium comprising entrepreneurs Stijn Koster, Bert Peels, Roger Hodenius, and investment firm Mercurius, the proposal emerged in May 2020 with the goal of propelling the club to the summit of the Eerste Divisie.[19] Operating under the moniker Phoenix Group, they committed to injecting €1.5 million annually over the next three seasons, bracing for potential budget shortfalls.[19] Simultaneously, they petitioned the Kerkrade municipality to slash Parkstad Limburg Stadion's rent to €250,000.[19] The KNVB's nod signaled the official departure of principal shareholder Frits Schrouff, who had been at the helm since 2015.[20]

Following successful on-field performances, securing playoff spots in 2021 and 2022, Roda JC faced a downturn in the 2022–23 season, finishing in 15th place.[21] In response, the club appointed former Roda JC player Bas Sibum, then assistant coach at FC Emmen, as their new head coach for the 2023–24 season.[22] Under his leadership, the team experienced a significant turnaround in results, propelling them into contention for promotion.[23][24]

Stadium edit

After the establishment of the club, Roda JC Kerkrade played in Sportpark Kaalheide with a capacity of 21,500 spectators. Its current stadium is the Parkstad Limburg Stadion, an all-seater stadium with a capacity of 19,979. It was opened on 15 August 2000 with a match against Spanish side Real Zaragoza, which ended in a 2–2 draw.

Honours edit

Before their merger, Rapid JC had won the top league title once, in the 1955–56 season.

League Number Years
National
KNVB Cup 1996–97, 1999–2000
Eerste Divisie 1972–73

Runners-up edit

League Number Years
National
Netherlands Football League Championship/Eredivisie 1994–95
KNVB Cup 1975–76, 1987–88, 1991–92, 2007–08
Johan Cruijff Schaal 1997, 2000

Domestic results edit

Below is a table with Roda JC's domestic results since 1962.

Players and staff edit

First-team squad edit

As of 1 February 2024[25]

Note: Flags indicate national team as defined under FIFA eligibility rules. Players may hold more than one non-FIFA nationality.

No. Pos. Nation Player
1 GK   NED Koen Bucker
2 DF   GER Joey Müller
3 DF   BEL Matisse Didden
4 DF   GER Brian Koglin
5 MF   NED Teun Bijleveld
6 MF   NED Wesley Spieringhs
7 MF   VEN Enrique Peña Zauner
8 MF   NED Niek Vossebelt
9 FW   GER Maximilian Schmid (on loan from 1. FC Köln II)
10 MF   NED Walid Ould-Chikh (on loan from Volendam)
11 FW   CZE Václav Sejk (on loan from Sparta Prague)
13 DF   GER Nils Röseler (captain)
14 MF   BEL Lennerd Daneels
15 DF   BEL Lucas Beerten
No. Pos. Nation Player
16 GK   NED Calvin Raatsie (on loan from Utrecht)
17 MF   NED Orhan Džepar
18 MF   BEL Fabio Sposito
19 DF   KOS Laurit Krasniqi (on loan from Antwerp)
20 MF   NED Leroy Been
21 MF   NED Rodney Kongolo
22 GK   NED Loek Hamers
23 GK   NED Jordy Steins
24 DF   BEL Thibo Van Den Branden
25 MF   NED Sami Ouaissa (on loan from NEC)
26 FW   NED Arjen van der Heide
27 FW   NED Saydou Bangura
29 FW   TUR Metehan Güçlü
44 DF   NED Boyd Reith


Current staff edit

As of 29 July 2023
Name Function
Coaching staff
  Bas Sibum Head coach
  Edwin Linssen
  Mark Luijpers
  Matthias Maurer
Assistant coaches
  Rein van Duijnhoven Goalkeeper coach
Medical staff
  Jim Snackers
  Dominic Bednas
Physiotherapists
  Michel Somers Caregiver
  Rutger Sanders Team doctor
Accompanying staff
  Lance Cobben Video analyst
  Mark Maas Press officer
  Fred Thomassen Equipment man

Former players edit

Australia
Belgium
Bosnia and Herzegovina
Denmark
Estonia
Ghana
Hungary
Ivory Coast
Netherlands
New Zealand
Poland
Portugal
Serbia

Coaches edit

Name From To
  Piet Thomas 1962 1963
  Michel Pfeiffer 1963 1965
  Wiel Coerver 1965 1966
  Adam Fischer 1966 1968
  Breur Weyzen 1969 1971
  Jacques Koole 1971 November 1972
  Hennie Hollink November 1972 February 1974
  Fritz Pliska February 1974 1974
  Bert Jacobs 1974 1980
  Piet de Visser 1980 1983
  Hans Eijkenbroek 1984 November 1984
  Eugene Gerards November 1984 December 1984
  Frans Körver December 1984 1986
  Rob Baan 1986 October 1987
  Rob Jacobs October 1987 1988
  Jan Reker 1988 1991
  Adrie Koster 1991 March 1993
  Huub Stevens March 1993 9 October 1996
  Eddy Achterberg 9 October 1996 1 November 1996
  Martin Jol 1 November 1996 7 March 1998
  Theo Vonk 28 February 1998 30 June 1998
  Sef Vergoossen 1 July 1998 1 July 2001
  Jan van Dijk 1 July 2001 19 September 2001
  Georges Leekens 19 September 2001 30 June 2002
  Wiljan Vloet 1 July 2002 30 June 2005
  Huub Stevens 1 July 2005 2 February 2007
  Raymond Atteveld 2 February 2007 7 October 2008
  Martin Koopman (interim) 7 October 2008 19 November 2008
  Harm van Veldhoven 20 November 2008 30 June 2012
  Ruud Brood 1 July 2012 15 December 2013
  Regillio Vrede &   Rick Plum (interim) 15 December 2013 26 December 2013
  Jon Dahl Tomasson 26 December 2013 26 May 2014
  René Trost 1 June 2014 8 April 2015
  Regillio Vrede &   Rick Plum (interim) 8 April 2015 11 June 2015
  Darije Kalezić 11 June 2015 10 May 2016
  Yannis Anastasiou 18 June 2016 23 May 2017
  René Trost &   Rick Plum (interim) 23 May 2017 21 June 2017
  Robert Molenaar 21 June 2017 19 March 2019
  Eric van der Luer (interim) 19 March 2019 13 May 2019
  Jean-Paul de Jong 11 June 2019 8 February 2020
  Jurgen Streppel 10 June 2020 15 December 2022
  Remond Strijbosch (interim) 15 December 2022 24 January 2023
  Edwin de Graaf 24 January 2023 30 June 2023
  Bas Sibum 1 July 2023 present

Sponsors edit

Sponsor 2023-24
Main De Energie Bedrijfadviseur Limburg
Shirt Kipsta
Back 1 MASCOT Workwear
Back 2 Jorc Industrial
PC Tronic
Sleeve Stienstra Wonen
Pants du ROI

Supporters edit

Although not the most vocal, the supporters of Roda JC are generally considered to be among the most loyal and well behaved in the Netherlands. In the early days of the club, Kaalheide was the club's home ground. Initially, supporters could roam free over the terraces. However, in the 1970s, fences were placed between the various sections, preventing supporters to move from one stand to the other. The fanatical supporters decided to unite at the covered north side stand, creating an old fashioned, atmospheric stand. Kaalheide became an infamous stadium for visiting teams.

Since moving to the Parkstad Limburg Stadium in the summer of 2000, the more fanatical supporters can be found behind the goal on the West side. The West Stand was renamed 'Koempel Tribune' (Miner Stand) in September 2014 to honour the fans who remained loyal to the club after the relegation four months earlier.[26]

Since 1989, there is a close friendship between the supporters of TSV Alemannia Aachen and Roda JC Kerkrade. Fans of both clubs regularly visit each other's games.[27][28][29] The clubs have the tradition to play a preparation match for the coming season, each and every year. It is not uncommon that fans from both clubs get together, march towards the stadium as one group, and walk into a stand as one. They cheer and clap for every goal.[26]

Rivalries edit

Roda JC has three provincial rivals, namely Fortuna Sittard, MVV and VVV-Venlo. The arch rival is MVV, the team from the provincial capital of Maastricht. The Roda JC-MVV rivalry is considered to be the number one rivalry in the Province of Limburg by both sets of supporters.[30][31][32]

During the 1990s, the rivalry between Roda JC and Fortuna Sittard intensified, as both clubs were relatively successful during that period. Fanatical supporters of both clubs clash regularly ever since. The increased rivalry also created animosity between hooligans of Roda JC and the Belgian Limburg club Genk.[33][34][35]

Due to the distance between Kerkrade and Venlo, the rivalry with VVV-Venlo is considered to be a minor one by the majority of the Roda JC supporters.[citation needed]

See also edit

References edit

  1. ^ Hasselt, Laura van. "Mijnsluiting". Andere Tijden (in Dutch). Archived from the original on 14 July 2022. Retrieved 19 February 2023.
  2. ^ Messing, F.A.M. (1988). Geschiedenis van de mijnsluiting in Limburg : noodzaak en lotgevallen van een regionale herstructurering, 1955-1975 : een studie (in Dutch). Leiden: Nijhoff. ISBN 9789068902143.
  3. ^ a b Schaerlaeckens, Leander (9 February 2009). "Merger mania as Roda JC and Fortuna Sittard prepare to join forces". The Guardian. Retrieved 10 February 2009.
  4. ^ Roda JC promoveert naar eredivisie – Telegraaf (in Dutch)
  5. ^ Rus steekt miljoenen in Roda JC – Financieele Dagbald (in Dutch)
  6. ^ Roda JC deels in handen van Zwitserse investeerder – NRC (in Dutch)
  7. ^ Roda verrast verder met komst Anelka – Voetbal International (in Dutch)
  8. ^ "Roda: samenwerking met Anelka op laag pitje". NOS (in Dutch). 9 August 2017. Archived from the original on 9 December 2023. Retrieved 5 May 2024.
  9. ^ Roda JC degradeert voor tweede keer in clubhistorie, Almere City door – AD (in Dutch)
  10. ^ Jakobs, Geert-Jan (11 June 2019). "Het lot van Roda JC: de levenskus van een omstreden Mexicaan". Voetbal International (in Dutch). Retrieved 5 May 2024.
  11. ^ "Beroepscommissie bevestigt 3 punten aftrek voor Roda JC". Royal Dutch Football Association (KNVB) (in Dutch). 5 December 2019. Archived from the original on 4 April 2022. Retrieved 5 May 2024.
  12. ^ "'García de la Vega bedreigde hoofdscout en jeugdtrainers Roda JC'". Voetbal International (in Dutch). 13 May 2020. Archived from the original on 28 May 2020. Retrieved 5 May 2024.
  13. ^ "Fans chase Mexican investor out of stadium". ESPN.com. 28 September 2019. Archived from the original on 11 April 2024. Retrieved 5 May 2024.
  14. ^ "Mauricio Garcia de la Vega ziet af van overname aandelen Roda JC". Roda JC Kerkrade (in Dutch). 5 October 2019. Archived from the original on 8 December 2019. Retrieved 5 May 2024.
  15. ^ "Roda JC lijkt gered door lokale ondernemers". NOS (in Dutch). 28 October 2019. Archived from the original on 17 May 2023. Retrieved 5 May 2024.
  16. ^ "Nieuwe directeur Roda JC spreekt: 'Deze club is schuldenvrij'". NOS (in Dutch). 8 November 2019. Archived from the original on 17 May 2023. Retrieved 5 May 2024.
  17. ^ "Rust bij Roda JC na goedgekeurde begroting door KNVB". NOS (in Dutch). 30 January 2020. Archived from the original on 19 March 2023. Retrieved 5 May 2024.
  18. ^ "KNVB GEEFT RODA JC GOEDKEURING INZAKE WIJZIGING ZEGGENSCHAP". ParkstadActueel (in Dutch). 10 September 2020. Archived from the original on 27 February 2021. Retrieved 5 May 2024.
  19. ^ a b c Leenders, Jimmy (20 May 2020). "Ondernemersgroep 'Phoenix' investeert miljoenen in Roda JC". De Limburger (in Dutch). Archived from the original on 25 March 2023. Retrieved 5 May 2024.
  20. ^ "Roda JC-redder Frits Schrouff op 82-jarige leeftijd overleden". Voetbal International (in Dutch). 22 March 2022. Archived from the original on 27 March 2022. Retrieved 5 May 2024.
  21. ^ "Roda JC kijkt terug op financieel gezond seizoen". L1 Nieuws (in Dutch). 30 January 2024. Archived from the original on 5 May 2024. Retrieved 5 May 2024.
  22. ^ "Bas Sibum nieuwe hoofdtrainer Roda JC". Roda JC Kerkrade (in Dutch). 9 May 2023. Archived from the original on 29 November 2023. Retrieved 5 May 2024.
  23. ^ Mulder, Karin (3 November 2023). "Droomdebuut voor trainer Bas Sibum bij Roda JC: 'De club staat weer in de fik'". RTV Drenthe (in Dutch). Archived from the original on 15 December 2023. Retrieved 5 May 2024.
  24. ^ Thimister, Bjorn (5 December 2023). "Wie is de succestrainer van Roda JC: Basje, keihard maar bovenal ook 'een mens'". Soccernews.nl (in Dutch). Archived from the original on 5 May 2024. Retrieved 5 May 2024.
  25. ^ "Selectie en Staf". Roda JC Kerkrade (in Dutch). Retrieved 19 February 2023.
  26. ^ a b "Roda & Oche". Ultras Kerkrade on YouTube (in Dutch). 5 August 2015. (Roda & Aachen) at 1:15 Banners: West Side Ultras (Roda) ; Roda und der TSV ; Karls Bande Ultras (TSV), on the roof: 12 Koempel 12 (Miner's/Friend's stand)
  27. ^ "Roda-fans steunen 'bevriend' Alemannia Aachen". Voetbalprimeur.nl (in Dutch). 23 April 2012. In 2009 Alemannia fans went to Kerkrade to support Roda when they nearly were relegated. In 2012 Roda fans supported Aachen when they fought to stay in the second Bundesliga.
  28. ^ "Roda JC - Sparta Rotterdam 12/13 - Die letzten Sekunden". YouTube (in German). 26 May 2013. (Roda-Sparta season 2012/13 - the last seconds) 5:40 Alemannia fans celebrate Roda's escape from relegation.
  29. ^ "Freundschaft on Tour". YouTube (in German). 24 April 2012. (Friendship on Tour) Hundreds of Roda fans arrive at Tivoli stadium.
  30. ^ "Hooligans zijn zielig, maar die in Zuid-Limburg helemaal!". Panorama (in Dutch). 26 May 2017. Archived from the original on 14 June 2023. Retrieved 5 May 2024.
  31. ^ "MVV-Roda JC rellen hooligans". YouTube. 26 May 2017.
  32. ^ Tiems, Job (30 October 2021). "Agenten en stewards gewond bij rellen derby MVV-Roda JC". L1 Nieuws (in Dutch). Archived from the original on 5 May 2024. Retrieved 5 May 2024.
  33. ^ "Hooligans weren met grensoverschrijdend stadionverbod". 1Limburg (in Dutch). 7 April 2015. (Fending off hooligans with a cross-border stadium ban)
  34. ^ "Politie tolereert 'hooliganfreefights' niet". NOS (in Dutch). 9 October 2016. (Police doesn't tolerate hooligan free fights) Roda & Aachen vs Standard Liège, 17 men vs 17 men
  35. ^ "Belgische voebalhooligans en hun buitenlandse vrienden". Radio2.be (in Dutch). 8 February 2023. (Belgian football hooligans and their foreign friends), Roda & Mechelen, Sittard & Genk

External links edit