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Mark van Bommel
PSV M. van Bommel 002
Personal information
Full name Mark Peter Gertruda
Andreas van Bommel
Date of birth 22 April 1977 (1977-04-22) (age 46)
Place of birth    Maasbracht, Flag of Netherlands Netherlands
Height 1.87 m (6 ft 2 in)
Playing position Defensive Midfielder
Club information
Current club Flag of Germany Wolfsburg (manager)
Youth clubs
1985-1992 Flag of Netherlands RKVV Maasbracht
Senior clubs
Years Club App (Gls)
1992-1999
1999-2005
2005-2006
2006-2011
2011-2012
2012-2013
Total
Flag of Netherlands Fortuna Sittard
Flag of Netherlands PSV
Flag of Spain Barcelona
Flag of Germany Bayern Munich
Flag of Italy Milan
Flag of Netherlands PSV
153 0(13)
169 0(46)
24 00(2)
123 0(11)
39 00(0)
28 00(6)
536 0(78)   
National team
1996-2000
2000-2012
Flag of Netherlands Netherlands U21
Flag of Netherlands Netherlands
27 0(3)
79 0(10)
Teams managed
2018
2018–2019
2020–2021
2021–
Flag of Austria Australia (assistant)
Flag of Netherlands PSV
Flag of United Arab Emirates United Arab Emirates (assistant)
Flag of Germany Wolfsburg

Mark Peter Gertruda Andreas van Bommel (born 22 April 1977) is a Dutch football coach and former player who played as a midfielder. He is the manager of German Bundesliga club Wolfsburg.

He is also the son-in-law of the former Dutch national team manager, Bert van Marwijk. When he played for Bayern Munich he was the club's first non-German captain. During this period, he led the team to two Bundesliga titles, and finished runner-up in the 2010 UEFA Champions League Final.

He won the 2005–06 UEFA Champions League with Barcelona and was part of the Netherlands team that finished runner-up of the 2010 FIFA World Cup. His FIFA World Cup profile describes him as "a tackling machine and expert ball-winner, but he also boasts a fine array of passes and a powerful shot, having been a free-kick specialist during his PSV days."

Between 2000 and 2011 he won eight national Championship titles in four different competitions, four with PSV Eindhoven, two with Bayern Munich, one with Barcelona and one with A.C. Milan.

Club career[]

PSV[]

Van Bommel was signed by PSV in 1999 where he formed a midfield partnership with Swiss international Johann Vogel. He won three Eredivisie titles and two Johan Cruijff Shield with the club. He was also named Dutch Footballer of the Year in 2001 and 2005.

In his final season with PSV, having assisted the team to the Dutch league title and a Champions League semi-final place, he was expected to join his father-in-law Bert van Marwijk who at the time managed the Bundesliga side Borussia Dortmund, but Van Bommel opted to stay at PSV until the end of the 2004–05 season.

After the Champions League semi-final loss to A.C. Milan and with the Eredivisie title in PSV's hands at the end of April, he confirmed he would join FC Barcelona in May 2005 after the club won its own domestic league.

Barcelona[]

Seeking to strengthen his already title-winning squad, Frank Rijkaard signed Van Bommel on a free transfer for Barcelona, the club that he had supported as a child. Van Bommel spent the summer prior to his move to Spain learning Spanish in a convent in Eindhoven. Similar to his role at PSV where he was largely used as a holding midfielder, utilising his ball-winning skills to complement the more skillful players already at the club. As per his squad role, throughout the league campaign he was rotated with fellow midfielders Xavi, Edmílson, Andrés Iniesta, Deco and Thiago Motta, featuring in 24 domestic matches and a further 12 in cup competitions. His only season with Barcelona was hugely successful as the club won La Liga and the 2005-06 UEFA Champions League. He won his third trophy with the club on 20 August 2006 as Barça beat city rivals RCD Espanyol in the 2006 Supercopa de España. Six days later, however, it was announced that Van Bommel had joined Bayern Munich.

Bayern Munich[]

On 26 August 2006, Bayern Munich team manager Uli Hoeneß announced Van Bommel would be joining the Bundesliga club. Media reports speculated that the move was influenced by the ongoing Owen Hargreaves transfer saga, but Hoeneß insisted the club intended to go forward with both players. Bayern Munich paid 6 million euro to Barcelona in the deal.

Soon after joining the Bavarian side, Van Bommel proved to be a key player for them, providing strength in the middle of the pitch. Due to his terrific performances during his first season at Bayern, he was voted the Bayern Player of the Year for 2006–07, beating out longtime fan-favorites Roy Makaay and Mehmet Scholl. In the 2007–08 season, he won his first silverware with club as Bayern claimed a double of the Bundesliga title and DFB-Pokal.

After Oliver Kahn retired in 2008, Van Bommel was selected as captain. He was the first non-German captain of Bayern Munich.

Under the management of his Dutch compatriot Louis van Gaal, Van Bommel led Bayern to the second league and cup double of his time at the club during the 2009–10 season. The team also reached the 2010 UEFA Champions League Final, but a defeat by Internazionale denied Bayern its first ever treble.

Milan[]

On 25 January 2011, Van Bommel signed a six-month contract with Italian club A.C. Milan on a free transfer after terminating his contract with Bayern Munich. He was given the number four shirt, and the day after, made his debut in a 2–1 victory against Sampdoria in the Coppa Italia quarter-final. On 29 January 2011, Van Bommel made his Serie A debut against Catania but was sent off after receiving a second yellow card early in the second half. Soon after however, he adapted to Italian football and became a regular in Max Allegri's squad, contributing greatly in convincing 3–0 wins against Napoli and city rivals Inter. He was a starter in the match against Roma on 7 May 2011 that brought Milan their 18th Scudetto.

On 17 May 2011, Milan announced that Van Bommel had extended his contract for one more year. In the second season of his stint at Milan, he continued to be a starter and occupied the defensive midfielder position throughout the season. He decided not to stay with Milan for another season, despite being offered a new contract.

Return to PSV[]

On 29 April 2012, Van Bommel announced that he would sign a contract with PSV, who confirmed the signing on 14 May. After a disappointing season in which PSV finished second in the Eredivisie and lost the KNVB Cup final to AZ, Van Bommel announced his retirement from professional football on 12 May 2013. In an interview after his last professional game (against FC Twente in a 3–1 loss during which he was sent off after receiving two yellow cards) Van Bommel expressed an interest in a coaching career. He cited his desire to make way for younger players to shine and rest his body, specifically his injured left knee.

International career[]

His debut for the Dutch national team was on 7 October 2000 against Cyprus, which was won 4–0. However, for Oranje, he did not make an appearance in a major tournament until 2006, with the Netherlands failing to qualify for the 2002 FIFA World Cup and injury preventing him from playing during UEFA Euro 2004 in Portugal.

Dutch national team manager Marco van Basten was dissatisfied with Van Bommel's defensive performance in the 2006 FIFA World Cup qualification match against Romania and he was subsequently not selected for the rest of the qualification series. With many Dutch football observers believing Van Bommel's international career to be over, he was selected back into the Dutch side for the 2006 FIFA World Cup.

In the 2006 World Cup, Van Bommel played in three of the games for his country (all except the match against Argentina, where both teams had already sealed their passage to the knockout stage of the tournament). He was substituted twice in these three matches. His position in the team was as right-half. His duties were mainly to play the anchor role in the Dutch three-man midfield in their usual 4–3–3 formation.

A notoriously hard tackling competitor, he was the first of many players booked in the second-round defeat against Portugal, dubbed "The Battle of Nuremberg" by the press. After the World Cup, Van Bommel was not called up for the UEFA Euro 2008 qualifiers against Luxembourg and Belarus. In September 2006, after his move to Bayern, he was added to Van Basten's squad to face Bulgaria; however, Van Bommel stated (alongside Ruud van Nistelrooy) he would not play for Oranje as long as Van Basten was in charge. After Van Basten left to manage AFC Ajax, new Netherlands head coach and father-in-law Bert van Marwijk called up Van Bommel again, which led to his return in the Dutch national team. Van Bommel was part of the starting line-up in the Dutch team for the 2010 FIFA World Cup managed by Van Marwijk.

Van Bommel was selected by Van Marwijk to succeed Giovanni van Bronckhorst as the new captain of the Netherlands, despite initial claims he did not want to be the new captain, having been absent from the national team for two years. He captained the side for the first time in a 5–0 away win against San Marino. Against San Marino, Van Bommel captained the Dutch national team to a record breaking 11–0 victory in Eindhoven on 2 September 2011.

Following Netherlands' elimination from the UEFA Euro 2012, Van Bommel decided to retire from his international career.

Mark van Bommel: International goals
# Date Venue Opponent Score Result Competition
1. 14 March 2001 Mini Estadi, Barcelona, Spain Flag of Andorra Andorra 0–5 0–5 2002 WCQ
2. 15 August 2001 White Hart Lane, London, England England England 0–1 0–2 Friendly
3. 5 September 2001 Philips Stadion, Eindhoven, Netherlands Flag of Estonia Estonia 2–0 5–0 2002 WCQ
4. 4–0
5. 2 April 2003 Sheriff Stadium, Tiraspol, Moldova Flag of Moldova Moldova 1–2 1–2 Euro 2004 Q.
6. 18 August 2004 Råsunda Stadium, Solna, Sweden Flag of Sweden Good one Sweden 1–2 2–2 Friendly
7. 3 September 2004 Galgenwaard Stadium, Utrecht, Netherlands Liechtenstein Liechtenstein 1–0 3–0 Friendly
8. 15 October 2008 Ullevaal Stadion, Oslo, Norway Flag of Norway Norway 0–1 0–1 2010 WCQ
9. 6 June 2009 Laugardalsvöllur, Reykjavík, Iceland Flag of Iceland Iceland 0–2 1–2 2010 WCQ
10. 5 June 2010 Amsterdam ArenA, Amsterdam, Netherlands Flag of Hungary Hungary 4–1 6–1 Friendly

Career statistics[]

Club Season League Cup1 Europe Total
Apps Goals Apps Goals Apps Goals Apps Goals
Fortuna Sittard 1992–93 1 0 0 0 0 0 1 0
1993–94 13 0 0 0 0 0 13 0
1994–95 31 7 0 0 0 0 31 7
1995–96 27 0 0 0 0 0 27 0
1996–97 19 0 0 0 0 0 19 0
1997–98 31 1 0 0 0 0 31 1
1998–99 31 5 0 0 0 0 31 5
Total 153 13 0 0 0 0 153 13
PSV Eindhoven 1999–00 33 6 0 0 4 0 33 6
2000–01 32 7 4 0 11 2 47 9
2001–02 23 4 3 0 7 2 33 6
2002–03 28 9 3 0 6 0 37 9
2003–04 23 6 1 0 8 1 32 7
2004–05 30 14 3 1 14 2 47 17
Total 169 46 14 1 50 7 233 54
Barcelona 2005–06 24 2 3 1 9 1 36 4
Total 24 2 3 1 9 1 36 4
Bayern Munich 2006–07 29 6 3 1 8 1 40 8
2007–08 27 2 6 0 13 1 46 3
2008–09 29 2 3 0 9 1 41 3
2009–10 25 1 4 0 9 1 38 2
2010–11 13 0 2 0 3 0 18 0
Total 123 11 18 1 42 4 183 16
Milan 2010–11 14 0 2 0 0 0 16 0
2011–12 25 0 3 0 6 0 34 0
Total 39 0 5 0 6 0 50 0
PSV Eindhoven 2012–13 28 6 3 1 3 1 31 7
Total 28 6 3 1 3 1 31 7
Career total 536 78 43 5 119 13 686 94

1Includes Supercoppa Italiana

Statistics accurate as of 22 April 2012

Honours[]

Clubs[]

Fortuna Sittard
PSV Eindhoven
FC Barcelona
FC Bayern Munich
A.C. Milan

International[]

Netherlands

Individual[]

  • Dutch Footballer of the Year: 2001, 2005

External links[]

Wolfsburg
VfL Wolfsburg squad - 2023–24

Casteels •  William •  Lacroix •  Bruma •  Paulo Otávio •  Brekalo •  Steffen •  Weghorst •  12 Pervan •  14 Mehmedi •  15 Roussillon •  17 Philipp •  19 Mbabu •  20 Baku •  21 Białek •  23 Guilavogui (c) •  24 Schlager •  25 Brooks •  27 Arnold •  29 Marmoush •  30 Klinger •  31 Gerhardt •  33 Ginczek •  34 Pongračić •  35 Kasten •  39 Siersleben •  40 João Victor • 

Manager:  Flag of Netherlands Mark van Bommel
Wolfsburg
2023–24 Bundesliga managers

Alonso (Bayer Leverkusen) · Baumgart (1. FC Köln) · Fischer (Union Berlin) · Hoeneß (VfB Stuttgart) · Kovač (VfL Wolfsburg) · Letsch (VfL Bochum) · Lieberknecht (Darmstadt 98) · Maaßen (FC Augsburg) · Matarazzo (1899 Hoffenheim) · Rose (RB Leipzig) · Schmidt (1. FC Heidenheim) · Seoane (Borussia Mönchengladbach) · Streich (SC Freiburg) · Svensson (Mainz 05) · Terzić (Borussia Dortmund) · Toppmöller (Eintracht Frankfurt) · Tuchel (Bayern Munich) · Werner (Werder Bremen)

Template:PSV Eindhoven managers

Royal Netherlands Football Association Logo
Flag of Netherlands Netherlands
Royal Netherlands Football Association Logo
Netherlands – 2006 FIFA World Cup - Round of 16

1. van der Sar 2. Jaliens 3. Boulahrouz 4. Mathijsen 5. van Bronckhorst 6. Landzaat 7. Kuyt 8. Cocu 9. van Nistelrooy 10. van der Vaart 11. Robben 12. Kromkamp 13. Ooijer 14. Heitinga 15. de Cler 16. Maduro 17. van Persie 18. van Bommel 19. Vennegoor of Hesselink 20. Sneijder 21. Babel 22. Timmer 23. Stekelenburg Manager:  Flag of Netherlands Marco van Basten

Royal Netherlands Football Association Logo
Netherlands – 2010 FIFA World Cup - Runners-up

1. Stekelenburg 2. van der Wiel 3. Heitinga 4. Mathijsen 5. van Bronckhorst 6. van Bommel 7. Kuyt 8. de Jong 9. van Persie 10. Sneijder 11. Robben 12. Boulahrouz 13. Ooijer 14. de Zeeuw 15. Braafheid 16. Vorm 17. Elia 18. Schaars 19. Babel 20. Afellay 21. Huntelaar 22. Boschker 23. van der Vaart Manager:  Flag of Netherlands Bert van Marwijk

Royal Netherlands Football Association Logo
Netherlands – UEFA Euro 2012

1. Stekelenburg 2. Van der Wiel 3. Heitinga 4. Mathijsen 5. Bouma 6. Van Bommel (c) 7. Kuyt 8. N. De Jong 9. Huntelaar 10. Sneijder 11. Robben 12. Vorm 13. Vlaar 14. Schaars 15. Willems 16. Van Persie 17. Strootman 18. L. De Jong 19. Narsingh 20. Afellay 21. Boulahrouz 22. Krul 23. Van der Vaart Manager:  Flag of Netherlands Bert van Marwijk

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