Feyenoord confirm sad news that Wim Jansen has passed away

The saddest news imaginable from the official Feyenoord Rotterdam account on Twitter. Wim Jansen the Feyenoord European Cup winner and club legend, Dutch World Cup star and former Celtic manager has passed away. Rest in Peace Wim, you will always be a Celtic legend too, in that one, never to be forgotten season, when you won the League Cup at Ibrox and famously secured the Scottish title to prevent the old Ibrox club completing Ten in a Row.

The official Feyenoord site reports:

Feyenoord has learned with great sadness of the death of Wim Jansen, one of the greatest football players who has ever played for the club. He died Tuesday at the age of 75.

In Wim Jansen’s biography ‘Mastermind’, which was published in October last year, it became clear that he was suffering from dementia. Although the intense sadness of course predominates, Jansen’s family is at the same time relieved that he has been spared a long agony. The family is pleased that their Wim has been able to keep control until the last moment, they have informed the club.

Feyenoord loses an icon and child of the club with Wim Jansen. He became a member of Feijenoord at the age of ten, after which he played in the first team for no less than fifteen years and won many prizes. Even after his playing career, Jansen remained loyal to the club and was, among other things, assistant and head coach, technical director and advisor. “I left Feyenoord a few times, but always came back. You could call it a blood tie,” he said in his biography.

In his time as a player, Jansen was part of the most successful Feyenoord teams ever. The midfielder was a permanent fixture in the team that in 1970 was the first Dutch club to win the European Cup I and the World Cup. Four years later, Jansen also lifted the UEFA Cup as captain. Three national titles and a KNVB Cup complete the impressive honors list of his period as a player in De Kuip.

Jansen played 476 official games for Feyenoord, scoring 39 times. Not only in red and white he belonged to the top, he was also allowed to compete with the best in Orange. Already at the age of 20, Jansen made his debut in the Dutch national team, with which he reached the World Cup final in both 1974 and 1978. The midfielder eventually came to 65 international matches.

The name of Jansen is also inextricably linked to the resurrection of Feyenoord in the early 1990s. After a long period of adversity, Jansen led the club as a trainer to ‘the turnaround’. The historic 0-1 win over PSV in the semi-finals and the eventual cup win in 1991 proved to be the prelude to better times and more sporting success, including the national title in 1993.

Over the past ten years, Jansen has mainly been a familiar face at Varkenoord. As an advisor to the youth trainers, preferably in the background and far away from the spotlight. That role suited him the most, he said in the summer of 2011. “Educating youth is my great passion and I will never get rid of Feyenoord.”

With that last statement, Jansen underlined the close bond he built up with Feyenoord throughout his life. He beautifully expressed how much the club meant to him at the beginning of 2017. “I have been a member of Feyenoord for over sixty years. Essentially this club has ruled my life. First as a youth player, then as a football player, later as a trainer, technical director and now at the youth academy. Feyenoord is my life.’

Funeral

Wim Jansen’s funeral will take place on Saturday 29 January. This is also an opportunity for supporters to show their condolences. More information about this will follow this week via the official club channels.

Condolence Register

Anyone who needs this can already express their condolences in the online condolence register. Click here to leave a message directly.

Feyenoord wishes the family a lot of strength in coping with this great loss.

Een prachtig mens en groot Feyenoorder is niet meer.

Wim Jansen, rust zacht… ♥️

— Feyenoord Rotterdam (@Feyenoord) January 25, 2022