With the help of iconic Dutch tactician Louis Van Gaal, former Juventus man Matthijs De Ligt became the latest addition to the ever-growing list of players from the Netherlands to jump aboard the Bundesliga ship. It is imperative to say that the German top-tier has always provided a great platform for foreign talents to develop into world-class players. From now Barcelona star Robert Lewandowski and Jean-Marie Pfaff and Claudio Pizarro to Bixente Lizarazu, the quality of foreign talents to have come through the Bundesliga ranks are a great many.
Austria, Denmark, Croatia, Czech Republic, Poland, Serbia, Brazil, and Netherlands are among the highest represented foreign countries in the Bundesliga. Here we take a close look at five of the greatest Dutch players to step foot onto the pitches of Germany, in no particular order –
Klaas-Jan Huntelaar – Schalke 04 (2010–17, 2021)
Poster boy Huntelaar’s Bundesliga career came into the spotlight after his mighty two-season fall from grace at two of the biggest European clubs – Real Madrid and Milan. His rise to Eredivisie fame with Ajax couldn’t stop big clubs from shelling out for his services, but expectations soon caught on. The fleet striker then headed to Gelsenkirchen, just across the border from his hometown of Hummelo in Holland, and soon became a fan favorite, going on to have some of his best career moments in the blue of Schalke. Despite his exploits there, his 128-goal record across 249 appearances is still overshadowed by his 158-goal record across 257 appearances at Ajax. Huntelaar was simply a joy to watch.
Mark van Bommel – Bayern Munich (2006-11)
Defensive midfielder Bommel was a formidable ball-winner and an expert tackler who made the center-half his own. The dominant Dutchman was a key part of the Barcelona side that won the 2005/06 Champions League, before signing for Bayern. As one of the few players to win the Bayern Player of the Year accolade in their debut campaign and the club’s first ever non-German captain, he quickly won hearts. His hard-man reputation helped Bayern enjoy four trophies during his stay, during which he filed two Bundesliga, German League Cup and DFP-Pokal titles each under his belt. Van Bommel added 16 goals in 183 appearances at Bayern.
Roy Makaay – Bayern Munich (2003-07)
Rudolphus Antonius Makaay rose to glory by being an instrumental part of Deportivo La Coruna’s historic La Liga winning team in 1999/2000 – dubbed as ‘Super Depor’ – as he scored an impressive 22 times in his debut season in Spain. Dazzled by his prowess in the final third, Bayern Munich beat the likes of Chelsea and Manchester United to sign him for a then-club transfer record fee of €18.75m. He scored 31 goals in his first season, before registering 34 in his second. However, his most memorable and finest moment will be remembered in the match against Real Madrid in the 2006/07 UEFA Champions League Round of 16-second leg tie, scoring the fastest goal – just 10.12 seconds in the match – in the competition’s history.
Arjen Robben – Bayern Munich (2008-19)
Arguably the greatest ever Dutch footballer to grace Bundesliga pitches, wing wizard Robben was nothing short of a force to be reckoned with. His forced move from Real Madrid to the Bavarians in 2009 arrived as a blessing, as he went on to terrorize defenses without reservation over the course of the next decade – bagging 144 goals from 309 appearances in the Bayern red. Perhaps, he will most fondly be remembered for his Champions League-winning goal at Wembley against fellow foes Dortmund in 2013 final, notwithstanding the countless times he cut inside from the right wing to unleash a piledriver with his dominant left into the far corner.
Rafael Van der Vaart – Hamburger SV (2005-08, 2012-15)
Many believe Van Der Vaart made a wrong career move by joining historic German club Hamburger SV from Ajax amid heightened interest from top European heavyweights, including then Italian Scudetto champions Milan. Dutch icon Johan Cruyff himself was surprised by Van der Vaart’s presence in Hamburg. The Ajax youth product went on to establish himself as a club hero, with Hamburg even going one and a half seasons after his signing without defeat away from home whenever he was on the pitch. He will fondly be remembered by Bundesliga and Hamburg fans for his six seasons– two-season each – stints in the north of Germany, where he registered 66 goals in almost 200 appearances.
These are five Dutch players who each left a particularly lasting legacy on the domestic German front, and most of them have starred exclusively for Bayern Munich. It goes without saying that Mia San Mia is favored once again to win the 2022/23 Bundesliga title as odds-on-favorites, with Dortmund, Leipzig, and Leverkusen all bound to tussle hard for the second spot, as relayed by the best betting sites in the Netherlands – a one-stop resource to understand the nuances of sports betting. One can learn a great deal of information before placing their hand. Players, whether old or new, can also benefit from a whole range of rewards and bonuses such as free bets, accumulator schemes, loyalty points, and cash backs.