After all those successes on home soil, the one thing missing, according to the players and fans was a notable result in Europe. There hadn’t been one in the years gone by. That time came in 1994. Although it didn’t involve winning one of the European Cups, the setting was the 1/8 finals of the Cupwinners Cup. Feyenoord drew Werder Bremen, regarded as a very strong team. Feyenoord had developed a cup fighters mentality in all those successful cup competitions in Holland over recent years, and that would come in handy now. At home Feyenoord won 1-0 by a goal from the Swedish center forward Henrik “Henke” Larsson.

A fortnight later it was crunch time. About 7.000 fans accompanied their heroes to the North-German port town. Most of them came by bus. They watched Larsson score three times. After a 1-0 deficit, Feyenoord managed a 4-3 victory. In the next round, the quarterfinal, Feyenoord lost to Spanish cup holders Real Zaragoza. Any way, to the fans the 1994/95 season was already a success. It didn’t stop at the fine victories against Werder Bremen, because for the fourth time in five years, Feyenoord had won the Dutch cup.

The young fans who once had been complaining about the absence of new success, could now cherish their own unforgettable moments. It appeared that the 1995/1996 season would bring more good things. The arrival of Ronald Koeman and the fine play against Ajax in the Supercup, had given new confidence. At the start of October 1995 the men from Rotterdam had their shortcomings severely pointed out when they lost to PSV (3-0). Despite the changing of coaches ( Van Hanegem-Haan) and a rough ride in the second half of the season, Feyenoord did achieve some memorable highs by beating Dag Liepaja, Everton and Borussia Monchengladbach in the Cupwinners Cup. In the next round, Feyenoord didn’t get what it deserved in the home game: 1-1. The away match was lost 3-0. Erasable from memory remained the match against Borussia, when some 14.000 people showed up to support their team in the away match, something that even silenced Ronald Koeman.

Under a new coach, Leo Beenhakker, Feyenoord would write history at unexpected moments. The 2-0 victory over Juve at home, with two goals from the sublimely playing Julio Cruz, is unforgettable, just like the victory over Olympique Marseille in the Champions League. But the highpoint was the winning of the league that year, when Feyenoord, under the supervision of Don Leo, showed, it didn’t always have to play well to win most of its matches. Feyenoord had another title and the Coolsingel would be packed again. The windows of the city hall, almost burst when Jean-Paul van Gastel showed the aching Legion the championship dish and an ear-deafening roar went through the city. Champions! Champions!, the fans screamed to the players, just before a big bunch of trouble makers partially ruined the party, by roaming through the city centre and causing riots along the way.

Sorce: o.a. Feyenoord Compleet, Waanders Uitgevers / Mr. J. Oudenaarden