PSV Eindhoven: Dutch Giants
PSV Eindhoven is a Dutch professional football club based in the city of Eindhoven, Netherlands. The club was founded in 1913 as a team for the employees of Philips, the Dutch multi-national conglomerate. PSV is part of the ‘Big Three’ in Netherlands alongside Ajax and Feyenoord. The club’s home stadium is the Philips Stadion.
PSV have won the Eredivisie 24 times (second most successful behind Ajax), the KNVB Cup 9 times (third most successful behind Ajax and Feyenoord), the Johan Cryuff Shield (Dutch version of Community Shield) a record 11 times, the European Cup once in 87-88 and the UEFA Cup once in 77-78.
PSV Eindhoven have developed and produced legends like Ronald Koeman, Romario, Ronaldo de Lima, Ruud Gullit, Jaap Stam, Phillip Cocu and Ruud van Nistelrooy. Recent world-class players who have played for the club include Arjen Robben, Georginio Wijnaldum and Memphis Depay. PSV also have two exciting youngsters in their team in the form of Donyell Malen and Mohamed Ihattaren.
PSV Eindhoven finished at a disappointing 4th in the 2019-20 Eredivisie, behind toppers Ajax, runner-up AZ Alkmaar and 3rd placed Feyenoord. So, the club took action. Roger Schimdt, the former Bayer Leverkusen manager, was appointed the manager. Then they signed prolific Israeli goalscorer Eran Zahavi who in the last 7 years scored 230 goals in 285 matches with Israeli club Maccabi Tel-Aviv and Chinese club Guangzhou R&F. The club then signed German left-back Philipp Max from Bundesliga outfit Augsburg. The fact that Max was being linked to bigger Bundesliga clubs makes this acquisition all the more delighting for PSV. Max contributed 34 goals over the last 3 years and averaged over 2 key passes per match. The club’s 3rd signing of the transfer window was the talented Cote d’Ivoire defensive midfielder Ibrahim Sangaré from Toulouse. Sangaré has great athleticism and physicality and he was a rare bright spot in Toulouse’s dismal 2019-20 Ligue 1 campaign which saw the Southern French team relegated to Ligue 2. However, the club’s biggest signing this transfer window was the purchase of Mario Götze for a free transfer from Borussia Dortmund. The World Cup winner may have scored the goal that won the 4th World Cup for Die Mannschaft in 2014 but it has all been downhill since then. It was not his fault though as he was diagnosed with myopathy, a rare disorder. Still, he has received this opportunity to shine in a league where there is little pressure on him.
These transfer incomings for PSV combined with Ajax losing almost all the integral players of their 2018-19 Champions League semi-final run could make PSV the favourites to win the 2020-21 Eredivisie. We’ll have to wait and see how these new signings perform for the club.
