ANP Thousands of supporters attended the ceremony
NOS News•yesterday, 11:22am•Adjusted yesterday, 3:13pm
Feyenoord was honored in Rotterdam after winning the KNVB Cup. At the Binnenrotte, the players and staff were serenaded and cheered by a large crowd of supporters.
The ceremony started with a performance by Lee Towers. Then the players appeared on stage, with the cup. Captain Gernot Trauner showed it to the audience, who responded with cheering and setting off fireworks.
The other players were also brought forward with the cup by trainer Arne Slot for a moment with the audience. To conclude, Lee Towers sang according to tradition You’ll never walk alonefollowed by a chorus of thousands of supporters.
The square at the Markthal, which had room for 35,000 fans, was the location for the club’s tribute for the first time this year. Part of the center was closed to traffic because of the party. Supporters were therefore advised to come by public transport.
The ceremony has now ended. The supporters leave from the Binnenrotte, while some are still enjoying the party. When everyone has left, the stage will be taken down, reports Rijnmond. The road closures on and around Blaak still apply.
View images of the ceremony here:
Feyenoord honored in Rotterdam
Although the party only started this afternoon, the first fans already gathered at the stage at Blaak station around 6:30 am. According to a reporter from regional broadcaster Rijnmond, there was a rush this morning for supporters who did not want to miss the opportunity to be at the front. “We left at 4:45 am, so we are well on time,” a man who is already standing at the entrance on the Meent side early in the morning with his children told the reporter earlier today.
The fans were looking forward to it. They all wanted to be as close to the stage as possible. “That’s always the best moment: when the players go on stage,” said one boy. “Then it will explode, right,” his father added.
Less pressure
This year the ceremony was not, as usual, on the Coolsingel. The municipality expected fewer people to be present than at last year’s championship celebration. Then the celebration of the Feyenoord players attracted an estimated 150,000 people to Rotterdam.
Feyenoord won the KNVB Cup for the fourteenth time on Sunday, with a 1-0 victory in De Kuip over NEC. Immediately after the match there were celebrations in the streets of Rotterdam. Various supporters also traditionally jumped into the Hofplein fountain.
