# RKC Waalwijk

RKC Waalwijk (Dutch pronunciation:) is a Dutch professional football club based in Waalwijk, that is currently competing in the Eredivisie. Its name is derived from 'Rooms Katholieke Combinatie Waalwijk' ('Roman Catholic Combination Waalwijk' in Dutch) and was established as a merger of HEC, WVB and Hercules.

## History

The club was formed on 26 August 1940 and used to play its home games at Sportpark Olympia. Its new stadium, the 7,500 seater Mandemakers Stadion was opened in 1996 and featured the home match against Roda JC. RKC's clubname was also expanded with the name of the town before that 1996–97 season. While considered one of the Eredivisie's smaller clubs, it nevertheless maintained its top flight status for many years. Its home colors are yellow and blue.
At the end of the 2006–07 season, RKC Waalwijk were relegated from the Eredivisie after a defeat in play-offs against VVV-Venlo.
On 3 June 2009 they were promoted to the Eredivisie division after a win in the play-offs against De Graafschap. Though, their spell didn't last long ending in the last place with only 15 points. In the season followed they would finish first in the Eerste Divisie promoting back in the top flight of Dutch football.
After another relegation at the end of the 2013–14 season, RKC Waalwijk finished 20th (last) in the 2014–15 season of Eerste Divisie. However, they didn't relegate to Topklasse (amateurs) because both of the two Topklasse champions declined promotion into professionalism. In 2016–17, they made the Eerste Divisie playoffs, losing 5–2 on aggregate to FC Emmen.
In the 2017–18 season, RKC was placed 16th out of 20 teams in the Eerste Divisie. In 2019, Waalwijk promoted back to the Eredivisie after a five-year absence, after beating Go Ahead Eagles in the play-off finals. After a 0–0 draw in the first leg at home, RKC won the second leg 4–5 away.
In the 2019–20 season, RKC finished in last place, but they survived relegation due to the season being declared void due to the COVID-19 pandemic. In the subsequent 2020–21 season, the club managed to avoid relegation on their own by finishing in 15th place.

## Results

Below is a table with RKC's domestic results since the introduction of professional football in 1984.
Domestic Results since 1956 :
| Domestic league | League result | Qualification to | KNVB Cup season | Cup result |
| 2023–24 Eredivisie | 15th | – | 2023–24 | first round |
| 2022–23 Eredivisie | 9th | – | 2022–23 | first round |
| 2021–22 Eredivisie | 10th | – | 2021–22 | quarter finals |
| 2020–21 Eredivisie | 15th | – | 2020–21 | first round |
| 2019–20 Eredivisie | 18th | No relegation due to COVID-19 | 2019–20 | first round |
| 2018–19 Eerste Divisie | 8th | Eredivisie (winning promotion/releg. play-offs) | 2018–19 | Round of 16 |
| 2017–18 Eerste Divisie | 18th | – | 2017–18 | second round |
| 2016–17 Eerste Divisie | 10th | – | 2016–17 | second round |
| 2015–16 Eerste Divisie | 18th | – | 2015–16 | second round |
| 2014–15 Eerste Divisie | 20th | – | 2014–15 | second round |
| 2013–14 Eredivisie | 16th | Eerste Divisie (promotion/relegation playoffs: relegation) | 2013–14 | second round |
| 2012–13 Eredivisie | 14th | – | 2012–13 | third round |
| 2011–12 Eredivisie | 9h | – | 2011–12 | quarter final |
| 2010–11 Eerste Divisie | 1st | Eredivisie (promoted) | 2010–11 | semi final |
| 2009–10 Eredivisie | 18th | Eerste Divisie (relegation) | 2009–10 | second round |
| 2008–09 Eerste Divisie | 2nd | Eredivisie (promotion/relegation play-offs: promotion) | 2008–09 | third round |
| 2007–08 Eerste Divisie | 2nd | promotion/relegation play-offs: no promotion | 2007–08 | round of 16 |
| 2006–07 Eredivisie | 17th | Eerste Divisie (promotion/relegation play-off: relegation) | 2006–07 | semi final |
| 2005–06 Eredivisie | 12th | – | 2005–06 | third round |
| 2004–05 Eredivisie | 9th | – | 2004–05 | round of 16 |
| 2003–04 Eredivisie | 11th | – | 2003–04 | round of 16 |
| 2002–03 Eredivisie | 9th | – | 2002–03 | third round |
| 2001–02 Eredivisie | 8th | – | 2001–02 | round of 16 |
| 2000–01 Eredivisie | 7th | – | 2000–01 | second round |
| 1999–2000 Eredivisie | 11th | – | 1999–00 | quarter finals |
| 1998–99 Eredivisie | 16th | promotion/relegation competition: no relegation | 1998–99 | second round |
| 1997–98 Eredivisie | 16th | promotion/relegation competition: no relegation | 1997–98 | second round |
| 1996–97 Eredivisie | 16th | promotion/relegation competition: no relegation | 1996–97 | round of 16 |
| 1995–96 Eredivisie | 11th | – | 1995–96 | second round |
| 1994–95 Eredivisie | 8th | – | 1994–95 | second round |
| 1993–94 Eredivisie | 16th | promotion/relegation competition: no relegation | 1993–94 | quarter finals |
| 1992–93 Eredivisie | 9th | – | 1992–93 | round of 16 |
| 1991–92 Eredivisie | 10th | – | 1991–92 | third round |
| 1990–91 Eredivisie | 7th | – | 1990–91 | second round |
| 1989–90 Eredivisie | 8th | – | 1989–90 | second round |
| 1988–89 Eredivisie | 11th | – | 1988–89 | second round |
| 1987–88 Eerste Divisie | 1st | Eredivisie (promotion) | 1987–88 | semi finals |
| 1986–87 Eerste Divisie | 4th | promotion competition: no promotion | 1986–87 | second round |
| 1985–86 Eerste Divisie | 3rd | promotion competition: no promotion | 1985–86 | first round |
| 1984–85 Eerste Divisie | 5th | promotion competition: no promotion | 1984–85 | first round |

## RKC in Europe

* Group = group game
* 1R = first round
* 2R = second round
* 3R = third round
* 1/8 = 1/8 final
| Season | Competition | Round | Club | Score |
| 1989 | Intertoto Cup | Group | 1. FC Kaiserslautern | 1–1, 2–2 |
| 1989 | Intertoto Cup | Group | First Vienna FC | 3–4, 2–4 |
| 1989 | Intertoto Cup | Group | Carl Zeiss Jena | 2–0, 1–0 |
| 1992 | Intertoto Cup | Group | Caen | 1–0, 0–2 |
| 1992 | Intertoto Cup | Group | Lyngby BK | 1–1, 0–2 |
| 1992 | Intertoto Cup | Group | FC Schalke 04 | 3–2, 4–2 |
| 2000 | Intertoto Cup | 3R | Bradford City | 0–2, 0–1 |
| 2001 | Intertoto Cup | 3R | TSV 1860 München | 1–2, 1–3 |

## Current squad

    As of 31 January 2025
Note: Flags indicate national team as defined under FIFA eligibility rules; some limited exceptions apply. Players may hold more than one non-FIFA nationality.
| No. | Pos. | Nation | Player |
| 1 | GK | NED | Jeroen Houwen |
| 2 | DF | NED | Julian Lelieveld |
| 3 | DF | BEL | Dario Van den Buijs |
| 4 | DF | SUR | Liam van Gelderen |
| 5 | DF | NED | Juan Castillo |
| 6 | MF | MAR | Yassin Oukili |
| 7 | FW | SUR | Denilho Cleonise |
| 8 | MF | NED | Patrick Vroegh |
| 9 | FW | POL | Oskar Zawada (captain) |
| 11 | FW | EGY | Alexander Jakobsen |
| 13 | GK | NED | Joey Kesting |
| 14 | MF | BEL | Chris Lokesa |
| 17 | DF | CUW | Roshon van Eijma |
| 18 | FW | NED | Silvester van der Water |
| No. | Pos. | Nation | Player |
| 19 | FW | SUR | Richonell Margaret |
| 20 | FW | BEL | Ilias Takidine |
| 21 | GK | NED | Yanick van Osch |
| 22 | MF | NED | Tim van de Loo |
| 23 | MF | NED | Richard van der Venne |
| 24 | MF | CUW | Godfried Roemeratoe |
| 28 | DF | NED | Aaron Meijers (vice-captain) |
| 29 | FW | NED | Michiel Kramer |
| 30 | MF | FRA | Daouda Weidmann |
| 32 | DF | NED | Redouan El Yaakoubi |
| 33 | DF | MAR | Faissal Al Mazyani |
| 34 | DF | NED | Luuk Wouters |
| 35 | MF | CUW | Kevin Felida |
| 52 | MF | NED | Mohamed Ihattaren |

## Honours

* Eerste Divisie
** Champions (2): 1987–88, 2010–11

## Club officials

| Position | Staff |
| Head Coach | Henk Fraser |
| Assistant Coach | Sander Duits |
| First-Team Coach | Peter Uneken |
| Goalkeeper Coach | Rein Baart |
| Assistant Goalkeeper Coach | Bart Tinus |
| Video Analyst | Nyo Sulsters |
| Sports Scientist / Data Analyst | Folkert Boer |
| Chief Scout | Lars Lambooij |
| Scout | Cees Schapendonk |
| Club doctor | Tim Baijens |
| Physiotherapist | Robert van Riel Rob Westerlaken |
| Sports Carer | Ramon van Haaren |
| Exercise Physiologist | Nick van Aken |
| Kit Manager | Djordy de Nijs |
| Team Manager | Sander van den Anker |
| Technical Director | Mohammed Allach |

## Former coaches

* Wim Klaassen (1968–71)
* Jan Remmers (1974–80)
* Jos Wap (1980–82)
* Kees Vermunt (1983)
* Rien de Leur (1983–84)
* Leen Looijen (1985–86)
* Leo van Veen (July 1, 1986 – June 30, 1993)
* Hans Verèl (July 1, 1993–Dec 18, 1993)
* Bert Jacobs (Dec 18, 1993–June 30, 1995)
* Leo van Veen (July 1, 1995 – June 30, 1996)
* Cees van Kooten (July 1, 1996–Oct 12, 1996)
* Bert Jacobs (Oct 12, 1996–June 30, 1997)
* Peter Boeve (July 1, 1997–Oct 26, 1998)
* Martin Jol (Oct 26, 1998–June 30, 2004)
* Erwin Koeman (July 1, 2004 – June 30, 2005)
* Adrie Koster (July 1, 2005–Nov 27, 2006)
* Mark Wotte (Nov 27, 2006–June 20, 2007)
* Željko Petrović (July 1, 2007 – June 30, 2008)
* Ruud Brood (July 1, 2008 – June 30, 2012)
* Erwin Koeman (July 1, 2012 – June 30, 2014)
* Martin Koopman (July 1, 2014 – February 11, 2015)
* Peter van den Berg (February 12, 2015 – January 7, 2018)
* Hans de Koning (January 7, 2018 - June 30, 2018)
* Fred Grim (July 8, 2018 - June 30, 2021)
* Joseph Oosting (July 1, 2021–30 June, 2023)
* Henk Fraser (July 1, 2023–)