Football History: Richard Witschge vs Feyenoord

October 25th, 2007 | by: Jan | Comments(6)

Couldn’t resist posting this link:

One of Holland’s biggest talents ever, Richard Witschge, humiliates Feyenoord in the Amsterdam Arena with this piece of sacrilege:

http://www.sportgeschiedenis.nl/2007/10/25/tien-jaar-balletje-hoog-van-richard-witschge.aspx

Ajax was already 4-0 up and Witchge’s action was symbolic for Ajax’ arrogance and dominance. The newspapers said: “Feyenoord couldn’t keep possession and resorted to irritant fauls, mostly the result of Ajax’ arrogant gallery play, with as highlight Richard Witschge’s run along the touchline keeping the ball in the air nine times without one Feyenoord player trying to stop him.”

This action become the symbol of Feyenoord and Ajax’ rivalry that saw it’s lowpoint six months earlier in a Braveheart-like clash of the fans in Beverwijk, where a slaughtering fight with axes and baseball bats resulted in the death of a Ajax hooligan-kingpin.

Richard, Rob Witschge’s younger brother, was destined to become one of Holland’s most gifted left footers, but as with many others he left Ajax too soon to join Cruyff at Barcelona, where he needed to compete with the likes of Laudrup, Romario, Stoichkov and Koeman for a spot in the first team. He would never be able to replace those fan favorites and made a move to Girondin Bordeaux, where he had success along side Zinedine Zidane and Dugarry to name a few. Zidane would later repeatedly say: “The best player I ever saw was not Johan Cruyff or Michel Platini. His name is Richard Witschge and I had the honour to play with him in Bordeaux.”

Witschge would return to Ajax as one of their more experienced players, with Aron Winter, but clashed with Co Adriaanse, who