Architectural tour de force, symbol of the city and home of Feyenoord: De Kuip means many different things for many Rotterdammers. But what is that special exactly?
There is something magical about De Kuip. Opinions are divided on what exactly it is. Many people say that they are fans of Feyenoord, others call it acoustics, and a third talk about history and memories. Whatever it is, the home of soccer club Feyenoord is impressive.
The football temple from 1937 is actually called Stadium Feijenoord to the neighborhood where the stadium is located. Back then, the stadium was unique on the European mainland. because visitors had an uninterrupted view of the entire field thanks to the hanging rings. It was designed in this way by Johannes Brinkman and Leendert van der Vlugt, who were also responsible for the beautiful Van Nelle factory.
The stadium has been extended and renovated a few times, but for the most part it is still as in the thirties. Only slightly fewer people fit in: in the 1950s 69.000 people were still being filled in, but since 1994 the capacity is officially 51.117.
You can think of everything that makes De Kuip interesting, but it is all about football. Home club Feyenoord (note: the district and the stadium are called Feijenoord, and the club is called Feyenoord) regularly compete for the national championship, but usually still applies a bit like the underdog. Nevertheless, the fans, who are called The Legion, are perhaps the most loyal and enthusiastic of the Netherlands. Foreign teams often watch the fanaticism of the supporters, and consider De Kuip as pretty intimidating.
That also has a downside: Feyenoord has a rather heavy group of hooligans, who came into the news internationally when they caused damage in the inner city of Rome in 2015. Fortunately, most fans of Feyenoord are nice. So cozy and important for the team, that the Legion has been awarded the number 12. So you will never see a Feyenoord player with the number 12 running.
De Kuip was a true pop temple in the eighties and nineties? Only the very greatest settled in the stadium: The Rolling Stones, Michael Jackson, Madonna, Bruce Springsteen… In recent years, the stars have moved to the nearby Ahoy auditorium and other stadiums in the Netherlands. Very quiet for the field, of course. Although the monster trucks that made De Kuip unsafe in the summer of 2018 will also have left little of it.
Incidentally, Marco Borsato has recently been spotted again in the Kuip, so who knows ...
The best way to experience De Kuip is during a competition, but you can also experience the stadium in two different ways: a visit to the museum, or a tour. Such a tour is quite special for football fans, because you can experience what it is like to walk through the players tunnel, and you can now also view the inside of the players room. The tour of 13,50 euros includes a visit to the museum.
