Demy de Zeeuw
Encyclopedia
Demy Patrick René de Zeeuw (ˈdeːmi də ˈzeːu̯; born 26 May 1983 in Apeldoorn
, Netherlands
) is a Dutch footballer who currently plays for Russian Premier League
club Spartak Moscow
and the Netherlands national football team
. He is a defensive midfielder described as a good tackler and a gifted passer of the ball. He previously played for AGOVV
, Go Ahead Eagles
, AZ and AFC Ajax. While at AZ he was a key player in the squad that won the 2008–09 Dutch league, the club's first championship victory in 28 years. Following this success he was rewarded with a move to Dutch giants Ajax, with whom he won the 2009-10 Dutch Cup, and the 2010–11 Dutch league title.
at WSV Apeldoorn. He played here until he was twelve at which point he was scouted by AGOVV. He played his first matches in professional football for Deventer
-based Go Ahead Eagles
. In the 2001–02 season he played three league matches for the club, and went on to play five seasons for the club, playing 65 matches and scoring 7 goals. By the 2004–05 season he had established himself as an important player for the club. His performances were noticed by Eredivisie club AZ, especially after he played well during a friendly game against AZ in the summer of 2005. AZ manager Louis van Gaal
was impressed by the player and he transferred to the club for 100,000 euros, signing a four-year contract.
under then-manager Marco van Basten. His contract with AZ was extended once again on May 2007. In 2007–08 season, AZ performed below all expectations: before the start of the competition the team was seen as one of the challengers for the title, but halfway through the seasons all hope for winning the title was gone. De Zeeuw described the season as "one giant disappointment". Manager Van Gaal thought that the role of De Zeeuw in the squad had to change: he had to start carrying the team more. AZ finished the season in a disappointing 11th position in the league.
Afer UEFA Euro 2008, De Zeeuw was linked with a move to AFC Ajax where former Netherlands manager Marco van Basten had taken over, but a move failed to materialise. Partly because of his public soliciting for a transfer he saw himself out of the starting line-up at the beginning of the 2008–09 season in the opening match against NAC Breda
. The player was almost transferred to Hamburger SV
on the last day of the transfer period after an accord on the transfer fee was reached between the two clubs. However the German club was too late to register the player with the German Football Association
, so a move again failed to materialise. Despite his problems at the beginning of the season, De Zeeuw soon fought himself back into the starting line-up during the third league match, a 1–0 victory over PSV Eindhoven. AZ would not lose a single match in the rest of the first half of the competition, and during the winter break HSV again wanted to sign the player, but AZ stated that they would not allow the player to leave halfway throughout the season.
In the spring of 2009, AZ offered De Zeeuw a contract extension once again, this time until 2011. This time, however, the player rejected the proposal. At the end of the season, the player celebrated the first championship victory with AZ in 28 years. The success brought more attention from international clubs including HSV once again. In July 2009 Ajax officially announced that they were interested in signing the player. De Zeeuw himself stated that he was interested in moving to the Amsterdam club where former HSV manager Martin Jol
had taken over from Van Basten. AZ initially stated that they did not wish to sell the player to a club they saw as a direct competitor, but after several weeks showed a willingness to cooperate on the transfer. On July 24, 2009, the definite transfer from AZ to Ajax was announced for a reported 6 million euros. The player signed a contract for 4 seasons, until 2013.
. He made his professional debut for Ajax on 2 August 2009 in a 2–0 away win against FC Groningen. De Zeeuw scored his first Eredivisie goal for Ajax on 29 September 2009 in a 3–0 victory over ADO Den Haag
at the Amsterdam ArenA
. On 1 November 2009, De Zeeuw scored a brace in the "klassieker
" against arch-rivals Feyenoord in a 5–1 thrashing of the Rotterdam side. The midfielder scored another brace on 22 November 2009 in a 5–1 demolition of SC Heerenveen, taking his league tally to five goals in fourteen matches.
De Zeeuw was a member of the Dutch squad that won the UEFA U-21 Championship in 2006. He was also eligible to represent the Netherlands Antilles
.
De Zeeuw usually plays as a defensive midfielder and in the national team he has to compete with the likes of Mark van Bommel
, Orlando Engelaar
, and Nigel de Jong
in that position. Impressive performances for AZ led to his international debut for the Dutch national team
in a UEFA Euro 2008 qualifier against Slovenia
on 28 March 2007.
in South Africa
. On 27 May 2010, Netherlands manager Bert van Marwijk
announced that the player would be part of the final squad of 23 participating in the competition. The player came on as a substitute for their first match in the competition, a 2-0 victory over Denmark
. De Zeeuw was in the starting line-up for the semi-final match against Uruguay. However, the player had to be replaced by Rafael van der Vaart
at half time after an incident where he was kicked in the face by Martín Cáceres
.
Ajax
Apeldoorn
Apeldoorn is a municipality and city in the province of Gelderland, about 60 miles south east of Amsterdam, in the centre of the Netherlands. It is a regional centre and has 155,000 . The municipality of Apeldoorn, including villages like Beekbergen, Loenen and Hoenderloo, has over 155,000...
, Netherlands
Netherlands
The Netherlands is a constituent country of the Kingdom of the Netherlands, located mainly in North-West Europe and with several islands in the Caribbean. Mainland Netherlands borders the North Sea to the north and west, Belgium to the south, and Germany to the east, and shares maritime borders...
) is a Dutch footballer who currently plays for Russian Premier League
Russian Premier League
The Russian Premier League , currently called SOGAZ Russian Football Championship due to sponsorship reasons, is the top division of Russian football. There are 16 teams in the competition...
club Spartak Moscow
FC Spartak Moscow
FC Spartak Moscow is a Russian football club from Moscow. Having won 12 Soviet championships and 9 of 19 Russian championships they are one of the country's most successful clubs. They have also won the Soviet Cup 10 times and the Russian Cup 3 times...
and the Netherlands national football team
Netherlands national football team
The Netherlands National Football Team represents the Netherlands in association football and is controlled by the Royal Dutch Football Association , the governing body for football in the Netherlands...
. He is a defensive midfielder described as a good tackler and a gifted passer of the ball. He previously played for AGOVV
AGOVV Apeldoorn
AGOVV Apeldoorn is a Dutch football club, playing in the Eerste Divisie, based in Apeldoorn.The club was founded on 25 February 1913, as AGOSV, which stood for Apeldoornse Geheel Onthoudersvoetbalvereniging Steeds Voorwaarts...
, Go Ahead Eagles
Go Ahead Eagles
The Go Ahead Eagles are a football club from Deventer, Netherlands, currently playing in the Eerste Divisie. The club's home stadium is De Adelaarshorst. To date, the club has won the national championship four times...
, AZ and AFC Ajax. While at AZ he was a key player in the squad that won the 2008–09 Dutch league, the club's first championship victory in 28 years. Following this success he was rewarded with a move to Dutch giants Ajax, with whom he won the 2009-10 Dutch Cup, and the 2010–11 Dutch league title.
Go Ahead Eagles
De Zeeuw began playing football in his hometown ApeldoornApeldoorn
Apeldoorn is a municipality and city in the province of Gelderland, about 60 miles south east of Amsterdam, in the centre of the Netherlands. It is a regional centre and has 155,000 . The municipality of Apeldoorn, including villages like Beekbergen, Loenen and Hoenderloo, has over 155,000...
at WSV Apeldoorn. He played here until he was twelve at which point he was scouted by AGOVV. He played his first matches in professional football for Deventer
Deventer
Deventer is a municipality and city in the Salland region of the Dutch province of Overijssel. Deventer is largely situated on the east bank of the river IJssel, but also has a small part of its territory on the west bank. In 2005 the municipality of Bathmen Deventer is a municipality and city in...
-based Go Ahead Eagles
Go Ahead Eagles
The Go Ahead Eagles are a football club from Deventer, Netherlands, currently playing in the Eerste Divisie. The club's home stadium is De Adelaarshorst. To date, the club has won the national championship four times...
. In the 2001–02 season he played three league matches for the club, and went on to play five seasons for the club, playing 65 matches and scoring 7 goals. By the 2004–05 season he had established himself as an important player for the club. His performances were noticed by Eredivisie club AZ, especially after he played well during a friendly game against AZ in the summer of 2005. AZ manager Louis van Gaal
Louis van Gaal
Aloysius Paulus Maria "Louis" van Gaal OON is a Dutch football manager formerly in charge of Ajax, Netherlands, Barcelona, AZ and Bayern Munich...
was impressed by the player and he transferred to the club for 100,000 euros, signing a four-year contract.
AZ
During his first season in the Alkmaarderhout, De Zeeuw played 26 matches. Consequently, in May 2006 he was offered a new contract by AZ until 2010. The following season he played so well for AZ that he was able to make his debut for the Netherlands national football teamNetherlands national football team
The Netherlands National Football Team represents the Netherlands in association football and is controlled by the Royal Dutch Football Association , the governing body for football in the Netherlands...
under then-manager Marco van Basten. His contract with AZ was extended once again on May 2007. In 2007–08 season, AZ performed below all expectations: before the start of the competition the team was seen as one of the challengers for the title, but halfway through the seasons all hope for winning the title was gone. De Zeeuw described the season as "one giant disappointment". Manager Van Gaal thought that the role of De Zeeuw in the squad had to change: he had to start carrying the team more. AZ finished the season in a disappointing 11th position in the league.
Afer UEFA Euro 2008, De Zeeuw was linked with a move to AFC Ajax where former Netherlands manager Marco van Basten had taken over, but a move failed to materialise. Partly because of his public soliciting for a transfer he saw himself out of the starting line-up at the beginning of the 2008–09 season in the opening match against NAC Breda
NAC Breda
NAC Breda , simply often known as NAC, is a Dutch professional football club, based in Breda, Netherlands. NAC Breda play in the Rat Verlegh Stadium, named after their most important player, Antoon 'Rat' Verlegh. They play in the Dutch Eredivisie and are known by the fierce and fanatic support of...
. The player was almost transferred to Hamburger SV
Hamburger SV
Hamburger Sport-Verein, usually referred to as HSV in Germany and Hamburg in international parlance, is a German multi-sport club based in Hamburg, its largest branch being its football department...
on the last day of the transfer period after an accord on the transfer fee was reached between the two clubs. However the German club was too late to register the player with the German Football Association
German Football Association
The German Football Association is the governing body of football in Germany. A founding member of both FIFA and UEFA, the DFB organises the German football leagues, including the national league, the Bundesliga, and the men's and women's national teams. The DFB is based in Frankfurt and is...
, so a move again failed to materialise. Despite his problems at the beginning of the season, De Zeeuw soon fought himself back into the starting line-up during the third league match, a 1–0 victory over PSV Eindhoven. AZ would not lose a single match in the rest of the first half of the competition, and during the winter break HSV again wanted to sign the player, but AZ stated that they would not allow the player to leave halfway throughout the season.
In the spring of 2009, AZ offered De Zeeuw a contract extension once again, this time until 2011. This time, however, the player rejected the proposal. At the end of the season, the player celebrated the first championship victory with AZ in 28 years. The success brought more attention from international clubs including HSV once again. In July 2009 Ajax officially announced that they were interested in signing the player. De Zeeuw himself stated that he was interested in moving to the Amsterdam club where former HSV manager Martin Jol
Martin Jol
Maarten Cornelis "Martin" Jol is a Dutch football manager and former midfielder who currently manages Fulham in the Premier League. Jol played over 400 games during his career which included spells in the Netherlands, Germany, and England, as well as earning three caps with the Dutch national team...
had taken over from Van Basten. AZ initially stated that they did not wish to sell the player to a club they saw as a direct competitor, but after several weeks showed a willingness to cooperate on the transfer. On July 24, 2009, the definite transfer from AZ to Ajax was announced for a reported 6 million euros. The player signed a contract for 4 seasons, until 2013.
Ajax
De Zeeuw was presented to the Ajax fans ahead of a match between Ajax and Atlético Madrid during the Amsterdam TournamentAmsterdam Tournament
The Amsterdam Tournament is a pre-season association football competition, held in Amsterdam, Netherlands. The competition is hosted by Eredivisie club Ajax at the Amsterdam Arena. It was inaugurated in 1975 as the Amsterdam 700 Tournament to celebrate 700 years of history in the city...
. He made his professional debut for Ajax on 2 August 2009 in a 2–0 away win against FC Groningen. De Zeeuw scored his first Eredivisie goal for Ajax on 29 September 2009 in a 3–0 victory over ADO Den Haag
ADO Den Haag
Alles Door Oefening Den Haag , commonly known by the abbreviated name ADO Den Haag , is a Dutch football club from the city of The Hague. The club was for a time known as FC Den Haag , with ADO representing the amateur branch of the club...
at the Amsterdam ArenA
Amsterdam ArenA
Amsterdam Arena is a stadium in Amsterdam, Netherlands. It is the largest stadium in the nation and it was built from 1993 to 1996 at a cost of €140 million, and was officially opened on 14 August 1996. It has been used for association football, American football, concerts, and other events...
. On 1 November 2009, De Zeeuw scored a brace in the "klassieker
Klassieker
De Klassieker is the main football rivalry of the Netherlands. It is between Ajax, of Amsterdam and Feyenoord, of Rotterdam and is highly contested. The record attendance was on 9 January 1966, when 65,562 watched in Rotterdam....
" against arch-rivals Feyenoord in a 5–1 thrashing of the Rotterdam side. The midfielder scored another brace on 22 November 2009 in a 5–1 demolition of SC Heerenveen, taking his league tally to five goals in fourteen matches.
Spartak Moscow
On July 6th, 2011 it was reported that Demy de Zeeuw had transferred to the Russian club for an estimated 7 million euros.International career
Netherlands Antilles national football team
The Netherlands Antilles national football team was the national team of the former Netherlands Antilles and was controlled by the Nederlands Antilliaanse Voetbal Unie. The NAVU consisted of Curaçao and Bonaire. Aruba split in 1986 and has its own team....
.
De Zeeuw usually plays as a defensive midfielder and in the national team he has to compete with the likes of Mark van Bommel
Mark van Bommel
Mark Peter Gertruda Andreas van Bommel is a Dutch footballer who currently plays for Milan and captains the Netherlands national team as a midfielder....
, Orlando Engelaar
Orlando Engelaar
Orlando Engelaar is a Dutch footballer who currently plays as a centre midfielder for Dutch Eredivisie club PSV...
, and Nigel de Jong
Nigel de Jong
Nigel de Jong is a Dutch footballer who plays as a defensive midfielder for Premier League club Manchester City and the Netherlands national team....
in that position. Impressive performances for AZ led to his international debut for the Dutch national team
Netherlands national football team
The Netherlands National Football Team represents the Netherlands in association football and is controlled by the Royal Dutch Football Association , the governing body for football in the Netherlands...
in a UEFA Euro 2008 qualifier against Slovenia
Slovenia national football team
The Slovenia national football team is the national football team of Slovenia and is controlled by the Football Association of Slovenia. The team played their first match in 1992 after the split of Yugoslavia in 1991....
on 28 March 2007.
Euro 2008
During the UEFA Euro 2008 qualifying matches against Bulgaria and Albania De Zeeuw was in the starting line-up. De Zeeuw hoped to make a good impression during UEFA Euro 2008 to earn a transfer to another club, but his appearance was limited to a single appearance in the group stage against Romania.2010 World Cup
De Zeeuw was included in the preliminary squad for the 2010 FIFA World Cup2010 FIFA World Cup
The 2010 FIFA World Cup was the 19th FIFA World Cup, the world championship for men's national association football teams. It took place in South Africa from 11 June to 11 July 2010...
in South Africa
South Africa
The Republic of South Africa is a country in southern Africa. Located at the southern tip of Africa, it is divided into nine provinces, with of coastline on the Atlantic and Indian oceans...
. On 27 May 2010, Netherlands manager Bert van Marwijk
Bert van Marwijk
Bert van Marwijk OON is the coach of the Netherlands national football team. He also played for Go Ahead Eagles, AZ, MVV, Fortuna Sittard, and other clubs, as well as for the Dutch national team. In 1982, he began his transition into coaching, retiring as a player in 1988 and becoming a full time...
announced that the player would be part of the final squad of 23 participating in the competition. The player came on as a substitute for their first match in the competition, a 2-0 victory over Denmark
Denmark national football team
The Denmark national football team represents Denmark in association football and is controlled by the Danish Football Association , the governing body for the football clubs which are organized under DBU...
. De Zeeuw was in the starting line-up for the semi-final match against Uruguay. However, the player had to be replaced by Rafael van der Vaart
Rafael van der Vaart
Rafael Ferdinand van der Vaart is a Dutch footballer who plays for English Premier League club Tottenham Hotspur and the Dutch national team. His preferred position is as an attacking midfielder; he can, however, also operate in other positions, such as second striker...
at half time after an incident where he was kicked in the face by Martín Cáceres
Martín Cáceres
José Martín Cáceres Silva is an Uruguayan professional footballer who plays for Sevilla FC in La Liga.His primary position is central defender, but he can also operate at right or left back.-Early years:...
.
Career statistics
Statistics accurate as of matches played on 15 May 2011| Club | League | Season | League | Cup | Continental | Other | Total | ||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | ||||||||
| Go Ahead Eagles Go Ahead Eagles The Go Ahead Eagles are a football club from Deventer, Netherlands, currently playing in the Eerste Divisie. The club's home stadium is De Adelaarshorst. To date, the club has won the national championship four times... |
Eerste Divisie Eerste Divisie The Eerste Divisie is the second-highest division of football in the Netherlands. It is linked with the top-level Eredivisie via a promotion/relegation system. It is also known as the Jupiler League due to sponsorship, which is the same name as the top league in Belgium... |
2001–02 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | - | - | 3 | 0 | |||||||
| 2002–03 | 10 | 1 | 1 | 0 | - | 0 | 0 | 11 | 1 | ||||||||
| 2003–04 | 18 | 3 | 1 | 0 | - | - | 19 | 3 | |||||||||
| 2004–05 | 34 | 3 | 4 | 1 | - | - | 38 | 4 | |||||||||
| Total | 65 | 7 | 6 | 1 | AZ | Eredivisie Eredivisie The Eredivisie is the highest football league in the Netherlands. The league was founded in 1956 two years after the start of professional football in the Netherlands. It is currently ranked the ninth best league in Europe by UEFA.... |
2005–06 | 26 | 1 | 3 | 0 | 4 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 33 | 1 |
| 2006–07 | 32 | 5 | 6 | 2 | 11 | 2 | 4 | 0 | 53 | 9 | |||||||
| 2007–08 | 31 | 6 | 1 | 0 | 5 | 1 | - | 37 | 7 | ||||||||
| 2008–09 | 30 | 3 | 4 | 0 | - | - | 34 | 3 | |||||||||
| Total | 119 | 15 | 14 | 2 | 20 | 3 | 4 | 0 | 157 | 20 | |||||||
| Ajax | 2009–10 | 32 | 7 | 6 | 3 | 10 | 1 | - | 48 | 11 | |||||||
| 2010–11 | 27 | 1 | 6 | 2 | 13 | 2 | 1 | 0 | 47 | 5 | |||||||
| Total | 59 | 8 | 12 | 5 | 23 | 3 | 1 | 0 | 95 | 16 | |||||||
| Spartak Moscow FC Spartak Moscow FC Spartak Moscow is a Russian football club from Moscow. Having won 12 Soviet championships and 9 of 19 Russian championships they are one of the country's most successful clubs. They have also won the Soviet Cup 10 times and the Russian Cup 3 times... |
Russian Premier League Russian Premier League The Russian Premier League , currently called SOGAZ Russian Football Championship due to sponsorship reasons, is the top division of Russian football. There are 16 teams in the competition... |
2011–12 2011–12 Russian Premier League The 2011–12 Russian Premier League is the 20th season of the Russian football championship since the dissolution of the Soviet Union and 10th under the current Russian Premier League name. The season began on 12 March 2011. The last matches will be played in spring 2012, as the league will switch... |
0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | - | 0 | 0 | ||||||
| Total | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | |||||||
| Career total | 243 | 30 | 32 | 8 | 43 | 6 | 5 | 0 | 323 | 44 | |||||||
Honours
Club
AZ- EredivisieEredivisieThe Eredivisie is the highest football league in the Netherlands. The league was founded in 1956 two years after the start of professional football in the Netherlands. It is currently ranked the ninth best league in Europe by UEFA....
(1): 2008–09
Ajax
- EredivisieEredivisieThe Eredivisie is the highest football league in the Netherlands. The league was founded in 1956 two years after the start of professional football in the Netherlands. It is currently ranked the ninth best league in Europe by UEFA....
(1): 2010–112010–11 Eredivisie-Managerial changes:-League table:-Results:... - KNVB CupKNVB CupThe KNVB Cup is a competition in the Netherlands organized by the Royal Dutch Football Association since 1899. It was based on the format of the English FA Cup. Outside of the Netherlands, it is often referred to as the Dutch Cup...
(1): 2009-10
International
- Netherlands Under-21Netherlands national under-21 football teamThe Netherlands national under-21 football team is the national under-21 team of the Netherlands and is controlled by the Royal Dutch Football Association. The team competes in the European Under-21 Championship, held every two years....
2006 UEFA European Under-21 Football Championship-Group B:---------------------Knockout stage:-Semi-finals:-----Final:-Goalscorers:4 goals Klaas Jan Huntelaar3 goals Thomas Kahlenberg Nicky Hofs2 goals Bryan Bergougnoux Ruslan Fomin Artem Milevskiy...
- NetherlandsNetherlands national football teamThe Netherlands National Football Team represents the Netherlands in association football and is controlled by the Royal Dutch Football Association , the governing body for football in the Netherlands...
- 2010 World Cup2010 FIFA World CupThe 2010 FIFA World Cup was the 19th FIFA World Cup, the world championship for men's national association football teams. It took place in South Africa from 11 June to 11 July 2010...
: Runner-up
- 2010 World Cup