Early history

Excelsior were officially formed on 23 July 1902 as Rotterdamse Voetbal en Atletiek Vereniging Excelsior (English: Rotterdam Football and Athletics Club Excelsior). However, the initial founders of the club, a group of close friends located in the Kralingen district of Rotterdam, were already playing their football matches together on the fields of the eighteenth century buitenplaats Woudesteyn. After the actual establishment of the club, the municipality officially gave permission to use the land.^[2] As football was still an elite sport at the beginning of the 20th century, Excelsior became one of the first working class clubs in the Netherlands.^[3]

First successes

In the season 1945–46, Excelsior gained their first success by promoting to the Eerste Klasse, the highest tier of Dutch football before professional football was introduced in 1954. The deciding match against VUC was played in De Kuip and attracted 52.000 spectators. Excelsior relegated in the next season, but managed to promote for the second time in the season 1951–52. After the introduction of professional football, Excelsior won the Eerste Divisie championship three times (1974, 1979 and 2006) and promoted to the Eredivisie various times, usually to relegate not long afterwards.

Excelsior once reached the KNVB Cup final in the season 1929–30, but lost the match to fellow Rotterdam club Feyenoord (0–1). Excelsior's biggest pre-war achievement was the win of the Zilveren Bal trophy. Excelsior beat Feyenoord (5–0) in the finals of the highly rated pre-season tournament.^[3]

Founding father of Dutch professional football

In the mid-fifties, Excelsior were the leading club behind the introduction of professional football in the Netherlands. When the KNVB continued to refuse payments in football, Excelsior chairman Henk Zon and board member Aad Libregts managed to persuade association president Hans Hopster, in cooperation with the directors of Feyenoord, Sparta and ADO Den Haag. In August 1954 the KNVB accepted the proposal and professional football was introduced in the Netherlands.

Excelsior in the 1963–64 Season

Pioneers

Being the smallest professional club in Rotterdam, Excelsior always had to be creative to survive. This creativity made Excelsior play a pioneering role within Dutch football. In 1958 Excelsior became the first Dutch club with covered stands. Later, in 1974, Excelsior also were the first Dutch club with shirt advertising. Against the then existing rules, the club put an 'A' on the shirt. The character was supposed to stand for 'Team A', but in reality it stood for Akai, the company of main investor Rob Albers. The KNVB decided to ban the 'A' from the shirt and it would take until 1982 for shirt advertising to be introduced. Akai would adorn the shirts of Excelsior until the season 1999–00.^[3]

Millennium

In 2002, the year in which the club was officially 100 years old, Excelsior returned to the Eredivisie. They did this after spending more than 20 years in the second tier of Dutch football. They were relegated after one season. In the 2005/2006 season Excelsior became champions of the Eerste Divisie and were promoted back to the Eredivisie once again.

Between 1997 and 2005 Excelsior had a partnership with Rotterdam rivals Feyenoord. Excelsior became Feyenoord's satellite club. As such, Feyenoord gave Excelsior money and players (either on loan or free transfer).

A majority of the Excelsior fans have always been against a partnership with Feyenoord. Michel van der Neut, chairman of Excelsior's supporters club, claimed: "Excelsior sold her soul with the extended partnership. Excelsior simply stops existing this way."^[4]

Recent history

In 2010 Excelsior returned to the highest tier of Dutch football, after defeating crosstown rival Sparta Rotterdam in the final of the Eredivisie promotion/relegation play-offs. The team was mostly composed by Feyenoord loanees and was coached by former Feyenoord youth coach Alex Pastoor. In the 2010–11 season Excelsior made a flying start in the Eredivisie, gaining ten points in its first five matches, including a home victory in the Rotterdam derby against Feyenoord (3–2). In the remainder of the season, Excelsior upset some of the larger league teams at home, winning against AZ and getting draws against Groningen and eventual league champions Ajax. In the final match of the regular season, Excelsior got a 4–1 win away at Vitesse Arnhem, a result that left them one goal short of staying up. Finishing 16th, Excelsior had to face FC Den Bosch and Helmond Sport in the relegation / promotion play-offs. A 4–2 home win against Helmond sport ensured another season of Eredivisie football for Excelsior.

Excelsior finished bottom of the table in the Eredivisie at the end of the 2011–12 season, managing only four wins in 34 matches. The club was again relegated to the Eerste Divisie and has had ups and downs since. In the 2022–23 season Excelsior will be playing in the Eredivisie after being relegated in 2019.

Paper recycling club

Excelsior is known as the Oud papier-club (paper recycling club), because former chairman Henk Zon often used to collect old paper in order to secure the financial position of the club.

Mascot

Since 2008 'Woutje Stein' is the official Excelsior mascot. He is named after the Woudestein-stadium.

Rivalries

Rotterdam is the city with the most professional teams in the Netherlands. Besides Excelsior there are Feyenoord and Sparta Rotterdam.

League

• Eerste Divisie
  • Winners (3): 1973–74, 1978–79, 2005–06
  • Promotion (6): 1969–70, 1981–82, 2001–02, 2009–10, 2013–14, 2021–22
• Tweede Divisie
  • Promotion (1): 1968–69

Out on loan

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

No. Pos. Nation Player — MF  NED Joshua Eijgenraam (at TOP Oss until 30 June 2024)

Player of the year

The Excelsior 'Player of the Year' award is voted for by the club's supporters, in recognition of the best overall performance by an individual player throughout the football season. The annual election is organized by the supporters club Pro Excelsior since 1996.^[10][11]

Season Winner 1995–96 Marinus Dijkhuizen 1996–97 John Schuurhuizen 1997–98 Ferry de Haan 1998–99 Michael van der Kruis 1999–00 David Connolly 2000–01 Jarda Simr 2001–02 Michel Breuer 2002–03 Steve Olfers 2003–04 Danny Buijs 2004–05 Brett Holman 2005–06 Luigi Bruins 2006–07 René van Dieren

Season Winner 2007–08 Kees Luijckx 2008–09 Jeffrey Altheer 2009–10 Ryan Koolwijk 2010–11 Daan Bovenberg 2011–12 Roland Alberg 2012–13 Jordy Deckers 2013–14 Lars Veldwijk 2014–15 Sander Fischer 2015–16 Rick Kruys 2016–17 Nigel Hasselbaink 2017–18 Hicham Faik 2018–19 Jerdy Schouten

Current staff

Position	Name
Manager	Marinus Dijkhuizen
Assistant manager	André Hoekstra
Assistant manager / technology strategist	Takahisa Shiraishi
Team manager	Dennis van der Neut
Goalkeeping coach	Ronald Graafland
Fitness coach	Mario Meijer
Physio	Maurice de Groot
Physio	Rinus Kerskes
Club doctor	Robert Jan de Vos
Kit manager	Rien van Wijk
Kit manager	John van Tilburg

Former managers

Season(s) Manager 1954–56 Rinus Smits 1956–62 Bob Janse 1962–68 Rinus Smits 1968–70 Bob Janse 1970 Jaap Kouters 1970–71 Bob Janse 1971–73 Joop Castenmiller 1973–75 Ben Peeters 1975–76 Thijs Libregts Bob Janse 1976–80 Thijs Libregts 1980–82 Hans Dorjee 1982–86 Rob Jacobs 1986–88 Henk Wullems 1988–90 Joop van Daele 1990 Martin van der Kooy 1990–92 Sándor Popovics 1992–94 Cor Pot 1994–95 Rob Baan

Season(s) Manager 1995–96 Hans van der Pluijm 1996-03 Adrie Koster 2003–04 Henk van Stee 2004–05 John Metgod 2005–06 Mario Been 2006–09 Ton Lokhoff 2009–11 Alex Pastoor 2011–12 John Lammers 2012–13 Leon Vlemmings 2013–14 Jon Dahl Tomasson 2014–15 Marinus Dijkhuizen 2015–16 Alfons Groenendijk 2016–18 Mitchell van der Gaag 2018–19 Adrie Poldervaart 2019–20 Ricardo Moniz 2020– Marinus Dijkhuizen