Few footballers can say that they played their last ever match in a World Cup final, but Giovanni van Bronckhorst is one of them. The Dutchman earned that honour in 2010 after scoring the most famous goal of his career just four days earlier, firing home sensationally from 30 yards in a semi-final victory over Uruguay.
As Oranje captain, he wanted to bid farewell by lifting the famous trophy on his 106th and last appearance for his country. But, as with France skipper Zinedine Zidane four years prior, it ultimately ended in defeat – though thankfully without any headbutts.
After a fine playing career in which Van Bronckhorst won the Champions League with Barcelona and the Premier League at Arsenal, he transitioned into management with two of his old clubs – and duly took Feyenoord to their first league title in 18 years, before guiding Rangers to a Europa League final.
His tenure at Ibrox came to an end in November 2022, just six months after that European showpiece. He has since been spending some quality time with his wife and sons in his home city of Rotterdam, and that’s where FFT meets the 49-year-old today.
As rain falls outside, Van Bronckhorst sits down with a cappuccino, ready to answer your questions…
Did you ever consider representing Indonesia, your ancestral homeland?
Bayu Widodo, via Instagram
No, to be honest. My ancestors might come from Indonesia – the Moluccas, an archipelago – but I was born and raised in the Netherlands and so were my parents. My grandparents came to the Netherlands back in the 1950s. I’m really proud of my roots, but I’ve never doubted my decision to represent the Dutch national team.
After retiring, I spent a number of days in Jakarta and that felt special. I even played in a charity match there. I realised that the Indonesian people are very proud of me and what I’ve achieved in the game – I have a lot of Indonesian followers on Instagram. I’m planning to visit the Moluccas with my family, as I’m curious about where my ancestors come from.
What would you consider the most important moment during your time playing for Feyenoord?
Korneel Trilsbeek, Rotterdam
I made my debut for Feyenoord in 1994 but my real breakthrough came a year later, when I became a starting player in Willem van Hanegem’s team. I’d been training with the first team since 1992 and went out on loan to RKC Waalwijk before my Feyenoord debut. Things moved very quickly from 1995 onwards: I joined the Dutch national team, making my debut in a friendly against Brazil. I played as a left-winger and Cafu was my opponent. I went on to
