On 12 August 1896 Marten Evert van Kuiken founded a club called Tilburgia in the Dutch city of Tilburg. Less than two years later it took the name it still carries, Willem II, and on 12 August 2027 it turns 131. It is a club with three league titles, a king in its name and the colours of the Dutch flag on its chest.

From Tilburgia to King William

On 12 January 1898 Tilburgia was renamed in honour of King William II of the Netherlands, who reigned from 1840 to 1849. William had his headquarters in Tilburg during the Belgian uprising of 1830, spent a lot of time in the city as king, and died there.

To the locals he was a hometown hero, and his name reaches all the way to the ground. The club's home, open since 1995, is called the Koning Willem II Stadion, the "King William II Stadium".

Football has been played on the same spot, in the south of the city, since 1923. Today's ground, which holds about 14,700 spectators, opened on 31 May 1995 on the site of the old municipal stadium.

Red, white and blue

The shirt has vertical red, white and blue stripes, inspired by the Dutch flag. That tricolour is also where the club's nickname, the "Tricolores", comes from.

It is an unusual choice in the land of orange. In Tilburg, though, the three stripes are the club's identity and make the team stand out instantly at any ground in the Netherlands.

A crest with a crown

In January 2022 the club unveiled a new crest, which came into use on 1 July that year. It is a modern take on the badge used from 1952 to 1983, with the addition of a white crown, fitting for a club named after a king.

The change was something the fans had pushed for strongly. For the club's 125th anniversary Willem II had already used a special version of the old crest, which went down very well.

Three titles and a trip to the Champions League

Willem II were Dutch champions in 1916, 1952 and 1955 and won the cup in 1944 and 1963. In the golden 1950s the coach was the Czech František Fadrhonc, who built a superbly fit side and later served as Rinus Michels' assistant at the 1974 World Cup.

In 1963 the team faced Manchester United in the Cup Winners' Cup. The biggest modern moment came in 1999, when they finished second behind Feyenoord and earned a first ever place in the Champions League.

Players such as Jaap Stam, Marc Overmars, Sami Hyypiä, Virgil van Dijk and Frenkie de Jong have all passed through Tilburg. The all-time top scorer is Piet de Jong, a winger in the title-winning side of the 1950s.

Down, up, and up again

Recent years have been a rollercoaster for Willem II. In June 2025 they were relegated after a play-off defeat to Telstar and spent the 2025-26 season in the second tier.

The absence lasted only a year. On 23 May 2026, in the play-off final against Volendam, goalkeeper Thomas Didillon-Hödl saved a penalty and then scored the winning spot kick himself, sending the club back to the Eredivisie.

Celebrate with us

Few clubs carry the history of their city so clearly in their name and on their shirt. Happy birthday, Willem II, on your 131 years!

See our collectible jerseys at sportarena.gr.

Photo: The Willem II team in May 1965 – Jack de Nijs / Anefo, Wikimedia Commons, licensed under CC0 1.0.