Willem through to 2nd round Intertoto

14 July 2002

Willem II are through to the 2nd round of the Intertoto tournament after a 1-1 draw at FC St. Gallen. Mark Wotte's team beat the Swiss side 1-0 at home last week and, although St.Gallen again created more goal-scoring chances than the "Tricolores", the Tilburgers succeeded in beating off their challenge.

Willem II win first Intertoto match

06 July 2002

Willem II have won theirng match of the Intertoto tournament by beating Swiss side St. Gallen 1-0 thanks to a lone goal by Tom Caluwé in the 15th minute. It's the "Tricolores" first win under their new coach Mark Wotte who gave the club's new signing Northern Ireland striker James Quinn his debut for the 2nd half. Willem II play the return in a week's time with a place in the next round at stake and hope of maybe getting through to the UEFA Cup.

De Vlieger returns early to help Tricolores

05 July 2002

Geert de Vlieger will be returning early from his holiday to help out Willem II as they face Sankt Gallen in their first Intertoto match of the summer on Saturday. The Belgian international had been granted permission to join the squad later due his World Cup commitments but reserve goalie Christophe Martin is suffering from a groin injury and De Vlieger will have to come to the rescue and replace him.

Willem II hire Van Beelen to Helmond

05 July 2002

Willem II are hiring out Hendrik van Beelen to Helmond Sport next season. The forward only arrived in Tilburg last year but his arrival at his new club makes the way free for Laurens ten Heuvel to move to Willem II! The "Tricolores" have been interested in the 26 year-old striker for some time but face competition from English side Sheffield United although Ten Heuvel would prefer signing for Willem II.

NAC hire Simons to Willem II

05 July 2002

NAC are hiring Regillio Simons to Willem II. The 29 year-old forward's contract with the Breda side runs out in July next year and he spent the latter half of last season on loan to Fortuna. During his career he's scored 39 goals in a total of 221 matches for Telstar, Fortuna, NAC and another spell on loan to Fortuna. Simons will be facing competition in Tilburg from the "Tricolores" new signing, Northern Irish striker James Quinn.

Willem II face FC St. Gallen in Intertoto

30 Jun 2002

Willem II face Swiss side FC St. Gallen in de 2nd round of the Intertoto Cup on the 6th (home) and either the 13th or 14th of July (away). St. Gallen won both legs of their 1st round matches against Farao Island amateurs B68 Töftir (5-1 at home and 6-0 away). St. Gallen, who've already played theirng match of the new Nationalliga A season, have a dangerous striker in Ionel Gane. The 30 year-old Romanian, who previously played for Universitatea Craiova, Dinamo Boekerest and Spanish side Osasuna, put away a hattrick against B68 Töftir, the remaining goals scored by Alex, Daniel Imhof and Rainer Bieli. Willem II played a friendly against an amateur side from Diessen on Friday and won 10-1 thanks to 5 goals from new signing Northern Ireland international James Quinn, the remaining goals were by Jos van Nieuwstadt (2), Jatto Cessay, Youssef Mariana and Tarif Sektioui.

Willem II trial for Polish keeper

28 Jun 2002

Willem II have invited the Polish keeper Aleksander Klak for a trial. The 31 year-old has been playing for Belgian side Antwerp during the last 4 seasons but has not been offered a new contract there. He won an Olympic silver medal with the Polish national team during the Barcelona games in 1992.The "Tricolores" have been looking around for a new keeper ever since it became clear that their current no.1 Geert De Vlieger was likely to leave Tilburg.Their 2nd choice keeper Cristophe Martin has a groin problem which made it even more important to find a new goalie a.s.a.p. Willem II face InterToto matches against FC Sankt Gallen in July for which their 3rd choice keeper Joost Peijnenburg will most likely be put in goal.

Willem II sign David Johnson

25 Jun 2002

Willem II have signed American youth international David Johnson on a contract which should see him stay with the Tilburgers till the summer of 2005. The 18 year-old has already had his first training session with the "Tricolores" yesterday under new coach Mark Wotte. Johnson has been a member of the United States' youth squads for some years now and made his most recent appearances for his country's Under 20s team.

Mariano Bombarda ends career

20 Jun 2002

Mariano Bombarda has decided to hang up his boots and end his playing career. The 29 year-old striker, who decided in January not to extend his contract with Willem II, is emigrating with his family to Spain. Bombarda scored 96 goals in 220 Ere Divisie matches. He played for amateur side ACV from Assen, before moving on to his first professional club Groningen where he played for 4 years, broken only by a short spell with French club FC Metz.

Willem II want Ali Boussaboun

13 Jun 2002

Willem II have confirmed their interest in Groningen's out-of-favour striker Ali Boussaboun. NAC have already held talks with the wing-forward who's been told he can leave the Oosterpark side after a string of disciplinary conflicts last season. The "Tricolores" see in him a replacement for Yassine Abdellaoui who's involved in a legal conflict with the Tilburgers. Boussaboun knows trainer Mark Wotte from when they were both with Den Haag but faces competition from Feyenoord's  Leonardo I  and Brian Pinas who are also being lined up as possible additions.

Martin van Geel joins AZ's technical staff

06 Jun 2002

Martin van Geel joins AZ's technical staff next season. The former prof footballer has been working for Willem II since 1996, firstly as technical/commercial manager, and from 1997 as director of football. As soon as Willem II have found a replacement for him the 41 year-old former Ajax, Roda, Feyenoord and Willem II player will move to AZ.

Willem II/NAC Intertoto opponents

31 May 2002

Willem II will kickoff in the 2nd Round of the Intertoto tournament (the 'backdoor' entrance to the UEFA Cup) against the winner of the 1st Round duel between St. Gallen (Zwitserland) and B68 Toftir (Faraos). If the Tilburgers win they face either Krylya Sovjetov Samara (Russia) or the winner of the duel between Zaglebie Lubin (Poland) and FC Dinaburg (Letland).  NAC kickoff in the 3rd Round and most likely face French side Troyes who first have to win their 2nd Round match against the winner of the 1st Round duel between Coleraine (Ierland) and St. Julia (Andorra). Willem II play at home on July 6th or 7th with a return a week later while 3rd Round matches will take place on July 20th or 21st with the returns on either July 27th or 28th.

Fortuna's Landerl in Willem II move?

23 Apr 2002

Willem II are interested in snapping up Fortuna's Rolf Landerl who becomes transfer-free this summer. The unfortunate Sittardians have insufficient money to offer the Austrian striker, who arrived from AZ in 1999, a new deal.

Willem II's new trainer wants Quinn

23 Apr 2002

Willem II's new coach Mark Wotte has confirmed that Willem II are still very much interested in Irish forward James Quinn. Holland's Under 21s coach, who will be taking over the reins at Willem II next season, watched Quinn play for Bristol Rovers against Rochdale at the weekend and stated that the Irish international matched his expectations. Wotte told Dutch provincial daily newspaper the "Brabants Dagblad"."There were 21 typically English 3rd Division players on the pitch and Quinn obviously wasn't one of them." Wotte also confirmed that Willem II are still interested in Den Bosch's Belgian striker Bart van den Eede.

Willem II draw with De Graafschap 2-2

20 Apr 2002

Willem II lineup:Martin - Jaliens, van Nieuwstadt, Janssens, Mariana - Caluwé, Landzaat, D. Mathijssen, Shoukov - Sektioui, Bombarda. De Graafschap lineup: Postma - Bot, Berck Beelenkamp, Vreman, Fränkel - Meerdink, van den Brom, van Leerdam, van Vossen - Turpijn, Valeev. Mario Bombarda should haved the score for Willem II in the 5th minute but his close range shot somehow hit the post. In the 12th minute De Graafschap's much sought after goalie Postma kept his team in the game by stopping a Sektioui shot. two minutes later Postma also did well in turning away a Denny Landzaat shot. Although Willem II were the better of the 2 sides in the 1st half it was De Graafschap who finally scored. Martin Meerdinkd in the 17th and Ruslan Valeev made it 0-2 in the 39th minute. Dmitri Shoukov pulled one back 2 minutes before the break, nodding in a Peter van Vossen cross. In the 2nd half Willem II pressed forward for the equalizer but were often confronted with dangerous counters from De Graafschap. In the 58th minute Shoukov passed to Mario Bombarda who, without thinking, fired the ball into the back of the net.

Willem II confirm interest Irish forward

17 Apr 2002

Willem II's manager Martin Geel has confirmed that the club are interested in signing West Bromwich Albion's Irish forward Martin Quinn. The Tilburgers are looking for a replacement for Mario Bombarda who will be leaving the club at the end of the season and are also interested in Den Bosch's forward, Bart van den Eede.

Wim Suurbier joins Heerenveen's staff

15 Apr 2002

In a follow-up to our earlier report, Willem II's Wim Suurbier will be joining Heerenveen's technical staff next season. The former international will be helping out in an advisory capacity and helping to make sure that more youth players stay with the Frieslanders long enough to make the move up into the senior squad. The 57 year-old has been particularly active as a trainer in the Arabian Gulf States before which he had a playing career with Ajax, Schalke 04, FC Metz, Sparta, Los Angeles Aztecs and the San Jose Earthquakes. He also played for Oranje, taking part in two World Cup Finals in 1974 and 1978.

AZ draw with Willem II 2-2

13 Apr 2002

AZ Lineup: Oscar Moens, Barry Opdam, Peter Wijker, José Fortes Rodriquez, Abdelkrim el Hadrioui, Jannes Wolters, Reinier Robbemond, Michael Buskermolen, Barry van Galen (69th Ali Elkhattabi), Robin Nelisse (77th John Bosman), Kenneth Perez (77th Urvin Lee). Willem II Lineup: Geert de Vlieger (43rd Christophe Martin), Kew Jaliens, Joris Mathijsen (81st Hendrik van Beelen), Jos van Nieuwstadt, Chris Janssens, Denny Landzaat, Tom Caluwé (Danny Mathijssen), Youssef Mariana, Jattoo Ceesay, Mariano Bombarda, Tarik Sektioui. The home side were the better team in the "Alkmaarder Hout", dominating the 1st half. Unfortunately they failed to put away the chances they got in front of goal. Perezd the score for AZ in the 1st minute, climbing above his marker Mathijsen and heading in from close range. 17 minutes later Opdam made it 2-0 after he cleverly evaded Willem II's offside tactics and slotted home past goalie De Vlieger. After Tarik Sektioui had pulled one back for the visitors AZ should have increased their lead. Peter Wijker saw 3 of his headers saved on the line by defenders and José Fortes Rodriquez also had a shot stopped on the line. In the 84th minute the almost-inevitable happened and Willem II were awarded a penalty. Denny Landzaat spot-shotted past Oscar Moens to put the final 2-2 on the board.

De Graafschap want Veldeman

11 Apr 2002

De Graafschap are interested in signing Willem II's Guy Veldeman as a replacement for left-back Purrel Fränkel, who's off to Vitesse at the end of the season. The 21 year-old former Anderlecht player, whose deal with the "Tricolores" runs out in 2003,  has not seen any action this season in Tilburg and only played 4 games in the last two seasons.

Willem II beat Fortuna 3 - 0

06 Apr 2002

Willem II lineup: De Vlieger, Victoria, Mariana, Van Nieuwstadt, Janssens, Landzaat, Caluwé, D. Mathijssen - Ceesay, Bombarda and Shoukov. Fortuna lineup: Hesp, Emeran, Dirkx, Volmer, Hermans, Meszaros, Haeldermans, Landerl, Rook, Hamming and Gerritse. Fortuna remain stuck at the bottom after this latest and 21st defeat of the season and are bound for Eerste Divisie football, one more defeat and their fate is sealed. Willem II were 11th on 37 from 28 played but now climb to 9th place on 40 points from 29. Fortuna could be said to have played the better football but threw away the chances they created, Ronald Hamming hitting the post from a Dennis Gerritsen pass halfway through the 2nd half was only one of several opportunities missed. Substitute Tarik Sektioui replaced the injured Jatto Ceesay and turned out to be 'Man of the Match' with a hattrick and put the "Tricolores" ahead in the 27th, adding a 2nd in the 61st minute before scoring his 3rd in the 83rd minute.

Westerhof & Suurbier off to Heerenveen ?

27 Mar 2002

Heerenveen are hoping that Willem II trainer Hans Westerhof and ex-international Wim Suurbier will join their technical staff next season. Westerhof wishes to continue devoting his time and energy on helping Willem II for the time being and will make a decision later in the season while Wim Suurbier is currently negotiating with Heerenveen and will make his decision known shortly.

Ajax to swap Tomás Galásek for Landzaat

26 Mar 2002

According to Dutch daily newspaper "De Telegraaf", Ajax have made an approach to Willem II for midfielder Denny Landzaat. The deal involves swapping Tomás Galásek plus a sum of money for the 25 year-old. The Dutch international is a product of the Amsterdammers' youth academy and played two matches for Ajax before leaving. He made his Amsterdam debut in the Champions League 1 - 0 win against Borussia Dortmund on March 20th 1996 and, 10 days later, his Ere Divisie debut against Roda JC in Kerkrade. Landzaat, who's scored 40 goals in 189 matches for Ajax, MVV and Willem II, still has a contract till 2005 with the Tilburgers. He's also playing for Oranje against Spain on Wednesday, replacing Paul Bosvelt.

Den Bosch lose to Willem II 1 - 2

24 Mar 2002

Den Bosch  lineup: Kris Mampaey, Winston Faerber, Fred van der Hoorn, Peter Uneken, Hes van Kapel, Mghizrad Mourad, Patrick Deckers, Bas Peys 62. Koen van de Laak), Jan Michels, Bart van den Eede, Fabian de Freitas (82. Patrick Peelen) Willem II  lineup: Geert de Vlieger, Kew Jaliens, Joris Mathijsen, Jos van Nieuwstadt, Chris Janssens, Denny Landzaat, Danny Mathijssen (80. Mariana), Jatto Ceesay, Tom Caluwé, Mariana Bombarda, Dmitri Shoukov. Newly promoted Den Bosch got off to a good start this season but after 3 consecutive defeats, now see themselves slipping slowly but surely towards the relegation zone. They took the lead last night after a defensive mistake by Willem II forward Denny Landzaat. The Dutch international lost possession of the ball to Deckers, who then shot hard into the left hand corner. Willem II goalie Geert de Vlieger managed a half-save but Fabian de Freitas scored from the rebound. Den Bosch nearly made it 2 - 0 in the 25th minute but saw Van Hoorn's long distance shot tipped over the bar by De Vlieger. 10 minutes into the second half Willem II levelled the score. Dmitri Sjoekov put away a rebound after Ceesay had shot against the post. The Russian midfielder had no problem in scoring from close range. 3 minutes before the end of the match, Mario Bombarda scored the undeserved winner with a typical Bombarda goal. Receiving the ball with his back to the goal, he made a short sharp turn and then whacked it in.

Abdellaoui fails to impress

23 Mar 2002

Yassine Abdellaoui, Willem II's enfant terrible, has failed to impress West Ham United trainer Glenn Roeder during his stay with the English Premiership side last week. The 26 year-old Moroccan left winger played in Thursday's friendly match QPR -  West Ham (0 - 5) but did not deliver the goods. His present club are currently taking court action against him after his refusal to play for the club.

Willem II beat Sparta 4 - 0

16 Mar 2002

Willem II lineup: De Vlieger, Jaliens, J. Mathijsen, Van Nieuwstadt, Janssens, Landzaat, D. Mathijssen, Ceesay, Caluwé, Bombarda and Shoukov. Sparta lineup: Kros, Bouchiba, Marília, Nieuwenburg, Zijm, Mendes, Langerak, Winter, Sanou, Koevermans and Boukhari. It will be a miracle if Sparta escape relegation this season and tonight's defeat in an ugly match saw the "Tricolores" put another nail in the Rotterdammers' Ere Divisie coffin. It only took two minutes for the Tilburg side to go ahead with the first of Denny Landzaat's 3 goals against an opponent who put  on a dismal performance, only occasionally looking as though they were actually interested in earning some points. Five minutes later Mariano Bombarda headed in a 2nd and Landzaat put away a spot-shot in the 16th, slotting home another penalty on the stroke of half-time for the 4 - 0. Willem II are still not showing the form they desire and could have really pleased their fans with a runaway score if Bombarda, Ceesay and Caluwé had put away the easyngs they got during the match. The Tilburgers climb one place to 10th on 34 points from 27 played while Sparta are stuck in 17th on 23 from 27 played.

Abdellaoui on trial with West Ham

15 Mar 2002

Yassine Abdellaoui has been given till this coming Wednesday to impress English Premiership side West Ham during a short trial. The left-winger has been in conflict with his current club Willem II and has supposedly refused to train any more under trainer Hans Westerhof and his assistant. Technical director Martin van Geel says that there are 3 options: hiring him out to another club, a sale or an end to the player's contract. Whichever route is taken the "Tricolores" have no intention of suffering financially from the Moroccan's refusal to work and have already threatened to take legal action against him.

Eindhoven give Hendriks the push

15 Mar 2002

Eindhoven have told Reinder Hendriks that he can start looking for a new club. The central defender has been on loan to the Eerste Divisie side from Willem II, but they also have no more use for him and his contract in Tilburg runs out this summer. The 28 year-old made his professional debut for De Graafschap on May 5th 1991, coincidentally against Eindhoven. During the next few seasons he became a regular feature of the Doetinchemmers' lineup and was team captain before he left for Willem II in 1998 where his career unfortunately stagnated.

Willem II's Abdellaoui faces legal action

13 Mar 2002

Willem II are preparing to take legal action against their 'dissident' Moroccan Yassine Abdellaoui for his refusal to work. The striker stormed out of a training session last week and, despite repeated requests, has failed to report for duty ever since. Abdellaoui is asking to be lent out to another club but the Tilburgers have no intenion of being 'held to ransom' and are demanding that he buy off his contract, which runs till 2003, if he wants to leave. The 27 year-old started as a youth player with the "Tricolores", making his 1st team debut in 1992, but had to leave the club in 1994 after an earlier 'incident'. He went on to play for NAC, Rayo Vallecano and NEC before returning to his former club.

Abdellaoui's last game for Willem II?

12 Mar 2002

Yassine Abdellaoui looks to have played his last game for Willem II after the temperamental Moroccan, whose current contract runs till 2003, refused to train/play under the current technical staff (Westerhof and Van Tiggelen). The outside-left was injured during Jong Willem II's match, the weekend before last, and he dropped out of the match 10 minutes into the 2nd half. He then reported for training on the Monday without first consulting the club's medical staff which led to an on-pitch confrontation with the trainers. Despite an attempt at reconciliation it seems like his season is over early and he will surely be looking for a new club.

Wotte to take over at Willem II

11 Mar 2002

Mark Wotte has signed a contract for two years to coach Willem II and will be joined by his assistant André Wetzel. The duo take over from the departing Hans Westerhof and Adri van Tiggelen. Wotte played for Feyenoord, FC Den Haag and SVV, before going on to coach ADO Den Haag, Utrecht and FC Den Bosch. The 50 year-old Wetzel played for Haarlem, FC Amsterdam, FC Den Haag and Telstar before helping Wotte in his work at ADO and Den Bosch.

Wotte quits as Jong Oranje coach

11 Mar 2002

Mark Wotte has handed in his notice as Jong Oranje coach and takes his assistant André Wetzel with him. The former ADO Den Haag, Utrecht and Den Bosch coach has been tipped as the man most-likely-to-succeed Hans Westerhof at Willem II and Wetzel will undoubtedly join him in Tilburg if the deal goes through.

Willem II trial for Tuomas Haapala

11 Mar 2002

Willem II have invited FC Lahti's Tuomas Haapala for a trial - the 22 year-old is equally at home in midfield or upfront. The "Tricolores" have had good experiences with Finnish players in the past, both Liverpool's Sami Hyypiä and Panathinaikos' Joonas Kolkka kicked off their careers outside of Finland in Tilburg.

NEC beat Willem II 3 - 0

10 Mar 2002

NEC lineup: Van der Sleen, Schuurman, Wisgerhof, Hesp, Leiwakabessy, Wielaert, Jansen, Van Rijswijk, Ax, Latuheru and Dennis de Nooijer. Willem II lineup: De Vlieger, Jaliens, J. Mathijsen, Van Nieuwstadt, Janssens, Landzaat, D. Mathijssen, Caluwé, Ceesay, Mariana and Shoukov. NEC were untroubled by Willem II during theng 45 minutes and Dennis de Nooijerd the score in the 31st minute. Stefan Jansen was given a chance to show some of the form which made him last season's Eerste Divisie top scorer, while at TOP Oss, scoring in the 35th. The striker and his coach Johan Nesskens will be glad he's finally found the back of the net after a disappointing start in Nijmegen. After the break there were some signs of recovery by the visitors but after Danny Hesp headed in a 3rd in the 59th they lost all fight. The win gives NEC 3 valuable points, lifting them from 14th into 9th place, on 32 points from 25 played, while the "Tricolores" drop to 11th on 31 points from 26 played.

Willem II want Mark Wotte

08 Mar 2002

Mark Wotte could well be quitting the KNVB this summer, when his contract runs out, to join Willem II as their new trainer. Wotte currently looks after Jong Oranje but has been asking for a more substantial job within the Dutch FA's (KNVB) organisation. There is insufficient money to offer him such a post and he's already had talks with AZ about a job with the Alkmaarders. At the moment he's not commenting on the "Tricolores" interest!

Willem II beat Utrecht 4 - 2

02 Mar 2002

Willem II lineup: De Vlieger, Jaliens, J. Mathijsen, Van Nieuwstadt, Janssens, Landzaat, D. Mathijssen, Caluwé, Ceesay, Bombarda and Shoukov. Utrecht lineup: Wapenaar, Vreven, Bosschaart, Van Mol, Schut, Tanghe, Van den Bergh, Shew A Tjon, Jochemsen, Gluscevic and Kuijt.   Utrecht went ahead in the 14th minute through Stefaan Tanghe, rounding off Igor Gluscevic's pass as the visitors seemed to be heading for an away win. They were soon woken robbed of their illusion with a nice shot but Chris Janssens equalized from a freekick in the 33rd. Harald Wapenaar earned himself a red card when he brought down Kew Jaliens in the 55th minute and disappeared for an early shower, reducing the Domstad side to 10 men and giving Denny Landzaat the chance to put the "Tricolores" ahead with a spot-shot in the 56th.  Willem II got more of a grip on the match from then on and Tom Caluwé added a 3rd goal in the 70th minute. Mariano Bombarda was brought down in the area so that Landzaat could put away his 2nd penalty of the evening in the 76th for the 4 - 1. Paulus Roiha blasted in a 2nd for Utrecht in the 81st for the 4 - 2. The win gives the Tilburg side a very welcome 3 points that takes them from 13th to 9th place on 31 points from 25 played. Utrecht will be annoyed not to have taken home at least a point and stay in 7th on 34 points from 25. They haven't won since 1994 in Tilburg.

Willem II and Westerhof call it a day!

27 Feb 2002

Willem II and trainer Hans Westerhof have decided by mutual agreement not to renew his contract, when it runs out at the end of this season, and his assistant trainer Adrie van Tiggelen will also be looking for new employment. The 53 year-old took over when Co Adriaanse departed for Ajax in the summer of 2000. In his first season he took the "Tricolores" to 8th place but this season they're languishing in 13th with no prospect of European football next season, and are even in some danger of running the gauntlet of playoffs/relegation. In the 58 matches played under his guidance Willem II have won 20, draw 19 and lost 19.

Roda beat Willem II 2 - 0

23 Feb 2002

Roda lineup: Kalac, Sonkaya, Vrede, Luijpers, Lawal, Gregoor van Dijk, Van Dessel, Sonko, Tchoutang, Nygaard and Anastasiou. Willem II  lineup: De Vlieger, Jaliens, Van Nieuwstadt, Janssens, J. Mathijsen, Victoria, Landzaat, Sektioui, D. Mathijssen, Ceesay and Abdellaoui. Willem II started the season with some attractive, attacking football but have lost their touch since the winter break and are slowly sinking down the table. Roda continue to improve after a poor 1st half of the season and tonight's 3 points take them clear of the 'playoff-zone'. This was their 7th home win in a row and they are unbeaten in Kerkrade since October 12th's defeat by PSV. Bernard Tchoutangd the score for the 'Kerkrade Crew' with a lob over De Vlieger's head after only 4 minutes. Roda were later reduced to 10 men when Gregoor van Dijk got his 2nd yellow cards, and his marching orders, on the half-hour. It didn't prevent Roda from dominating a weak opponent who had little to contribute in this match. The home team got a 2nd goal and the points when Garba Lawal scored in the 59th minute. The win takes them into 13th place on 28 points from 24 games played while Willem II stay where they were in 12th place on 28 from 24 but just ahead on goal difference.

Last season for Bombarda at Willem II

18 Feb 2002

Mariano Bombarda has turned down Willem II's offer of a  contract extension and will leave Tilburg at the end of the season. At the beginning of January the 29 year-old Argentinian striker, who's been with the "Tricolores" since  1998, declined an offer to play for Italian Serie B side Ternana.

Heerenveen beat Willem II 3 - 0

16 Feb 2002

Heerenveen lineup: Vonk, Venema, Klompe, Ebbinge, Edman, Väyrynen, Radomski, Selakovic, Nurmela, Allbäck and Lurling. Willem II lineup: De Vlieger, Victoria, Van Nieuwstadt, Janssens, Mariana, D. Mathijssen, Landzaat, Shoukov, Ceesay, Bombarda and Abdellaoui. Another convincing Heerenveen performance keeps them in with the big three at the top. They're practically always impressive at hoem in the Abe Lenstra stadium and tonight they had a simple win against the Tilburgers. Willem II were unable to make an impression on the Friesian backline and only had  hope to show for their efforts. Swedish striker Stefan Selakovicd the score just before the break in the 44th, claiming his 2nd of the evening in the 50th.  Jeffrey Talan put away the 3rd in the 70th to give the Frieslanders another 3 points, which keep them in 4th place on 42 points from 23 played, one point behind PSV. The "Tricolores" stay where they were in 10th on 28 points from 23 played.

Willem II lose to Ajax 1 - 3

03 Feb 2002

Willem II lineup: De Vlieger, Victoria, Van Nieuwstadt, Janssens, J. Mathijsen, D. Mathijssen, Landzaat, Caluwé, Ceesay, Bombarda and Shoukov. Ajax lineup: Grim,Vierklau, Bergdølmo, Chivu, De Cler, Knopper, Galásek, O'Brien, Van der Meyde, Ibrahimovic and Wamberto. Willem II must be living under a curse whereas Ajax seem to have the luck of the Irish!  The Tilburgers have thrown away many of their matches at the last moment this season and this was no exception. The Amsterdammers proved they were the more accomplished side during the 1st half in which they had chances to go ahead but Chivu and Zlatan were off target. Instead the home team went into the lead when Jattoo Ceesay scored in the 43rd but Raymond Victoria's attempt to block a menacing Ikedia ended with the ball going in off him for an equalizer in the 59th, own goal! It still looked as though the "Tricolores" might have a chance of winning this one but Ceesay had a good shot saved by Fred Grim while Bombarda's header hit the bar. At least they should have earned their 11th draw of the season but a last minute goal by Nikos Machlas and an injury time one by Pius Ikedia snatched even that small piece of consolation away from under their noses! Ajax go top again on 42 points from 20 played while the "Tricolores" remain in 9th on 28 from 22.

Willem II beat Groningen 3 - 1

31 Jan 2002

Willem II Lineup: De Vlieger, D. Mathijssen, Van Nieuwstadt, Janssens, J. Mathijsen, Victoria, Landzaat, Sektioui, Ceesay, Bombarda and Shoukov. Groningen lineup: Darwinkel, Johansson, Boekweg, Allach, Florén, Matthijs, Hoogstrate, Krstev, Broerse, Drent and Tuhuteru. In a rather unentertaining duel, which only really came to life in the last 30 minutes of the match, Dmitri Shoukovd the score for the "Tricolores" in the 17th minute, putting away a long pass from Jos van Nieuwstadt. Ignacio Tuhuteru rounded off a nice piece of work by Joost Broerse for the equalizer in the 37th. Denny Landzaat put away a 'controversial' spot-shot in the 64th minute to return the advantage to the home team. Groningen then threw everything in attack but failed to convert their efforts into a 'goal on the board' and Landzaat added a 'real' goal (his 10th of the season) for the  3-1 in the 79th to secure the points for Willem II. They stay where they are in 9th on 28 points from 21 while Groningen continue to languish in a precarious 17th place on 19 from 21.

RKC lose to  Willem II 0 - 1

27 Jan 2002

RKC lineup: Van Dijk, Govedarica, Van den Berg, Nascimento, De Graef, Van Diemen, Fuchs, Van Wanrooy, Hoogendorp, Putter and Yuri. Willem II lineup: De Vlieger, D. Mathijssen, Van Nieuwstadt, Janssens, J. Mathijsen, Victoria, Landzaat, Sektioui, Ceesay, Bombarda and Shoukov. Willem II may have been playing 'pretty' football in their matches before the winter break but a series of 10 draws brought them dangerously close to the relegation zone. Determined not to repeat that mistake trainer Hans Westerhof decided it was time to 'get tough' and the new tactic bore fruit against RKC in a highly charged 'Brabant derby'. Tarik Sektioui scored the match's only goal for the "Tricolores" with a header from a Denny Landzaat freekick in the 22nd. For RKC, ex-Volendammer Eddy Putter struck a 20 metre shot which hit the bar and, after the break, Cornelisse saw his shot bounce off the underside of the bar and cross the line but had it disallowed, the 'goal' escaping the view of the officials! The Waalwijkers' frustrations mounted and, in the person of Van Wanrooy, boiled over as he had a bit of a punch-up with the 'Tricolores' bench. He was awarded a yellow card when surely a red card was deserved! The points lift Willem II into 10th place on 25 from 20 played while RKC drop to 8th on 28 from 20.

Willem II improve Van Nieuwstadt's deal

26 Jan 2002

Willem II are improving youth international Jos van Nieuwstadt's contract and extending it for another 2 years. The 22 year-old defender broke through into the 1st team last season and has become an important part in the lineup, making 46 Ere Divisie appearances so far for the "Tricolores"!

Bombarda declines Italian move

08 Jan 2002

Willem II's Mariano Bombarda has decided not to accept the offer to sign for Italian Serie B side Ternana and must now decide whether or not he'll accept the Tilburgers' offer to extend his current contract with the "Tricolores" for another season.

Bombarda moves to Italy?

07 Jan 2002

Willem II's Mariano Bombarda is set to move to Italian Serie B side Ternana. The Argentinian striker is currently in Italy for the obligatory medical and watched Ternana draw 1 - 1 yesterday against Bari. If he decides to accept their offer it will be for either one-and-a-half or two-and-a-half years. The 29 year-old, who was actually born in Spain, came to Holland at the beginning of the 1990s to study in Groningen and played for amateurs ACV in Assen before receiving an offer to join FC Groningen in 1994. He played 3 seasons for them, had an unsuccessful bid to settle in at FC Metz, returned for a short spell with Groningen before joining the "Tricolores" in 1998. He's scored 93 goals in 206 games played in Holland.

Willem II and Twente draw 3 - 3

22 Dec 2001

Willem II lineup: De Vlieger, Jaliens, Van Nieuwstadt, Janssens, J. Mathijsen, Victoria, Landzaat, Mariana,- Ceesay, Bombarda and Shoukov. Twente lineup: Boschker, Heubach, Pothuizen, Ten Hag, El-Brazi, Van der Laan, Van der Doelen, Booth, Van der Leegte, Caïro and De Gier. Willem II have only won 1 match in the last 13 and this was their 7th draw out of the last 10 at home. It was an exciting match between two teams eager to play attacking football - Scottish striker Scott Booth headed the "Tukkers" ahead after 15 minutes and Chris Janssens headed in an equalizer for the "Tricolores" in the 28th. Denny Landzaat gave the home team the lead in the 61st from the spot for his 10th of the season. Scott Booth drew the visitors level in the 63rd but 3 minutes later Arjen van der Laan put Twente ahead again in the 66th before Mariano Bombarda scored his 7th of the season in the 72nd to level the score once more.

De Graafschap draw 1 - 1 with Willem II

15 Dec 2001

De Graafschap lineup: Postma, Bot, Berck Beelenkamp, Bakens, Fränkel, Meerdink, Diakite, Van den Brom, Van Leerdam, Valeev and Hupkes. Willem II lineup: De Vlieger, Jaliens, Van Nieuwstadt, Janssens, J. Mathijsen, Victoria, Landzaat, Mathijssen, Ceesay, Bombarda and Shoukov. Last minute signing Hans van der Haar celebrated being back in Holland, after spells with KFC Uerdingen, SSV Ulm and SW Casino Bregenz, by putting away his 1st goal for the "SuperBoeren" in the 66th. He started on the bench, despite the absence of Rody Turpijn, Dennis Schulp and Peter van Vossen, but showed he's going to be a valuable asset to the team, only being denied a 2nd goal late in the match by Geert de Vlieger's good keeping. Substitute Tarik Sektioui equalized for the "Tricolores" in the 72nd.

Ousmane Sanou move to Fortuna called off

15 Dec 2001

Ousmane Sanou will not be signing for Fortuna after all! Although the Willem II player is injury- and pain-free he's still regarded by Fortuna's medical team as being a risk and so the deal has been called off.

Fortuna sign Ousmane Sanou

14 Dec 2001

In an attempt to escape relegation Fortuna have signed Willem II's Ousmane Sanou. The 23 year-old striker from Burkina Fasso told the "Tricolores" last November that he wasn't planning to extend his contract when it ran out and he's now signed with the unfortunate Sittardians till the summer of 2004. He joined Willem II in July 1996 but has never been able to earn himself a regular place in the lineup, scoring 15 goals in 105 appearances.

Willem II draw with Heerenveen 2- 2

08 Dec 2001

Willem II lineup: De Vlieger, Jaliens, Van Nieuwstadt, Janssens, J. Mathijsen, Victoria, Landzaat, D.Mathijssen, Ceesay, Bombarda and Shoukov. Heerenveen lineup: Vonk, Bakkati, Klompe, Gérard de Nooijer, Edman, Väyrynen, Radomski, Jensen, Nurmela, Allbäck and Lurling. Willem II will be kicking themselves hard for giving away a 2 goal advantage for the 3rd match in a row - they unnecessarily donated a point to NAC last week with a 2 - 2 draw and gave away their 0 - 2 advantage to lose all the points in their 3 -2 defeat at Sparta the week before that! They can console themselves by pointing an accusing finger at referee Roelof Luinge for awarding an injury time penalty to Heerenveen for goalie Geert de Vlieger's 'allegedly' breaking of the 6 second rule and Arek Radomski put away the spot-shot for a late Heerenveen equalizer. After a boringng 30 minutes Dmitri Shoukov finallyd the score in the 36th for the "Tricolores" as they started to play some attractive football. After the break a Shoukov cross was headed in by Mariano Bombarda for the 2 - 0 in the 63rd and it began to look as if the home team might win their first match in 6 games. Heerenveen's 'Mighty Swede' Marcus Allbäck dented their hopes when he closed the gap in the 78th, slamming home Gérard de Nooijer's pass. Radomski's 90th minute equalizing spot-shot gave the Frieslanders a point to take home. The point moves Willem II up a notch into 10th place while Heerenveen stay where they are in 4th place.

Willem II and NAC draw 2 - 2

02 Dec 2001

Willem II lineup: De Vlieger, Jaliens, Van Nieuwstadt, Janssens, J. Mathijsen, Ceesay, Victoria, Landzaat, Shoukov, Bombarda and Abdellaoui. NAC lineup: Babos, Fehér, Penders, Schenning, Gudelj, Petö, Sérgio, Schreuder, Stewart, Cristiano and Bobson. NAC were the better team while Willem II put in a lot of effort but lacked the organisation of the Breda side. Chris Janssensd the score for the "Tricolores" in the 21st with a freekick which went in off the inside of the post and eluded Babos in goal. After the break NAC upped the pressure and they were rewarded when Ceesay's pass gave Mariano Bombarda the chance for the equalizer in the 63rd. One of their departing Brazilians, Cristiano, put them ahead in the 65th - the fans were only too willing to make clear to the duo how they felt on that subject! Nebojsa Gudelj slammed in a freekick for the 2 - 2 in the 75th. The point is enough to lift NAC into 4th place while Willem II stay put in 10th.

Feyenoord beat Willem II 3 - 1

25 Nov 2001

Feyenoord lineup: Zoetebier, Gyan, Sprockel, De Haan, De Visser, Bosvelt, Tomasson, Ono, Elmander, Van Hooijdonk and Smolarek. Willem II lineup: De Vlieger, Jaliens, Janssens, Van Nieuwstadt, J. Mathijsen, Landzaat, Victoria, Mariana, Ceesay, Shoukov and Abdellaoui. Feyenoord go top with this win against "The Tricolores" although their performance was less than convincing. Pierre van Hooijdonk showed once more what a valuable addition he is with a hattrick of goals in the 43rd, 70th and 78th minutes. He started off with one of his specialty freekicks just before the break but it failed to inspire his teammates and was answered by a Denny Landzaat goal in the 56th. Willem II actually looked better as a team in the 2nd half but Abdellaoui, Shoukov and Landzaat all failed to put their chances away. P-Air's 2nd and 3rd goals put the result beyond doubt and noone in Rotterdam will be complaining about the fact it puts them top-of-the-table.

Ousmane Sanou to leave Willem II

21 Nov 2001

Ousmane Sanou has told Willem II that this will be his last season with the club and hopes to find a new club who will give him some regular match-action. The 23 year-old striker from Burkina Faso is, together with Jattoo Ceesay, the longest serving player with the "Tricolores". He joined them in July 1996 but has never been a regular face in the lineup, scoring 15 goals in 104 games.

Willem II and Roda in 1 - 1 draw

17 Nov 2001

Willem II lineup: Martin, D. Mathijssen, Janssens, Van Nieuwstadt, Mariana, Landzaat, Victoria, Sektioui, Abdellaoui, Bombarda and Ceesay. Roda lineup: Roorda, Sonkaya, Rudge, Luijpers, Van Dessel, Tomasic, Gregoor van Dijk, Lawal, Tchoutang, Anastasiou and Soetaers. Both teams were fielding their reserve keepers, Christophe Martin for Geert de Vlieger and Zeljko Kalac (preparing for  Australia's match against Uruguay ) was replaced by Bas Roorda. After anng spell of Tilburg attacks Roda's Humphrey Rudge and Marc Luijpers were able to put Mariano Bombarda on a leash. Tom Soetaers and Yannis Anastasiou were the goal-getters for Roda but the duo was off the boil and it was close to halftime before the Greek headed a cross against the post and saw another go over the bar. The home team applied more pressure in the 2nd half, as the "Tricolores" put on a show of their famed attacking style - Bombarda put them ahead in the 53rd but they allowed the Kerkrade crew, who'd clearly come for the point, to go home with a point when Joris Mathijsen donated them a point with an own goal in the 60th.

Willem II miss Caluwé against Roda

17 Nov 2001

The "Tricolores" will miss their talented midfielder Tom Caluwé (3 goals in 12 games this season) when they face Roda tonight after he picked up a thigh injury in training. Goalie Geert de Vlieger (thigh injury) and defender Kew Jaliens (ankle problem) are doubtful while Hendrik van Beelen, Joris Mathijsen and Marcel Meeuwis remain out of action with longterm injuries.

Willem II and Vitesse draw 1 - 1

02 Nov 2001

Willem II lineup: De Vlieger, J. Mathijsen, Janssens, Van Nieuwstadt, Mariana, Landzaat, Victoria, Caluwé, Abdellaoui, Bombarda and Ceesay. Vitesse lineup: Van Fessem, Tim Cornelisse, Knol, Kreek, Nanu, Amoah, Van der Schaaf, Claessens, Sikora, Van Beukering and Babangida. The "Tricolores" deserved to win this match with their attacking football - they refuse to adopt what's being called the 'new realism' (read defensive tactics) style of football on evidence at several clubs in Holland. Yassine Abdellaoui and  Jattoo Ceesay were wing-forwards with Bombarda in the middle. Vitesse have adopted the 'new realism' (mostly because their strikers are not performing - midfielder Remco van der Schaaf is their top scorer on two goals!) and use their wingers as midfielders to feed lonely striker Jhon van Beukering. Michel Kreek cleared an Abdellaoui attempt from the line in the 34th minute and Youssef Mariana shot wide for the home team a little later in the 1st half while the visitors gave Geert de Vlieger little to do. Van Fessem stopped a Bombarda shot in the 54th before the 29 year-old Argentinian striker, who was celebrating his 200th Ere Divisie match ( his debut was on August 26th 1994 for Groningen in the away match against Heerenveen, who won 2-0), scored what looked like being the match-winner in the 68th.  Koeman brought on Martel and Mbamba for the last 20 minutes as Vitesse finally applied some pressure with the result that, after near misses by Mbamba and Van Beukering, Matthew Amoah headed in an injury time equalizer in the 90th.

Ajax beat Willem II 4 - 1

28 Oct 2001

Ajax lineup: Grim, Trabelsi, Yakubu, Bergdølmo, De Cler, Galásek, O'Brien, Van der Vaart, Van der Meyde, Mido and Wamberto. Willem II lineup: De Vlieger, Jaliens, Mariana, Van Nieuwstadt, J. Mathijsen, Landzaat, Victoria, Caluwé, Ceesay, Shoukov and Abdellaoui. With the injured Chivu replaced by De Cler and Mido preferred to Machlas, Ajax started the match with a series of attacks, determined to wipe out the memory of last Wednesday's 5 - 1 defeat at Heerenveen. They had almost constant possession of the ball and it came as no surprise when Ere Divisie top scorer Rafael van der Vaart put his 9th goal of the season away in the 18th minute. The "Tricolores" recovered to play their best football of the match in the last 15 minutes before the break - Tom Caluwé equalized for them in the dying seconds of the 1st half. After the break Ajax tried to up the pressure under Wamberto's leadership - he played an important role in penetrating the visitors' defence. Their communication and passing was, however, nowhere near as good as in the first half an hour of the match and it took until the 71st minute before a goal arrived. Willem II put up a spirited resistance but Wamberto finally found John O'Brien who headed in for the 2 - 1. Substitutes Machlas and Richard Knopper increased the score to 4 - 1 in the 80th and 87th minutes. Ajax are secure at the top while Willem II slide a little down the table.

Willem II beat RKC 3 - 1

20 Oct 2001

Willem II lineup: De Vlieger, Jaliens, Van Nieuwstadt, Janssens, J. Mathijssen, Landzaat, Victoria, Caluwé, Ceesay, Bombarda and Abdellaoui. RKC lineup: Van Dijk, Van Diemen, Van den Berg, Nascimento, Van Wanrooy, De Graef, Petrovic, Govedarica, Kolk, Franken and Hoogendorp. Willem II immediately put the Waalwijkers under pressure - Yassine Abdellaoui and Mariano Bombarda both had chances tothe score. A goal each in the dying seconds of the 1st half kept both teams level going into the break - Tom Caluwé slammed in the first for the "Tricolores" but a few seconds later Rick Hoogendorp equalized with a spectacular shot. RKC took over in the 2nd half and launched a series of attacks - Ceesay put away the 2nd for the home team in the 58th. Abdellaoui, Bombarda and Ceesay all lacked the necessary sharpness of vision to increase the score until Ceesay finally added a 3rd in the 90th.

NAC and Willem II end 1 - 1

17 Oct 2001

NAC lineup: Gábor Babos, Kofi Mensah, Rob Penders, Tamás Petô, Nebojsa Gudelj, Csaba Fehér, Alfred Schreuder, Youssouf Hersi (replaced in 71st by Sergio), Earnest Stewart, Kevin Bobson, Cristiano (replaced in 64th by Glen Salmon). Willem II lineup: Geert de Vlieger, Kew Jaliens, Joris Mathijsen, Jos van Nieuwstadt, Chris Janssens, Denny Landzaat, Tom Caluwé, Raymond Victoria, Ousmane Sanou, Mariano Bombarda (replaced in 62nd by Dimitri Shoukov), Yassine Abdellaoui (replaced in 90th by Youssef Mariana). NAC and Willem II have played out in an empty Fuji stadium the match abandoned by referee René Temmink on September 23rd after only 20 minutes of play due to the amount of 'missiles' landing around goalie Geert de Vlieger at the "Tricolores" end. The lone Tom Caluwé goal of that match was answered by an Earnest Stewart goal in the first minute of resumed play. NAC'sng burst of attacking football fizzled out and the visitors started to take control without actually managing to score. Both teams had a fair share of chances to put away another goal in the 2nd half but failed to do so.

Utrecht beat Willem II 3 - 1

14 Oct 2001

Utrecht lineup: Wapenaar, Vreven, Roest, Zwaanswijk, Van Mol, Tanghe, De Jong, Bosschaart Gluscevic, Kuyt and Van den Bergh. Willem II lineup: De Vlieger, Jaliens, Van Nieuwstadt, Janssens, Mathijsen, Landzaat, Caluwé, Victoria. Ceesay, Bombarda and Abdellaoui. Utrecht remain unbeaten at home and have yet to concede a point in the Galgenwaard stadium. Their physical form of football doesn't suit the 'Tricolores' preference for a more light-weight attractive, attacking style. The home team's pressure proved too much for the visitors who lost the ball easily and consequently couldn't put the moves together. Patrick Zwaanswijkd the score for the home team in the 33rd minute, heading in from a Patrick Bosschaart freekick. Stijn Vreven's run and subsequent generosity gave Igor Gluscevic the chance to tap in for the 2 - 0 in the 51st. Three minutes later Denny Landzaat slotted away a penalty (nobody seemed to know why the referee awarded it!)  to make it 2 - 1. Gluscevic made certain of the points with his 2nd of the day in the 52nd and the score could have been higher if Dave van den Bergh, Stefaan Tanghe, Mr. Gluscevic, Tom Van Mol and  Dirk Kuijt hadn't missed their moment.

Twente and Willem II in goalless draw

09 Oct 2001

Twente lineup: Boschker, Hulshoff, Grujic, Pothuizen, Polak, Van der Doelen, Van der Laan, Van de Paar, De Witte,Booth and Kollmann. Willem II lineup: De Vlieger, Jaliens, Victoria, Janssens, Van Nieuwstadt,Landzaat, Caluwé, Mariana, Ceesay, Bombarda and Abdellaoui. If Willem II had won this scrappy match they could have gone 3rd in the table. Twente had the best chances and striker Roland Kollman did a good job of missing several of them. As it is trainer Henk Westerhof can be pleased to leave Enschede with a point and to remain in 5th place while the "Tukkers" drop from 11th to 12th.

Willem II and AZ draw 2 - 2

29 Sept 2001

Willem II lineup: De Vlieger, Jaliens, van Nieuwstadt, Janssens, J. Mathijsen, Ceesay, Landzaat, Caluwé, Victoria, Bombard and Abdellaoui. AZ lineup: Moens, Lee, Wijker, Opdam, Lindenbergh, Boussatta, Buskermolen, van Galen, Mans, Elkhattabi and Nelisse. Willem II were reduced to 10 men after only 16 minutes when Joris Mathijssen picked up his 2nd yellow card. It was an indication of the bitter battle being waged by both teams -  a string of fouls on both sides led to Mathijsen's with his 1st yellow card within 5 minutes. The "Tricolores" remained the better side and had 1st half chances via Bombarda, Mariana and Kew Jaliens even without the full complement of players. It was a shambolic looking AZ who undeservingly went ahead when a shot by Robin Nelisse was deflected in to give them the lead in the 43rd minute. Denny Landzaat equalized with a spot-shot in the 49th after Paul Mathijs floored Yassine Abdellaoui and Youssef Mariana put away a 2nd for the "Tricolores"  in the 55th. In the last 15 minutes the Almaarders finally put on the pressure, Peter Wijker heading wide before an own goal by Jos van Nieuwstadt in the dying seconds of the match gave AZ a nice point to take home.

NAC and Willem II called-off at 0 - 1

23 Sept 2001

NAC lineup: Babos, Mensah, Petô, Penders, Gudelj, Fehér, Cristiano, Schreuder, Stewart, Hersi and Bobson. Willem II lineup: De Vlieger, Jaliens, Janssens, van Nieuwstadt, J. Mathijsen, Landzaat, Victoria, Caluwé, Sanou, Bombarda and Abdellaoui.  After a Tom Caluwé goal in the 12th minute the match was called off when the "Tricolores" keeper Geert de Vliger was treated to a shower of cigarette lighters, golf balls  and even a mobile phone! The referee decided quite rightly that enough was enough and stopped the match.

Fortuna lose 1 - 2 to Willem II

14 Sept 2001

Fortuna lineup: Hesp, Emeran, Dirkx, Akerboom, Hermans, Van der Hoeven, van Dieren, Cramb, Haeldermans, Hamming and Gerritsen. Willem II lineup: De Vlieger, Jaliens, van Nieuwstadt, Janssens, J. Mathijsen, Abdellaoui, Landzaat, Caluwé, Victoria, Sanou and Bombarda. Willem II won their 300th Ere Divisie match tonight ( their first victory was in 2 september 1956 when they beat BVC Amsterdam in the capital 0-6) on the European Day of Mourning for the victims of the New York/Washington attacks. Out of respect both Hans Westerhof and Hans Verel would rather have played on Sunday but it was not to be! The match had a somber atmosphere as a result of the events of last Tuesday and the 1st half saw little real 'excitement' - Dennis Gerritsen had the best chance after 30 minutes for Fortuna but his effort was no problem for De Vlieger. Yassine Abdellaoui, Joris Mathijsen and Bombarda had chances for the visitors but they were off target. After the break things were more 'interesting' -  Fritz Emerand the score at the end of a solo run for the home team in the 58th minute. Two goals within 3 minutes from the " Tricolores" man-of-the-hour (and-a-half) Denny Landzaat, a decisive header in the 63rd and a nice lob over Ruud Hesp in the 66th, gave the "Tricolores" the points. It is only their 3rd win against Fortuna - on August 29th 1992 Hans Vincent scored the only goal to give Willem II their first win, and on April 7th 1999 they won 1 - 2 when Tomás Galásek and Yassine Abdellaoui scored for the "Tricolores", the English striker Ronald Hamming putting away Fortuna's only goal. Willem II can be pleased to go top of the table for at least 24 hours!

Willem II and Den Bosch draw 1 - 1

09 Sept 2001

The "Tricolores" started off the season with a nice 3 - 1 against NEC, lost 1 - 0 at Groningen and surprised with a 3 - 1 defeat of PSV. Newly promoted Den Bosch have shown they're not to be underestimated with a 0 - 0r against Heerenveen, going on to almost cause an upset in Eindhoven against PSV, losing 3 - 2, and then gave Fortuna a 4 - 0 hammering in their last match. Willem II lined-up: de Vlieger, Jaliens, J. Mathijsen, van Nieuwstadt, Janssens, Landzaat, Caluwé, Victoria, Ceesay, Bombarda and Abdellaoui. Den Bosch lined-up: Mampaey, Faerber, van der Hoorn, Uneken, Peelen, Mourad, Deckers, Michels, Maximiano, de Freitas and van den Eede. The "Tricolores" dominated the first 60 minutes of this match, while the visitors had little to say this afternoon, and the home team went ahead when Denny Landzaat put away a spot-shot in the 20th minute. Unfortunately, the lack of opposition acted as a narcotic on Willem II who lost concentration and Fabian de Freitas woke them up with an equalizer in the 62nd.

Willem II in surprise 3 - 1 win against PSV

25 Aug 2001

PSV have finally had their first defeat in a year - their defeat in Tilburg comes exactly on the evening thatcould have seen a new club record - if they had won! After narrowly avoiding defeat at the hands of 'lowly'Groiningen and Den Bosch, the champions finally went down to Willem II. "The Tricolores" stayed back and let th champions come to them - attacking on the break, Yassinee Abdellaoui and Jetto Ceesay always threatening down the wings, the duo constantly showing Wilfred Bouma their heels (all four of them). Mariano Bombarda was "Man-of-theMatch" - blasting in the 1st goal in his own inimicable fashion in the 27th to give the "Tricolores" a 1 - 0 halftime lead. 'Bombastic' Bombarda put away a Ceesay pass early in the 2nd half for his 2nd in the 51st minute, Danny Mathijsen added a 3rd in the 64th and Mateja Kezman got a consolation goal for the champions in the 70th. Kezman had been put out on left-wing - a position he had already adequately shown last season was not for him (he simply didn't function out there). A poor performance despite the tactical error but not to take away from "The Tukkers" who simply outplayed them!

Willem II scouting for talent via internet

22 Aug 2001

A digital first for Holland (and probably anywhere else too)!! Willem II have hired an internet company to help them set up part of their website to allow new talent to email them videos of their 'skills'. Anyone with a digital video camera can apply for a trial with the "Tricolores" if they fit into one of the age-groups the club are going to be posting on the site!

Willem II beat NEC 3 - 1

19 Aug 2001

Willem II have been keeping a low profile during the summmer, only buying 'new-boys' Belgian Chris Janssens and Hendrik van Beelen. NEC have made a few additions - Zico Tumba and Stefan Jansen were brought in to give tha attack more sting alongside their other signings Jarda Simr and Resit Schuurman - while Jack de Gier moved to Scottish side Dunfermline. The "Tricolores" got off to a fine start with a goal after only 5 minutes from Chris Janssens and then proceede to overrun the Nijmegen side during the 1st half with a 2nd in the 23rd from Denny Landzaat and a 3rd by Yassine Abdellaoui in the 32nd. NEC were lucky that Jatto Ceesay and Mariano Bombardo were off form or they'd have been more than three down by the break. Their only other consolation was that Peter Wisgerhof got one back for the visitors in the 59th.

Van Nieuwstadt gets Jong Oranje call-up

11 Aug 2001

Jos van Nieuwstadt has got the call-up for Jong Oranje as replacement for the injured Michael Lamey. The 21 year-old Willem II defender made his Ere Divisie debut on November 15th 1998 in the 2 - 1 win for the "Tricolores'" against NAC.

Willem II lose friendly

10 Aug 2001

Willem II lost to Middlesborough 0 - 1.Despite having several 2nd half chances to pull level they went down to a goal scored by Windass just before the break.

Toine van Mierlo new assistant at Willem II

11 July 2001

Toine van Mierlo is to take over from Hans Verel (off to coach Fortuna) as assistant trainer to Hans Westerhof at Willem II. The former PSV, MVV and VVV player has also turned out for the 'Tricolores', playing his last match on April 7th 1991 in the game between  Volendam-Willem II (0-0). He's been head of the youth scheme at the club for the last 10 years and will also be looking after the reserve team in his new function.

Willem II sign Chris Janssens

12 June 2001

Willem II have signed Belgian club SC Lokeren's defender Chris Janssens on a contract for 3 years in a deal worth circa. €590,000 Euros. The 31 year-old scored a remarkable (for a defender!!) 11 goals last season and becomes the 5th Belgian player in the Tricolores' squad - De Vlieger, Caluwé, Martin and Veldeman being the others.

Jimmy van Fessem signs for Vitesse

05 June 2001

Willem II's reserve goalie Jimmy van Fessem has signed a contract for 3 years with Vitesse. The Belgian keeper Gert de Vlieger has taken over the no.1 spot with the Tricolores and Jimmy has spent too much time, for his liking, on the bench. In Arnhem he replaces the departing (not gone yet but it won't be long) Dragoslav Jevric (off to Besiktas) and will have to compete against Edwin Zoetebier for the regular place (not an easy task).