The history of our upcoming UEFA Champions League opponents goes back to 1908, when four young men in a cafe decided to found a football club. First known as Wilhelmina, it was renamed a few years later to the suburb of Feijenoord. They filled their trophy cabinet with several national titles in their early years.
Ernst Happel's glory era
Since 1921 the 'Club van het volk', the club of the people, have played permanently in the top flight and have a proud 16 Dutch titles to their name. They shone on the European stage in the 1970s, with legendary Austrian coach Ernst Happel taking them to a European cup win and World Club Cup title.
As one of the biggest clubs in the country, it is only logical that some of the biggest Oranje legends of all time have worn their red and white jerseys. No less than Johan Cruyff, Ruud Gullit or - more recently - Robin van Persie, have plied their trade in the harbour city.
Feyenoord are now captained by Quinten Timber. The 23-year-old doesn't only pack great potential, but is a key fulcrum in the 4-3-3 formation of Brian Priske. The current Feyenoord squad has some big names, including Austrian international Gernot Trauner - who is still in prime form at the age of 32. Priske's side have to contend with some key injury absences at the moment, however, most notably centre-forward Santiago Gimenez.
The ace up the sleeves of the Rotterdam side is De Kuip ('the tub'). The stadium that opened in 1937 is known for its special atmosphere and passionate fan base. Close to 50,000 spectators regularly attend league matches, which are almost always sold out. Their capacity is a little lower in the Champions League, which does not detract from the experience at all.
Our away trip to Rotterdam this Wednesday 6 November (21:00 CET), is the first competitive clash between the two clubs - and a few hundred Salzburg fans will be there. For anyone not able to make it, we will keep you up-to-date with the atmosphere and all the goings-on with our live text updates!
