Sparta Rotterdam is the oldest football club in the Netherlands. The date of foundation is considered to be April 1, 1888, but in fact the football team started its activities three months later. Sparta's home kit is in red and white, and the club's nickname is "The Castle Lords" and "The Red-White Gladiators".

The nickname is a consequence of the name of the stadium. Sparta Rotterdam plays its home games at Het Kasteel (The Castle), which has a capacity of 11,926 seats. The official opening of the stadium was on October 14, 1916. It hosted several football events from the Olympic Games in 1928. In 1999, the facility was partially reconstructed to meet the requirements of the football headquarters.

The Red and Whites are Rotterdam's second most popular football team after Feyenoord. Clashes with the "pride of the South" are considered the most important by supporters. So far, 109 Rotterdam derbies have been played, of which 65 have been won by Feyenoord, 19 by Sparta and 25 have ended in a draw. Interesting are the rivalries with Excelsior, which is based in the eastern part of the city.

Much of the history of Sparta Rotterdam is in Eredivise. Until 2002, the "The Castle Lords" were regular participants in the Eredivisie, but they have dropped out to the second echelon. Since the beginning of the new century, the team has spent 10 seasons in Eerste Divisie. Their last return to the Eredivisie was in 2019, after finishing second in the lower level.

Sparta can boast of six championship titles, but the last of them dates back to 1959. The "red and whites" are three-time winners of the Dutch Cup (1958, 1962 and 1966), which makes them one of the most titled teams after the "big three".

The "Lords" have played a few times in European club competitions, but none of them lasts for long, as they lose mainly in the qualifying rounds. We also highlight a European clash against Levski-Spartak in the 1971/1972 season, which was won with 3:1.

Coach: Fraser Henk (Netherlands) Age: 54

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