ROTTERDAM--Feyenoord won the Dutch league title on Sunday after veteran striker Dirk Kuyt scored a hat-trick in a 3-1 home win over Heracles Almelo that left them one-point clear of arch rivals Ajax Amsterdam.
Kuyt, the club's 36-year-old captain, scored after 40 seconds to set the Rotterdam side on their way to the win they needed for a first title in 18 years. It was Feyenoord's 15th Dutch title, following their last success in 1999.
Feyenoord, coached by former Arsenal and Barcelona player Giovanni van Bronckhorst, had a chance to secure the championship last week, but were surprisingly beaten 3-0 by neighbours Excelsior Rotterdam in a nervy performance.
"I have experienced a lot in my life as a footballer, but this is the most beautiful moment of all," an emotional Van Bronckhorst told NOS Radio 1.
Yet any apprehension their supporters might have had on the final day of the regular league season evaporated right from the start as Kuyt took advantage of a defensive slip to hammer home from a tight angle at close range with his right foot. It was his 100th goal for the club and was followed within 11 minutes by a towering header as he connected with Eljero Elia’s cross to spark early celebrations in a packed Feyenoord Stadium.
He might have secured his hat-trick just before halftime with a shot that went narrowly wide, but another chance to grab a third came seven minutes from the end when Feyenoord were awarded a penalty.
Kuyt made no mistake as the partying continued in the stands before Peter van Ooijen pulled one back for the visitors two minutes from the end. "My dream has come true," Kuyt told Fox Sports amid scenes of jubilation at Feyenoord's De Kuip stadium.
Feyenoord’s win moved them up to 82 points, one ahead of Ajax, who concluded their domestic campaign with a 3-1 away victory over Willem II Tilburg. Ajax will play Manchester United in the Europa League final in Stockholm on May 24.
Last season’s champions PSV Eindhoven finished third after ending the campaign with a 4-1 home win over PEC Zwolle.
Feyenoord has long been a member of the elite top three of Dutch football, along with Ajax and PSV, but the Rotterdam club has struggled in recent years. Feyenoord's history features the Netherlands' first ever European Cup win, when it came from a goal down to beat Celtic 2-1 after extra time at Milan's San Siro stadium in 1970. The club also is a two-time winner of the UEFA Cup, in 1974 and 2002.
Van Bronckhorst was lucky to hold onto his job last year after the team slumped to seven straight defeats, but the club kept faith in the former Feyenoord, Barcelona, Arsenal and Rangers defender and he delivered. Unsurprisingly, Van Bronckhorst singled out Kuyt for praise, saying he coped well when he did not start several matches this season, making way for other in-form players.
"I am so happy for him," Van Bronckhorst said.
