At PSV TV, Wilfred Bouma looks back at a special edition of Fortuna Sittard - PSV. Indeed, on May 7, 1999, with qualification for the preliminary rounds of the Champions League at stake, it was 6-4 in favor of the Limburgers. As a PSV mercenary, Bouma was behind that defeat.
Wilfred Bouma, now assistant coach of PSV U21, made a total of 351 appearances for PSV. However, he was not ready for the first team after his debut in 1994. "I thought differently about that at the time, but wisdom comes with age. I had to start getting flying hours, that was the motto." After first playing a season and a half at MVV, he was eventually rented out to Bert van Marwijk's Fortuna.
"Van Marwijk had put together a really good team with guys like Kevin Hofland and Mark van Bommel. We had also won against PSV earlier that season," Bouma recalled. "I got my teeth into that match, because I wanted to play in the red and white." With one goal and assist, Bouma was behind the victory. At the time, in fact, he was still a wing attacker, a role he later traded for a position in defense.
"The pressure was also incredibly on PSV because the club wanted to qualify for the preliminary rounds of the Champions League. I don't remember having a chat with the PSV guys afterwards, they really must not have felt like it either, but I went into the dressing room happy."
Next Sunday, PSV travels to Sittard again and Bouma expects it will not be easy partly because Fortuna is on the rise. "I felt that as a Fortuna player, but with PSV even more so: the small teams always bring something extra in these kinds of matches," Bouma said. "I rate PSV much higher, but Fortuna will sell its skin dearly."