Mark van Bommel

Mark Peter Gertruda Andreas van Bommel (born 22 April 1977) is a Dutch football coach and former player who played as a midfielder. He is currently the manager of Belgian side Royal Antwerp. His FIFA World Cup profile describes him as "a tackling machine and expert ball-winner, but he also boasts a fine array of passes and a powerful shot, having been a free-kick specialist during his PSV days".[2]

In this Dutch name, the surname is Van Bommel.
Mark van Bommel
Van Bommel in 2010
Personal information
Full name Mark Peter Gertruda Andreas van Bommel[1]
Date of birth (1977-04-22) 22 April 1977[1]
Place of birth Maasbracht, Netherlands
Height 1.87 m (6 ft 2 in)[1]
Position(s) Defensive midfielder
Club information
Current team
 Royal Antwerp (manager)
Youth career
1985–1992 RKVV Maasbracht
Senior career*
Years Team Apps (Gls)
1992–1999 Fortuna Sittard 153 (13)
1999–2005 PSV 169 (46)
2005–2006 Barcelona 24 (2)
2006–2011 Bayern Munich 123 (11)
2011–2012 Milan 39 (0)
2012–2013 PSV 28 (6)
Total 536 (78)
National team
1996–2000 Netherlands U21 27 (3)
2000–2012 Netherlands 79 (10)
Teams managed
2015–2017 Saudi Arabia (assistant)
2018 Australia (assistant)
2018–2019 PSV
2021 VfL Wolfsburg
2022– Royal Antwerp
Honours
 Netherlands
Runner-upFIFA World Cup2010
*Club domestic league appearances and goals

He played in and won the Dutch Eredivisie with PSV, Spanish La Liga with Barcelona, German Bundesliga with Bayern Munich and Italian Serie A with Milan. Between 2000 and 2011, he won eight national championship titles in four competitions: four with PSV, two with Bayern, one with Barcelona and one with Milan. Van Bommel won the 2005–06 UEFA Champions League with Barcelona and was Bayern's first foreign captain. At Bayern, he led the team to two Bundesliga titles, and finished runner-up in the 2010 UEFA Champions League Final.

From 2000 to 2012, Van Bommel was part of the Netherlands team and earned 79 caps. He was part of the teams that went to the 2006 FIFA World Cup, finished runner-up at the 2010 FIFA World Cup and went to UEFA Euro 2012.

He began managing as a youth coach and assistant to his father-in-law and former international manager Bert van Marwijk. He then managed in his own right at PSV and VfL Wolfsburg.

Club career

Van Bommel started his amateur career at local club RKVV Maasbracht before earning a professional contract with Fortuna Sittard in 1992. His colleagues at Fortuna who would later join PSV alongside him were Wilfred Bouma and Kevin Hofland.

PSV

Van Bommel was signed by PSV in 1999 where he formed a midfield partnership with Swiss international Johann Vogel. Van Bommel won four Eredivisie titles and two Johan Cruyff Shields with the club. He was also named Dutch Footballer of the Year in 2001 and 2005.

In his final season with PSV, having assisted the team to the Dutch league title and a Champions League semi-final place, Van Bommel was expected to join his father-in-law Bert van Marwijk who at the time managed the Bundesliga side Borussia Dortmund, but Van Bommel opted to stay at PSV until the end of the 2004–05 season.

After the club's UEFA Champions League semi-final loss to Milan and with the Eredivisie title in PSV's hands at the end of April, he confirmed he would join Barcelona in May 2005 after the club won its own domestic league.

Barcelona
Van Bommel with Barcelona.

Seeking to strengthen his already title-winning squad, Frank Rijkaard signed Van Bommel on a free transfer for Barcelona.[3] Van Bommel spent the summer prior to his move to Spain learning the Spanish language in a convent in Eindhoven.[4] Similar to his role at PSV where he was largely used as a holding midfielder, utilising his ball-winning skills to complement the more skillful players already at the club.[3][4] As per his squad role, throughout the league campaign he was rotated with fellow midfielders Xavi, Edmílson, Andrés Iniesta, Deco and Thiago Motta, featuring in 24 domestic matches and a further 12 in cup competitions. His only season with Barcelona was largely successful as the club won La Liga and the 2005–06 Champions League. He won his third trophy with the club on 20 August 2006 as Barça beat city rivals Espanyol in the 2006 Supercopa de España. Six days later, however, it was announced that Van Bommel had joined Bayern Munich.[4]

Bayern Munich
Mark van Bommel with Bayern Munich in 2009

On 26 August 2006, Bayern Munich team manager Uli Hoeneß announced Van Bommel would be joining the Bundesliga club. Media reports speculated that the move was influenced by the ongoing Owen Hargreaves transfer saga, but Hoeneß insisted the club intended to go forward with both players.[5] Bayern Munich paid 6 million euro to Barcelona in the deal.

Soon after joining the Bavarian side, Van Bommel proved to be a key player for them, providing strength in the middle of the pitch. Due to his terrific performances during his first season at Bayern, he was voted the Bayern Player of the Year for 2006–07, beating out longtime fan-favorites Roy Makaay and Mehmet Scholl. In the 2007–08 season, he won his first silverware with club as Bayern claimed a double of the Bundesliga title and DFB-Pokal.

After Oliver Kahn retired in 2008, Van Bommel was selected as captain, becoming the club's first ever non-German captain.[6]

Under the management of compatriot Louis van Gaal, Van Bommel led Bayern to the second league and cup double of his time at the club during the 2009–10 season. The team also reached the 2010 UEFA Champions League Final, but a defeat by Internazionale denied Bayern its first ever treble. He played 123 matches in the German top-flight.[7]

Milan

On 25 January 2011, Van Bommel signed a six-month contract with Milan on a free transfer after terminating his contract with Bayern.[8][9] He was given the number four shirt, and the day after, he made his debut in a 2–1 victory against Sampdoria in the Coppa Italia quarter-final. On 29 January 2011, Van Bommel made his Serie A debut against Catania but was sent off after receiving a second yellow card early in the second half. Soon after, however, he adapted to Italian football and became a regular in Massimiliano Allegri's squad, contributing greatly in convincing 3–0 wins against Napoli and city rivals Internazionale. He was a starter in the match against Roma on 7 May 2011 that brought Milan their 18th Scudetto.

On 17 May 2011, Milan announced that Van Bommel had extended his contract for one more year.[10] In the second season of his stint at Milan, he continued to be a starter and occupied the defensive midfielder position throughout the season. He decided not to stay with Milan for another season, despite being offered a new contract.

Return to PSV

On 29 April 2012, Van Bommel announced that he would sign a contract with PSV, who confirmed the signing on 14 May.[11] After a disappointing season in which PSV finished second in the Eredivisie and lost the KNVB Cup final to AZ, Van Bommel announced his retirement from professional football on 12 May 2013. In an interview after his last professional game (against Twente in a 3–1 loss during which he was sent off after receiving two yellow cards), Van Bommel expressed an interest in a coaching career. He cited his desire to make way for younger players to shine and rest his body, specifically his injured left knee.[12]

International career

Van Bommel's debut for the Netherlands was a 4–0 on 7 October 2000 against Cyprus. However, he did not make an appearance in a major tournament until 2006, with the Netherlands failing to qualify for the 2002 FIFA World Cup and injury preventing him from playing during UEFA Euro 2004 in Portugal.

Van Bommel playing for the Netherlands at the UEFA Euro 2012

National team manager Marco van Basten was dissatisfied with Van Bommel's defensive performance in the 2006 FIFA World Cup qualification match against Romania and he was subsequently not selected for the rest of the qualification series. With many Dutch football observers believing Van Bommel's international career to be over, he was selected back into the Dutch side for the 2006 FIFA World Cup.

At the 2006 World Cup, Van Bommel played in three of the games for his country (all except the match against Argentina, where both teams had already sealed their passage to the knockout stage of the tournament). He was substituted twice in these three matches. His position in the team was as right-half. His duties were mainly to play the anchor role in the Dutch three-man midfield in their usual 4–3–3 formation.

Mark van Bommel (left) with (from left to right) Gregory van der Wiel, Demy de Zeeuw and Giovanni van Bronckhorst.

A notoriously hard-tackling competitor, he was the first of many players booked in the second-round defeat against Portugal, dubbed "The Battle of Nuremberg" by the press. After the World Cup, Van Bommel was not called up for the Euro 2008 qualifiers against Luxembourg and Belarus. In September 2006, after his move to Bayern Munich, he was added to Van Basten's squad to face Bulgaria; however, Van Bommel stated (alongside Ruud van Nistelrooy) he would not play for Oranje as long as Van Basten was in charge.[13] After Van Basten left to manage Ajax, new Netherlands head coach (and father-in-law) Bert van Marwijk recalled Van Bommel, which led to his return in the Dutch national team. Van Bommel was part of the starting line-up in the Dutch team for the 2010 World Cup, managed by Van Marwijk.[14]

Van Bommel was selected by Van Marwijk to succeed Giovanni van Bronckhorst as the new captain of the Netherlands, despite initial claims he did not want to be the new captain, having been absent from the national team for two years.[15] He captained the side for the first time in a 5–0 away win against San Marino. Against San Marino, Van Bommel captained the Netherlands to a record-breaking 11–0 victory in Eindhoven on 2 September 2011.[16]

Following the Netherlands' elimination from the Euro 2012, Van Bommel retired from international football.[17] He scored ten goals in his 79 international appearances.[18]

Managerial career

Early years

Van Bommel started his coaching career as an assistant manager in January 2014, joining the Netherlands U17 national team under Maarten Stekelenburg.[19] On 1 September 2015, he joined his father-in-law Bert van Marwijk at the Saudi Arabia national team, serving as assistant there for two years.[20] On 25 April 2017, he was appointed head coach of the PSV youth (U19) team.[21] On 23 March 2018, he reunited with van Marwijk at the Australia national team, assisting him at the 2018 FIFA World Cup.[22]

PSV Eindhoven

On 22 June 2018, Eredivisie champions PSV Eindhoven announced Van Bommel as manager on a three-year deal. He replaced Phillip Cocu, who had left for Fenerbahçe.[23][24]

He made his senior managerial debut in the 2018 Johan Cruyff Shield against Feyenoord on 4 August, losing on penalties after a goalless draw.[25] A week later in his first Eredivisie game, PSV won 4–0 at home to FC Utrecht.[26] After 14 consecutive victories at the start of the season, his side lost 2–1 at Feyenoord.[27]

On 16 December 2019, Van Bommel was sacked by PSV with the team in fourth, following a loss to Feyenoord.[28]

VfL Wolfsburg

On 2 June 2021, VfL Wolfsburg unveiled Van Bommel as the club's new head coach, replacing the departing Oliver Glasner on a two-year contract.[29] On his debut in the DFB-Pokal first round on 8 August, he used six substitutes instead of the permitted five in a 3–1 extra-time win over SC Preußen Münster, resulting in disqualification.[30] Six days later, he won 1–0 at home in his first Bundesliga game, against VfL Bochum; the goal came from compatriot Wout Weghorst.[31] Four consecutive wins meant that Wolfsburg topped the table in September, but a run of form including eight winless games in all competitions resulted in his dismissal on 24 October.[32]

Royal Antwerp

On 26 May 2022, Royal Antwerp appointed Van Bommel as the club's manager on a two-year contract. He was signed by their sporting director, his former international teammate Marc Overmars.[33]

Personal life

Van Bommel is married to Andra, daughter of Bert van Marwijk, with whom he has three children: Thomas, Ruben and Renée.[34]

Career statistics

Club
Source:[35]
Club Season League Cup1 Europe Total
DivisionAppsGoalsAppsGoalsAppsGoalsAppsGoals
Fortuna Sittard 1992–93 Eredivisie 1000010
1993–94 Eerste Divisie 130000130
1994–95 Eerste Divisie 317100318
1995–96 Eredivisie 270000270
1996–97 Eredivisie 190000190
1997–98 Eredivisie 311000311
1998–99 Eredivisie 315240357
Total 1531334015716
PSV 1999–2000 Eredivisie 336040376
2000–01 Eredivisie 32740112479
2001–02 Eredivisie 2343072336
2002–03 Eredivisie 2893060379
2003–04 Eredivisie 2361081327
2004–05 Eredivisie 3014311424717
Total 1694614150723354
Barcelona 2005–06 La Liga 2423191364
Bayern Munich 2006–07 Bundesliga 2963181408
2007–08 Bundesliga 27260131463
2008–09 Bundesliga 2923091413
2009–10 Bundesliga 2514091382
2010–11 Bundesliga 1302030180
Total 1231118142418316
Milan 2010–11 Serie A 1402000160
2011–12 Serie A 2503060340
Total 3905060500
PSV 2012–13 Eredivisie 2863131348
Career total 536784371141369398

1Includes Supercoppa Italiana

International
Source:[36]
Netherlands
YearAppsGoals
200030
200174
200250
200371
200482
200540
200660
200700
200861
200971
2010141
201160
201260
Total7910
Mark van Bommel: International goals[37]
No.DateVenueOpponentScoreResultCompetition
114 March 2001Mini Estadi, Barcelona, Spain Andorra0–50–52002 WCQ
215 August 2001White Hart Lane, London, England England0–10–2Friendly
35 September 2001Philips Stadion, Eindhoven, Netherlands Estonia2–05–02002 WCQ
44–0
52 April 2003Sheriff Stadium, Tiraspol, Moldova Moldova1–21–2Euro 2004 Q.
618 August 2004Råsunda Stadium, Solna, Sweden Sweden1–22–2Friendly
73 September 2004Galgenwaard Stadium, Utrecht, Netherlands Liechtenstein1–03–0Friendly
815 October 2008Ullevaal Stadion, Oslo, Norway Norway0–10–12010 WCQ
96 June 2009Laugardalsvöllur, Reykjavík, Iceland Iceland0–21–22010 WCQ
105 June 2010Amsterdam Arena, Amsterdam, Netherlands Hungary4–16–1Friendly

Managerial statistics
As of match played 30 October 2022
Managerial record by team and tenure
Team From To Record Ref.
G W D L GF GA GD Win %
PSV Eindhoven 22 June 2018 16 December 2019 75 44 15 16 175 84 +91 058.67 [23]
VfL Wolfsburg 1 July 2021 24 October 2021 13 4 3 6 11 18 −7 030.77
Royal Antwerp 26 May 2022 Present 21 14 2 5 37 20 +17 066.67
Total 109 62 20 27 223 122 +101 056.88

Honours

Player

Fortuna Sittard[38]

  • Eerste Divisie: 1994–95

PSV Eindhoven[38]

  • Eredivisie: 1999–2000, 2000–01, 2002–03, 2004–05
  • KNVB Cup: 2004–05
  • Johan Cruyff Shield: 2000, 2001, 2003, 2012

Barcelona[38]

Bayern Munich[38]

  • Bundesliga: 2007–08, 2009–10
  • DFB-Pokal: 2007–08, 2009–10
  • UEFA Champions League runner-up: 2009–10

Milan[38]

  • Serie A: 2010–11
  • Supercoppa Italiana: 2011

Netherlands[38]

Individual

  • FIFA World Cup All-Star Team: 2010[39]
  • Dutch Football Talent of the Year: 1999
  • Dutch Footballer of the Year: 2001, 2005
  • Dutch Football Golden Boot: 2005
  • ESM Team of the Year: 2004–05

References
  1. "FIFA World Cup South Africa 2010: List of Players: Netherlands" (PDF). FIFA. 12 June 2010. p. 20. Archived from the original (PDF) on 18 October 2019.
  2. "Player Profile". FIFA. Archived from the original on 7 October 2013. Retrieved 23 April 2012.
  3. "6 Mark van Bommel". FIFA. Archived from the original on 14 June 2010. Retrieved 7 July 2010.
  4. "Van Bommel". footballdatabase.com. Archived from the original on 9 February 2009. Retrieved 7 July 2010.
  5. "Hargreaves says Man Utd deal off". BBC Sport. 29 August 2006. Retrieved 8 August 2008.
  6. "Van Bommel named new Bayern captain". FC Bayern Munich. 8 August 2008. Retrieved 7 April 2010.
  7. Arnhold, Matthias (23 September 2021). "Mark Peter Gertruda Andreas van Bommel – Matches and Goals in Bundesliga". Rec.Sport.Soccer Statistics Foundation. Retrieved 29 September 2021.
  8. "Van Bommel seals Milan move". FIFA. 25 January 2011. Archived from the original on 28 January 2011. Retrieved 25 January 2011.
  9. "Van Bommel seals Milan move". BBC Sport. 25 January 2011. Retrieved 25 January 2011.
  10. "A.C. MILAN COMUNICATO UFFICIALE" (in Italian). AC Milan. 17 May 2011. Retrieved 18 May 2011.
  11. Scholten, Berend (14 May 2012). "Van Bommel back at PSV after leaving Milan". UEFA. Retrieved 14 May 2012.
  12. Caferoglu, Livio (12 May 2013). "Van Bommel retires from football". Goal (website). Retrieved 13 May 2013.
  13. "Van Bommel frozen out by Van Basten regime". ESPN FC. 1 October 2006. Retrieved 8 August 2008.
  14. "Holland coach Bert van Marwijk finalises World Cup squad". The Guardian. Press Association. 27 May 2010. Retrieved 6 June 2010.
  15. "Van Bommel: 'Ik hoef die aanvoerdersband niet'" (in Dutch). VI.nl. 9 July 2011. Retrieved 16 January 2011.
  16. Scholten, Berend (3 September 2011). "Dutch proud of record-breaking victory win". UEFA. Retrieved 3 September 2011.
  17. "Euro 2012 – Dutch captain Van Bommel retires". Yahoo! Eurosport. 20 June 2012. Retrieved 20 June 2012.
  18. Stokkermans, Karel (23 September 2021). "Mark van Bommel – International Appearances". Rec.Sport.Soccer Statistics Foundation. Retrieved 29 September 2021.
  19. "Hall of Fame: Mark van Bommel". football-oranje.com. 4 June 2014. Retrieved 5 August 2018.
  20. "Van Bommel: I need to develop as a coach". FIFA. 2 January 2016. Archived from the original on 23 June 2016. Retrieved 5 August 2018.
  21. "Van Bommel appointed PSV U19 coach". PSV Eindhoven. 25 April 2017. Retrieved 5 August 2018.
  22. "Mark van Bommel joins Bert van Marwijk as assistant coach for Australia". Football Tribe. 23 March 2018. Retrieved 5 August 2018.
  23. "Mark Van Bommel appointed PSV boss as Phillip Cocu leaves". Sky Sports. Retrieved 22 June 2018.
  24. "Fenerbahce appoint Phillip Cocu as new manager, PSV name Mark van Bommel as replacement". ESPN. 22 June 2018. Retrieved 8 September 2020.
  25. Ottens, Chris (4 August 2018). "Rosario: Heel zuur, hadden veel meer verdiend". AD (in Dutch). Retrieved 27 December 2021.
  26. "Van Bommel en swingend PSV geven signaal af tegen FC Utrecht". Voetbal International (in Dutch). 11 August 2018. Retrieved 27 December 2021.
  27. "Feyenoord 2–1 PSV Eindhoven". BBC Sport. 2 December 2018. Retrieved 27 December 2021.
  28. "PSV Eindhoven sack manager Mark van Bommel". Reuters. 16 December 2019. Retrieved 27 December 2021.
  29. "Mark van Bommel named new Wolves coach". VfL Wolfsburg. 2 June 2021. Retrieved 2 June 2021.
  30. "Wolfsburg lose place in German Cup after using too many subs against Preussen Munster". Sky Sports. 17 August 2021. Retrieved 26 December 2021.
  31. "Wout Weghorst fires Wolfsburg to opening weekend win over promoted Bochum". Bundesliga. 14 August 2021. Retrieved 27 December 2021.
  32. Da Silva, Michael (24 October 2021). "Bundesliga: Mark van Bommel fired by Wolfsburg after 13 games". Deutsche Welle. Retrieved 27 December 2021.
  33. "Van Bommel confirmed as the new Royal Antwerp head coach". Football Oranje. 26 May 2022. Retrieved 9 June 2022.
  34. "Mark van Bommel". fcbayern.de. Retrieved 22 March 2009.
  35. "Mark van Bommel" (in German). weltfussball.de. Retrieved 21 August 2010.
  36. "van Bommel, Mark". National Football Teams. Benjamin Strack-Zimmermann. Retrieved 5 August 2018.
  37. "Gespeelde wedstrijden" (in Dutch). KNVB. Archived from the original on 27 September 2007. Retrieved 16 May 2007.
  38. "M. van Bommel". Soccerway. Retrieved 29 October 2014.
  39. "2010 FIFA World Cup South Africa™ statistics". FIFA. Archived from the original on 11 February 2011. Retrieved 2 September 2020.
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