Each month in the section "our heroes" you will read about the club's greatest idols. Who are these heroes and what have they meant to the club? With this month: Mark van Bommel. The midfielder with a red and white heart: he became an indispensable player from 1999 to 2005 and then played in the biggest leagues. He concluded his rich career again in Eindhoven, where he later also became head coach. 'The Bomb' was praised for his dynamism, venom and leadership qualities.
Mark started playing football at the Limburg-based RKVV Maasbracht and then made the move to Fortuna Sittard. In May 1993, he made his debut during a game against Cambuur Leeuwarden (1-1). He was 16 years and 23 days old at the time, making him one of the youngest debutants in Eredivisie history. In 1999 he became a player for PSV, where he enjoyed glorious years.
Glory years in Eindhoven
Mark would eventually become an indispensable link in the squads of both coach Eric Gerets (1999-2002) and Guus Hiddink (2002-2005). In his first period, he became the national champion four times and won the TOTO KNVB cup once. That the tough midfielder was a leader inside and outside the lines soon became clear: at 23, he already wore the captain's armband on his arm. Van Bommel was elected Dutch footballer of the year in 2001 and 2005.
There are some games that many a PSV fan inextricably connects with Van Bommel. Against Excelsior in 2003, for example, when he scored four goals in one game. Or visiting Ajax in 2005, when he scored a hat trick in a memorable 4-0 victory. That year, together with Johann Vogel and Phillip Cocu, Van Bommel formed the midfield of a rock-solid PSV, which managed to reach the semifinals of the UEFA Champions League. He played 50 European matches for PSV in his first period and 169 in the league.
Spain & Germany
Dutch coach Frank Rijkaard brought Mark to FC Barcelona in the 2005-2006 season, where he would play for one year. He was on the field in Spain with players like Ronaldinho and Lionel Messi. Mark won many trophies in his career, but the biggest prize, the UEFA Champions League, he captured in his only season with the Spanish superpower, winning it over Arsenal FC. In the same season, Mark managed to win both the national title and the cup with FC Barcelona.
After his Barcelona adventure, Mark moved to Germany's FC Bayern Munich for five successful seasons, where, under coach Jürgen Klinsmann, he was named captain as a non-German player. That is a rarity at "Der Rekordmeister," with whom he became champion twice and won the German Cup just as often. As the first foreign captain, in other words.
Italian adventure & back at PSV
After competitions and prizes in the Netherlands, Spain and Germany, Van Bommel left for Italy, where he went to play for AC Milan in mid-2011. Here the Maasbrachter added another national title to his repertoire. For the Italian club that was the first since the 2003-2004 season, for Mark the eighth of his career.
After all the foreign impressions, Mark's heart still colored red and white: he signed a one-year contract with PSV in 2012. It would become the last club where Mark was active as a field player. In this year he played 28 matches in the league.
Van Bommel in Orange
Van Bommel played 79 times for the Dutch national team, between 2000 and 2012. The midfielder played at the 2006 World Cup and at World Cup in 2010. He scored 10 times with the Orange lion on his chest.
Trainer
After finishing his football career, Van Bommel continued as a trainer within the club. He became champion with O19 and was at the helm as head coach of PSV 1 in the 2018-2019 and a large part of 2019-2020 seasons. Currently, the club hero coaches the Belgian Royal Antwerp FC, with whom he won the cup and national title last season.