Luigi Bruins
Encyclopedia
Luigi Bruins is a Dutch
footballer who currently plays for FC Red Bull Salzburg.
After being declined by Feyenoord at the age of six, the Rotterdam-born went through the complete Excelsior youth academy. Bruins made his first team debut in the season 2004–05 and managed to win the Eerste Divisie title in the subsequent season. After a successful Eredivisie debut, Bruins signed a four-year deal with the club that first declined him, Feyenoord.
In October 2011, he signed a contract with FC Red Bull Salzburg until the end of the 2011/12 season
.
Bruins was part of the Netherlands U21
squad winning the UEFA European Under-21 Football Championship
in 2007
.
, South Holland
, the Netherlands
. He is of Italian
descent and has one younger brother and one younger sister.
-born was aiming for the highest level, he signed up for a talent practice session at Feyenoord. However, Feyenoord decided not to invite Bruins to join the youth academy. Eventually, Bruins was asked to join Excelsior instead. Bruins went through the complete Excelsior youth academy, until he made his professional debut in 2005.
in the 78th minute of the Eerste Divisie
away match against FC Eindhoven
(3-0). It was the first and only match Bruins played in his first season.
Bruins had his breakthrough in the season 2005-06
. Under the management of the new Excelsior coach Mario Been
, Bruins was positioned on his favorite right midfielder
position in a 4-3-3 system. Bruins scored his first professional goal in the season opening away match against Cambuur Leeuwarden (0-1) on August 12, 2005. From the start of the season, Excelsior unexpectedly battled for the Eerste Divisie championship. When Excelsior won the home match against championship favorite VVV-Venlo (3-1) on March 31, 2006, the third club from Rotterdam secured the Eerste Divisie 2005-06 title. Bruins played an important role in Excelsior's Eredivisie
promotion, scoring 4 goals in 35 matches.
debut on August 19, 2006, in the home match against Roda JC (0-1). Bruins scored his first Eredivisie goals on September 9, 2006, as he scored two penalty kick
s in the home match against SC Heerenveen (3-1). Excelsior finished the Eredivisie on a 16th place, which meant they had to compete in the promotion/relegation playoffs. After wins against BV Veendam
and RBC Roosendaal, Excelsior remained in the top tier.
While at Excelsior, Bruins was linked to various domestic and foreign clubs. Besides the Dutch sides Ajax, AZ and PSV, also Tottenham Hotspur
were interested in the talented midfielder. However, on January 26, 2006, Feyenoord announced the signing of Bruins. The youngster would join the club for the season 2007-08, signing a four-year deal.
from Bayern Munich
, Giovanni van Bronckhorst
from Barcelona
and Kevin Hofland
from VfL Wolfsburg
. Due to the heavy competition within the team, it was expected the talented Bruins would mainly play a role as substitute. However, after the departure of Royston Drenthe
to Real Madrid
, Feyenoord coach Bert van Marwijk
promoted Bruins to a first team regular, filling in the left winger position. Bruins played 27 Eredivisie matches in his first Feyenoord season, scoring six goals.
. Due to lack of playing time, player agent Sietje Mouch stated it was better for Bruins to temporary leave Feyenoord on loan in the winter transfer window of January 2010.
winning the 2007 UEFA European Under-21 Football Championship
. Jong Oranje retained its 2006 UEFA European Under-21 Football Championship
title in style with a 4–1 win over Serbia U21
in the final. Bruins scored the fourth Dutch goal, securing the victory.
In the summer of 2008, Bruins missed out on a place in the Netherlands Olympic team. He was mentioned in the pre-selection, but wasn't part of the final 18.
Feyenoord
Netherlands U21
Netherlands
The Netherlands is a constituent country of the Kingdom of the Netherlands, located mainly in North-West Europe and with several islands in the Caribbean. Mainland Netherlands borders the North Sea to the north and west, Belgium to the south, and Germany to the east, and shares maritime borders...
footballer who currently plays for FC Red Bull Salzburg.
After being declined by Feyenoord at the age of six, the Rotterdam-born went through the complete Excelsior youth academy. Bruins made his first team debut in the season 2004–05 and managed to win the Eerste Divisie title in the subsequent season. After a successful Eredivisie debut, Bruins signed a four-year deal with the club that first declined him, Feyenoord.
In October 2011, he signed a contract with FC Red Bull Salzburg until the end of the 2011/12 season
2011–12 Austrian Football Bundesliga
The 2011–12 Austrian Football Bundesliga will be the 100th season of top-tier football in Austria. The competition will officially be called tipp3-Bundesliga powered by T-Mobile, named after the Austrian betting company tipp3 and the Austrian branch of German mobile phone company T-Mobile...
.
Bruins was part of the Netherlands U21
Netherlands national under-21 football team
The Netherlands national under-21 football team is the national under-21 team of the Netherlands and is controlled by the Royal Dutch Football Association. The team competes in the European Under-21 Championship, held every two years....
squad winning the UEFA European Under-21 Football Championship
UEFA European Under-21 Football Championship
The European Under-21 Football Championship is a football competition organised by the sport's European governing body, UEFA. It is held every two years. The competition has existed in its current form since 1978. It was preceded by the Under 23 Challenge Cup which ran from 1967 to 1970...
in 2007
2007 UEFA European Under-21 Football Championship
The UEFA U-21 Championship 2007 were held from 10 June 2007 to 23 June 2007. It is the 16th staging of UEFA's European Under-21 Football Championship....
.
Early life
Bruins was born in RotterdamRotterdam
Rotterdam is the second-largest city in the Netherlands and one of the largest ports in the world. Starting as a dam on the Rotte river, Rotterdam has grown into a major international commercial centre...
, South Holland
South Holland
South Holland is a province situated on the North Sea in the western part of the Netherlands. The provincial capital is The Hague and its largest city is Rotterdam.South Holland is one of the most densely populated and industrialised areas in the world...
, the Netherlands
Netherlands
The Netherlands is a constituent country of the Kingdom of the Netherlands, located mainly in North-West Europe and with several islands in the Caribbean. Mainland Netherlands borders the North Sea to the north and west, Belgium to the south, and Germany to the east, and shares maritime borders...
. He is of Italian
Italy
Italy , officially the Italian Republic languages]] under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages. In each of these, Italy's official name is as follows:;;;;;;;;), is a unitary parliamentary republic in South-Central Europe. To the north it borders France, Switzerland, Austria and...
descent and has one younger brother and one younger sister.
Youth career
Bruins started playing football at the age of six. As the RotterdamRotterdam
Rotterdam is the second-largest city in the Netherlands and one of the largest ports in the world. Starting as a dam on the Rotte river, Rotterdam has grown into a major international commercial centre...
-born was aiming for the highest level, he signed up for a talent practice session at Feyenoord. However, Feyenoord decided not to invite Bruins to join the youth academy. Eventually, Bruins was asked to join Excelsior instead. Bruins went through the complete Excelsior youth academy, until he made his professional debut in 2005.
Breakthrough (2004-2006)
Bruins made his professional debut for Excelsior in the season 2004–05. On January 28, 2005, Bruins replaced Santi KolkSanti Kolk
Santi Kolk is a Dutch footballer who currently plays for NAC Breda on loan from German 2. Bundesliga club 1. FC Union Berlin. His favorite position is right-winger....
in the 78th minute of the Eerste Divisie
Eerste Divisie
The Eerste Divisie is the second-highest division of football in the Netherlands. It is linked with the top-level Eredivisie via a promotion/relegation system. It is also known as the Jupiler League due to sponsorship, which is the same name as the top league in Belgium...
away match against FC Eindhoven
FC Eindhoven
FC Eindhoven is a Dutch football club based in Eindhoven, North Brabant. They current play in the Eerste Divisie , and are one of two professional clubs which are based in the city of Eindhoven, the other one being PSV Eindhoven....
(3-0). It was the first and only match Bruins played in his first season.
Bruins had his breakthrough in the season 2005-06
Eerste Divisie 2005-06
The 2005/2006 season of the Eerste Divisie began on August 12, 2005 and ended on April 7, 2006. The title was won by Excelsior Rotterdam.-Newly admitted team:The following team was admitted to the Eerste Divisie at the start of the season:*FC Omniworld...
. Under the management of the new Excelsior coach Mario Been
Mario Been
Mario Been is a former football professional and football manager from the Netherlands, who is currently the head coach of Genk since 30 August 2011....
, Bruins was positioned on his favorite right midfielder
Midfielder
A midfielder is an association football position. Some midfielders play a more defensive role, while others blur the boundaries between midfielders and forwards. The number of midfielders a team uses during a match may vary, depending on the team's formation and each individual player's role...
position in a 4-3-3 system. Bruins scored his first professional goal in the season opening away match against Cambuur Leeuwarden (0-1) on August 12, 2005. From the start of the season, Excelsior unexpectedly battled for the Eerste Divisie championship. When Excelsior won the home match against championship favorite VVV-Venlo (3-1) on March 31, 2006, the third club from Rotterdam secured the Eerste Divisie 2005-06 title. Bruins played an important role in Excelsior's Eredivisie
Eredivisie
The Eredivisie is the highest football league in the Netherlands. The league was founded in 1956 two years after the start of professional football in the Netherlands. It is currently ranked the ninth best league in Europe by UEFA....
promotion, scoring 4 goals in 35 matches.
Eredivisie (2006-2007)
After Excelsior's surprising promotion, the Rotterdam club was an almost certain relegation candidate for the season 2006-07. The club had the lowest Eredivisie budget and only few players with Eredivisie experience. Bruins made his EredivisieEredivisie
The Eredivisie is the highest football league in the Netherlands. The league was founded in 1956 two years after the start of professional football in the Netherlands. It is currently ranked the ninth best league in Europe by UEFA....
debut on August 19, 2006, in the home match against Roda JC (0-1). Bruins scored his first Eredivisie goals on September 9, 2006, as he scored two penalty kick
Penalty kick
A penalty kick is a type of direct free kick in association football, taken from twelve yards out from goal and with only the goalkeeper of the defending team between the penalty taker and the goal.Penalty kicks are performed during normal play...
s in the home match against SC Heerenveen (3-1). Excelsior finished the Eredivisie on a 16th place, which meant they had to compete in the promotion/relegation playoffs. After wins against BV Veendam
BV Veendam
SC Veendam is a Dutch football club based in Veendam, Groningen province, playing in the Eerste Divisie, the second tier of football in the Netherlands. The club's official colours are black and yellow.- History :...
and RBC Roosendaal, Excelsior remained in the top tier.
While at Excelsior, Bruins was linked to various domestic and foreign clubs. Besides the Dutch sides Ajax, AZ and PSV, also Tottenham Hotspur
Tottenham Hotspur F.C.
Tottenham Hotspur Football Club , commonly referred to as Spurs, is an English Premier League football club based in Tottenham, north London. The club's home stadium is White Hart Lane....
were interested in the talented midfielder. However, on January 26, 2006, Feyenoord announced the signing of Bruins. The youngster would join the club for the season 2007-08, signing a four-year deal.
Left winger (2007-2008)
Bruins transfer to Feyenoord was overshadowed by the arrival of experienced players like Roy MakaayRoy Makaay
Rudolphus "Roy" Antonius Makaay is a retired Dutch footballer. While playing for Bayern Munich he picked up the nickname Das Phantom , for his ability to score out of nowhere.-Career:...
from Bayern Munich
FC Bayern Munich
FC Bayern Munich , is a German sports club based in Munich, Bavaria. It is best known for its professional football team, which is the most successful football club in Germany, having won 22 national titles and 15 cups....
, Giovanni van Bronckhorst
Giovanni van Bronckhorst
Giovanni Christiaan van Bronckhorst OON , known as Gio in Spain, is a retired Dutch footballer of Moluccan descent who served as the captain of the Dutch national team from August 2008 until his retirement....
from Barcelona
FC Barcelona
Futbol Club Barcelona , also known as Barcelona and familiarly as Barça, is a professional football club, based in Barcelona, Catalonia, Spain....
and Kevin Hofland
Kevin Hofland
Kevin Hofland is a Dutch footballer who has played as a centre back in Cyprus for AEK Larnaca.-Early life:Hofland is born in Heerlen, but grew up in Brunssum, Limburg, Netherlands.-Fortuna Sittard:...
from VfL Wolfsburg
VfL Wolfsburg
VfL Wolfsburg is a professional German association football club based in Wolfsburg, Lower Saxony, who play in the Bundesliga football competition. Wolfsburg have won the Bundesliga once in their history, in the 2008–09 season, and were DFB-Pokal runners-up in 1995. The current head coach is Felix...
. Due to the heavy competition within the team, it was expected the talented Bruins would mainly play a role as substitute. However, after the departure of Royston Drenthe
Royston Drenthe
Royston Rickie Drenthe is a Dutch footballer who plays for Everton on loan from Real Madrid.Mainly a midfielder, and regarded as one of football's fastest players, he can also operate as a defender or forward, but always on the left side of the pitch.-Youth:Born in Rotterdam, Drenthe joined local...
to Real Madrid
Real Madrid C.F.
Real Madrid Club de Fútbol , commonly known as Real Madrid, is a professional football club based in Madrid, Spain. The club have won a record 31 La Liga titles, the Primera División of the Liga de Fútbol Profesional , 18 Copas del Rey, 8 Spanish Super Cups, 1 Copa Eva Duarte and 1 Copa de la...
, Feyenoord coach Bert van Marwijk
Bert van Marwijk
Bert van Marwijk OON is the coach of the Netherlands national football team. He also played for Go Ahead Eagles, AZ, MVV, Fortuna Sittard, and other clubs, as well as for the Dutch national team. In 1982, he began his transition into coaching, retiring as a player in 1988 and becoming a full time...
promoted Bruins to a first team regular, filling in the left winger position. Bruins played 27 Eredivisie matches in his first Feyenoord season, scoring six goals.
Struggle (2008-)
After various minor injuries, Bruins slowly started to lose his first team regular status in the season 2008–09Eredivisie 2008-09
The Eredivisie 2008–09 is the fifty-third season of Eredivisie since its establishment in 1955. PSV were the reigning champions. The season began on 29 August 2008 with a game between Vitesse and FC Groningen and ended on 10 May 2009. A total of 18 teams take part in the league, consisting of 16...
. Due to lack of playing time, player agent Sietje Mouch stated it was better for Bruins to temporary leave Feyenoord on loan in the winter transfer window of January 2010.
Netherlands U21
Bruins was part of the Netherlands U21Netherlands national under-21 football team
The Netherlands national under-21 football team is the national under-21 team of the Netherlands and is controlled by the Royal Dutch Football Association. The team competes in the European Under-21 Championship, held every two years....
winning the 2007 UEFA European Under-21 Football Championship
2007 UEFA European Under-21 Football Championship
The UEFA U-21 Championship 2007 were held from 10 June 2007 to 23 June 2007. It is the 16th staging of UEFA's European Under-21 Football Championship....
. Jong Oranje retained its 2006 UEFA European Under-21 Football Championship
2006 UEFA European Under-21 Football Championship
-Group B:---------------------Knockout stage:-Semi-finals:-----Final:-Goalscorers:4 goals Klaas Jan Huntelaar3 goals Thomas Kahlenberg Nicky Hofs2 goals Bryan Bergougnoux Ruslan Fomin Artem Milevskiy...
title in style with a 4–1 win over Serbia U21
Serbia national under-21 football team
The Serbia national under-21 football team is the national under-21 football team of Serbia and is controlled by the Football Association of Serbia....
in the final. Bruins scored the fourth Dutch goal, securing the victory.
In the summer of 2008, Bruins missed out on a place in the Netherlands Olympic team. He was mentioned in the pre-selection, but wasn't part of the final 18.
Statistics
| Season | Club | Country | League | Matches | Goals |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2004/2005 | SBV Excelsior |  |
Eerste Divisie Eerste Divisie The Eerste Divisie is the second-highest division of football in the Netherlands. It is linked with the top-level Eredivisie via a promotion/relegation system. It is also known as the Jupiler League due to sponsorship, which is the same name as the top league in Belgium... |
1 | 0 |
| 2005/2006 | SBV Excelsior | |
Eerste Divisie Eerste Divisie The Eerste Divisie is the second-highest division of football in the Netherlands. It is linked with the top-level Eredivisie via a promotion/relegation system. It is also known as the Jupiler League due to sponsorship, which is the same name as the top league in Belgium... |
35 | 4 |
| 2006/2007 | SBV Excelsior | |
Eredivisie Eredivisie The Eredivisie is the highest football league in the Netherlands. The league was founded in 1956 two years after the start of professional football in the Netherlands. It is currently ranked the ninth best league in Europe by UEFA.... |
30 | 6 |
| 2007/2008 | Feyenoord | |
Eredivisie Eredivisie The Eredivisie is the highest football league in the Netherlands. The league was founded in 1956 two years after the start of professional football in the Netherlands. It is currently ranked the ninth best league in Europe by UEFA.... |
27 | 6 |
| 2008/2009 | Feyenoord | |
Eredivisie Eredivisie The Eredivisie is the highest football league in the Netherlands. The league was founded in 1956 two years after the start of professional football in the Netherlands. It is currently ranked the ninth best league in Europe by UEFA.... |
22 | 1 |
| 2009/2010 | Feyenoord | |
Eredivisie Eredivisie The Eredivisie is the highest football league in the Netherlands. The league was founded in 1956 two years after the start of professional football in the Netherlands. It is currently ranked the ninth best league in Europe by UEFA.... |
21 | 2 |
| 2010/2011 | Feyenoord | |
Eredivisie Eredivisie The Eredivisie is the highest football league in the Netherlands. The league was founded in 1956 two years after the start of professional football in the Netherlands. It is currently ranked the ninth best league in Europe by UEFA.... |
14 | 2 |
Honours
Excelsior- Eerste DivisieEerste DivisieThe Eerste Divisie is the second-highest division of football in the Netherlands. It is linked with the top-level Eredivisie via a promotion/relegation system. It is also known as the Jupiler League due to sponsorship, which is the same name as the top league in Belgium...
: 2005-06Eerste Divisie 2005-06The 2005/2006 season of the Eerste Divisie began on August 12, 2005 and ended on April 7, 2006. The title was won by Excelsior Rotterdam.-Newly admitted team:The following team was admitted to the Eerste Divisie at the start of the season:*FC Omniworld...
Feyenoord
- KNVB CupKNVB CupThe KNVB Cup is a competition in the Netherlands organized by the Royal Dutch Football Association since 1899. It was based on the format of the English FA Cup. Outside of the Netherlands, it is often referred to as the Dutch Cup...
: 2007–08
Netherlands U21
- UEFA European Under-21 Football ChampionshipUEFA European Under-21 Football ChampionshipThe European Under-21 Football Championship is a football competition organised by the sport's European governing body, UEFA. It is held every two years. The competition has existed in its current form since 1978. It was preceded by the Under 23 Challenge Cup which ran from 1967 to 1970...
: 20072007 UEFA European Under-21 Football ChampionshipThe UEFA U-21 Championship 2007 were held from 10 June 2007 to 23 June 2007. It is the 16th staging of UEFA's European Under-21 Football Championship....
External links
- Official Luigi Bruins profile on Feyenoord.nl
- Kameraadjes Club: Luigi Bruins
- Voetbal InternationalVoetbal InternationalVoetbal International is a Dutch football magazine, which has been publishing since 1965. It is the oldest Dutch football magazine that is still running....
: Luigi Bruins