The Go Ahead Eagles are a Dutch professional football club from the city of Deventer in the province of Overijssel. They play in the Eredivisie, the top tier of Dutch football, having achieved promotion from the second tier Eerste Divisie in the 2020–21 season. The club's home stadium since 1920 is De Adelaarshorst. The club have won the national championship on four occasions: in 1917, 1922, 1930 and 1933. They also won the KNVB Cup in 2025 for the first time.
The Go Ahead Eagles have trained and produced several notable athletes including Raimond van der Gouw, René Eijkelkamp, Marc Overmars, Paul Bosvelt, Jan Kromkamp, Victor Sikora, Bert van Marwijk and Demy de Zeeuw while providing Henk ten Cate, Erik ten Hag and Leo Beenhakker with their first management experience.
History Early successes The club was founded in 1902 as Be Quick by the Hollander brothers. The name was changed to Go Ahead at the request of the Dutch Football Association in 1905, to avoid confusion with another team.
Go Ahead started in the second-tier Tweede Klasse. In 1911, the club reached promotion to the Eastern Eerste Klasse. In 1916, Go Ahead became champions of the Eastern Eerste Klasse for the first time, after which they faced off for the national championship in a competition with the other regional champions. In this championship playoffs for the national championship, however, the southern champions from Willem II proved too strong. A year later, however, Go Ahead took their first league title, a feat repeated in 1922, 1930 and 1933.
In the period between the First and Second World War, Go Ahead was by far the most successful team in the Eastern league. The club won the regional championship fifteen times during that period, and even won the title eight times in a row from 1916 to 1923. The last pre-war Eastern Championship was won in 1937. After that, the club fell on tough times. In 1941, Go Ahead suffered relegation to the Tweede Klasse. The following year, they promoted again. In 1948, the club became champion of the Eastern First Division for the sixteenth and final time. In the playoffs for the national championship with the other regional champions, Go Ahead finished third behind eventual champions, BVV Den Bosch, and Heerenveen.
Professionalism and Europe The introduction of professionalism in 1954 was initially unsuccessful for Go Ahead. In 1956, the club finished second to last in the Tweede Divisie. In 1959, promotion to the Eerste Divisie was secured. On 7 October 1962, Go Ahead recorded their biggest win in club history. In Deventer the final score was 11–1 against Roda JC. Promotion to the top-tier Eredivisie followed in 1963. In the twenty-four years that followed, the club continuously played at the highest level. Especially in the second half of the sixties, Go Ahead did well in the Eredivisie. For example, from 1966 to 1969, the club finished in the top five four times in a row, with the 1967–68 season as high point when Go Ahead finished third behind Ajax and Feyenoord.
Go Ahead also had successes in the KNVB Cup in that period. The club reached the semi-finals four seasons in a row from 1965 to 1968. Those of 1966, 1967 and 1968 were lost, but in 1965, Go Ahead reached the final. This was lost 1–0 to Feijenoord, but because Feijenoord was also national champion, Go Ahead qualified for European football. In the first round, Scottish side Celtic, who would eventually go on to win the European Cup a season later, was drawn. Go Ahead lost the two legs, 0–1 and 6–0.
On 1 July 1971, the suffix "Eagles" was added, following a suggestion from then head coach Barry Hughes, as the professional department of Go Ahead separated from the parent club. The eagle is the charge in the coat of arms of the city of Deventer. The club had a strong start with their new name. Go Ahead Eagles were famously the only side to defeat Ajax in any competition during the 1971–72 season when they won 3–2 at De Adelaarshorst in the Eredivisie.
In the 1970s and early 1980s, Go Ahead Eagles was a stable Eredivisie club. Relegation followed in 1987. A short Eredivisie period followed from 1992 to 1996, but afterwards the club played in the second-tier Eerste Divisie. Partly due to the constant postponement of the construction of a new stadium, major financial concerns arose. Thanks to the help of investors, the club managed to survive in November 2003. In exchange for that help, the investors acquired 80% of the club's shares. The club is thus privately owned. The determining factor was former chairman Hans de Vroome, who owned approximately 50% of the shares.
In May 2019, Alex Kroes took over 80% of the shares of Go Ahead Eagles, becoming the new owner. On 16 May 2022, it was announced that Kroes intended to sell his share package to Kees Vierhouten – shareholder since 2021 – as of 1 July 2022, and to leave as owner of Go Ahead Eagles. In August 2022, this sale was officially endorsed by the licensing committee of the Dutch Football Association. Recent seasons After almost two decades in the Eerste Divisie, Go Ahead won promotion to the 2013–14 Eredivisie at the end of the 2012–13 season, winning the promotion play-offs. The club remained in the top division for the 2014–15 season, finishing 13th.
Go Ahead Eagles would compete in Europe in the 2015–16 UEFA Europa League due to the Netherlands' first place in UEFA Respect Fair Play ranking. National Fair Play winner Twente withdrew due to financial difficulties, making the place for Go Ahead Eagles. However, they also suffered relegation after losing 2–0 on aggregate to De Graafschap in the May 2015 promotion/relegation play-offs.Graafschap duwt Go Ahead Eagles naar Eerste Divisie – Algemeen Dagblad In July 2015, they were beaten 2–5 on aggregate by Hungarian side FerencvárosFerencváros maat te groot voor GA Eagles - GA Eagles in the first Europa League qualifying round with the home leg played in Emmen due to the Adelaarshorst being renovated, and the away leg without spectators because the Hungarians were serving a ban by UEFA.
The club bounced back to the Eredivisie on the first attempt in May 2016 after beating De Graafschap 5–2 on aggregate in the promotion/relegation play-offs,Go Ahead Eagles naar eredivisie - De Telegraaf but were relegated again at the end of the 2016–17 season.
In May 2021, Go Ahead finished second in the Eerste Divisie, earning promotion back to the Eredivisie after four seasons in the second tier. On 21 April 2025, Go Ahead claimed their first-ever KNVB Cup.
Honours Dutch Championship/Eredivisie Champions (4): 1916–17, 1921–22, 1929–30, 1932–33 Tweede Divisie Winners (1): 1958–59 KNVB Cup Winners (1): 2024–25 Runners-up: 1964–65 Johan Cruyff Shield Runners-up: 2025
Domestic results
Below is a table with Go Ahead Eagles' domestic results since the introduction of professional football in 1956.
Go Ahead Eagles domestic results since 1956Domestic leagueLeague resultQualification toKNVB Cup seasonCup result2024–25 Eredivisie7thEuropa League2024–25Winners2023–24 Eredivisie9thConference League (Q2)2023–24Round of 162022–23 Eredivisie11th –2022–23Round of 162021–22 Eredivisie13th –2021–22Semi-final2020–21 Eerste Divisie2ndEredivisie (promotion)2020–21Round of 162019–20 Eerste Divisie6thSeason abandoned due to COVID-19 pandemic2019–20Quarter-final2018–19 Eerste Divisie5thpromotion/relegation play-offs: no promotion2018–19Second round2017–18 Eerste Divisie17th –2017–18Second round2016–17 Eredivisie18thEerste Divisie (relegation)2016–17Second round2015–16 Eerste Divisie5thpromotion/relegation play-offs: promotion2015–16Third round2014–15 Eredivisie17thpromotion/relegation play-offs: relegation2014–15Third round2013–14 Eredivisie13th –2013–14Third round2012–13 Eerste Divisie6thpromotion/relegation play-offs: promotion2012–13Round of 162011–12 Eerste Divisie9thpromotion/relegation play-offs: no promotion2011–12Round of 162010–11 Eerste Divisie7thpromotion/relegation play-offs: no promotion2010–11Fourth round2009–10 Eerste Divisie5thpromotion/relegation play-offs: no promotion2009–10Semi-final2008–09 Eerste Divisie7th –2008–09Second round2007–08 Eerste Divisie10thpromotion/relegation play-offs: no promotion2007–08Third round2006–07 Eerste Divisie7thpromotion/relegation play-offs: no promotion2006–07Round of 162005–06 Eerste Divisie18th –2005–06Third round2004–05 Eerste Divisie17th –2004–05Round of 162003–04 Eerste Divisie9th –2003–04Second round2002–03 Eerste Divisie7thpromotion/relegation play-offs: no promotion2002–03Second round2001–02 Eerste Divisie16th –2001–02Second round2000–01 Eerste Divisie6thpromotion/relegation play-offs: no promotion2000–01Second round1999–2000 Eerste Divisie14th –1999–00Round of 161998–99 Eerste Divisie7th –1998–99Round of 161997–98 Eerste Divisie9th –1997–98Group stage1996–97 Eerste Divisie6thpromotion/relegation play-offs: no promotion1996–97Second round1995–96 Eredivisie18thEerste Divisie (relegation)1995–96Second round1994–95 Eredivisie17th – (surviving promotion/relegation play-offs)1994–95Second round1993–94 Eredivisie12th –1993–94Third round1992–93 Eredivisie15th –1992–93Third round1991–92 Eerste Divisie11thEredivisie (winning prom./releg. play-offs)1991–92Second round1990–91 Eerste Divisie7th –1990–91Second round1989–90 Eerste Divisie9thpromotion/relegation play-offs: no promotion1989–90Second round1988–89 Eerste Divisie10thpromotion competition: no promotion1988–89First round1987–88 Eerste Divisie12th –1987–88First round1986–87 Eredivisie16thEerste Divisie (relegation)1986–87First round1985–86 Eredivisie10th –1985–86First round1984–85 Eredivisie15th –1984–85Quarter-final1983–84 Eredivisie11th –1983–84Second round1982–83 Eredivisie12th –1982–83Quarter-final1981–82 Eredivisie10th –1981–82Second round1980–81 Eredivisie12th –1980–81Semi-final1979–80 Eredivisie12th –1979–80Round of 161978–79 Eredivisie9th –1978–79Second round1977–78 Eredivisie16th –1977–78Round of 161976–77 Eredivisie11th –1976–77Second round1975–76 Eredivisie13th –1975–76Round of 161974–75 Eredivisie12th –1974–75Second round1973–74 Eredivisie10th –1973–74Second round1972–73 Eredivisie14th –1972–73Second round1971–72 Eredivisie9th –1971–72Round of 161970–71 Eredivisie7th –1970–71Second round1969–70 Eredivisie7th –1969–70Round of 16 1968–69 Eredivisie4th –1968–69Second round 1967–68 Eredivisie3rd –1967–68Semi-final 1966–67 Eredivisie5th –1966–67Semi-final 1965–66 Eredivisie5th –1965–66Semi-final 1964–65 Eredivisie11thCup Winners' Cup1964–65Final1963–64 Eredivisie12th –1963–64Second round 1962–63 Eerste Divisie2ndEredivisie (promotion)1962–63Third round 1961–62 Eerste Divisie4th (group A) –1961–62? 1960–61 Eerste Divisie15th (group B) –1960–61? 1959–60 Eerste Divisie10th (group B) –not heldnot held1958–59 Tweede Divisie1st (group B)Eerste Divisie (promotion)1958–59? 1957–58 Tweede Divisie3rd (group B) –1957–58? 1956–57 Tweede Divisie13th (group A) –1956–57?
European record
CompetitionRoundOpponentHomeAwayAggregate1965–66 European Cup Winners' CupR1 Celtic0–60–10–71967 Intertoto CupGroup A4 Lierse1–20–24th out of 4 Rouen5–03–4 Grenchen3–10–21969 Intertoto CupGroup 2 Szombierki Bytom2–20–13rd out of 4 Östers IF1–12–3 Lugano1–14–01984 Intertoto CupGroup 4 Standard Liège1–12–44th out of 4 OB1–10–3 Eintracht Braunschweig2–11–22015–16 UEFA Europa LeagueQR1 Ferencváros1–11–42–52024–25 UEFA Conference LeagueQR2 Brann0–01–21–22025–26 UEFA Europa LeagueLeague phase FCSB0–128th out of 36 Panathinaikos2–1 Aston Villa2–1 Red Bull Salzburg0–2 VfB Stuttgart0–4 Lyon1–2 Nice1–3 Braga0–0
Rivalries
Go Ahead Eagles' biggest rivals are PEC Zwolle. Both clubs are located close to the river IJssel, hence the name IJssel-derby for their encounters. Other teams who share a rivalry with Go Ahead Eagles include FC Twente and De Graafschap. Go Ahead Eagles fans maintain a friendly relationship with English team Luton Town.
Current squad
Former players
National team players