The FC Groningen 2011–13 Home Retro Football Jersey celebrates an important period in the history of the Dutch Eredivisie club, featuring the emergence of future international stars and a memorable transition between two seasons. Groningen finished 14th in the 2011–12 Eredivisie under Pieter Huistra before improving to seventh place in 2012–13 under Robert Maaskant. The period is particularly significant for the development of Virgil van Dijk, who established himself as a first-team defender before leaving for Celtic in 2013.
The squad featured talented players including Virgil van Dijk, Dušan Tadić, Leandro Bacuna, Michael de Leeuw, David Texeira, Tim Sparv and Filip Kostić. Tadić provided creativity during the 2011–12 campaign, while De Leeuw emerged as the leading goalscorer in 2012–13 with 11 league goals. Van Dijk's development remains the most celebrated historical connection, making these home shirts particularly attractive to collectors interested in the early careers of internationally recognised players.
The home jersey showcases Groningen's traditional white base with two prominent green vertical stripes, a design closely associated with the club's identity. The 2011–12 version features a retro-inspired standing collar with a button and a special 40th-anniversary crest, while the 2012–13 version introduces a contrasting black polo-style collar, green sleeve trim and revised detailing. Both editions feature the club crest and prominent Essent chest sponsorship, capturing the distinctive appearance of Groningen's early-2010s home shirts. Combining traditional Dutch football styling with the historical significance of Virgil van Dijk's breakthrough years, this retro jersey is a memorable tribute to FC Groningen's football heritage.
Please refer to the size guidance on this product page for detailed measurements.
FC Groningen 2011–13 Home Jersey
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Size Guidance (Retro Jersey)
Size Chest (in) Length (in) Rec. Height (ft/in) Rec. Weight (lb) S 39 28 65–67 121–132 M 41 28 67–69 132–154 L 43 29 69–71 154–176 XL 44 30 71–75 176–198 XXL 46 31 75–79 198–220 Note: All sizes are for reference only. Manual measurement may result in an error of ±1 inch.
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TOP FIT
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Season Information
The 2011–13 period represents an important transitional era in FC Groningen's history, featuring the emergence of future international stars, changes in management and a significant improvement in league performance.
These two seasons are especially remembered for the development of Virgil van Dijk, who established himself as a first-team defender before moving to Celtic in the summer of 2013, and Dušan Tadić, whose creativity made him one of the Eredivisie's most exciting attacking midfielders.
2011–12 Season — A Challenging Campaign
Under manager Pieter Huistra, FC Groningen entered the 2011–12 season hoping to build on its fifth-place finish in the previous campaign.
However, the team struggled to reproduce that consistency and eventually finished 14th in the Eredivisie.
Despite the disappointing league position, the season featured several notable individual performances.
Serbian international Dušan Tadić remained a central creative figure, contributing goals, assists and attacking quality from midfield and the wings.
Young defender Virgil van Dijk, who had made his senior debut in 2011, continued developing into an important member of Groningen's first team. His physical presence, composure and defensive ability began attracting wider attention.
The campaign also marked FC Groningen's 40th anniversary, commemorated by a special club crest on the 2011–12 home shirt.
2012–13 Season — Return to the Top Seven
FC Groningen appointed Robert Maaskant as head coach ahead of the 2012–13 season.
The club experienced a considerable squad transition, with Dušan Tadić departing for FC Twente and several new players arriving.
Among the most important additions was Michael de Leeuw, who became a major attacking contributor during the campaign.
Young Croatian winger Filip Kostić also joined the club, beginning a period of development that would eventually lead to a successful career in German and Italian football.
Groningen finished seventh in the Eredivisie, representing a significant improvement on the previous season's 14th-place finish.
The team qualified for the European competition play-offs but was unable to secure a European place.
Virgil van Dijk — The Breakthrough Years
One of the most historically significant aspects of this period was the emergence of Virgil van Dijk.
The Dutch defender developed through Groningen's youth system and established himself in the senior team during the 2011–12 and 2012–13 campaigns.
His combination of height, strength, passing ability and defensive intelligence made him one of the club's most promising young players.
In the summer of 2013, Van Dijk transferred to Celtic, beginning the next stage of a career that would eventually include major domestic and European honours with Liverpool and the captaincy of the Netherlands national team.
For collectors, the 2011–13 Groningen home shirts are particularly meaningful because they represent Van Dijk's formative years before his rise to international prominence.
The two seasons featured related green-and-white home designs with Essent sponsorship, although the shirts were not identical: the 2011–12 edition included a special anniversary crest, while the 2012–13 version introduced a revised collar and other design details.
Rec. Player Printing Options
FC Groningen used player names and permanent squad numbers during both seasons, making full name-and-number printing historically appropriate.
Best Printing Choice: VAN DIJK 4
Other Strong Options: TADIĆ 10 / BACUNA 7 / DE LEEUW 21 / TEXEIRA 9 / KOSTIĆ 10
Printing
Recommendation
VAN DIJK 4
The strongest overall choice. Virgil van Dijk established himself as a first-team defender at Groningen during these seasons, making this an early-career shirt associated with his rise to international prominence.
TADIĆ 10
An outstanding 2011–12 option. Dušan Tadić was one of Groningen's most creative attacking players before transferring to FC Twente in 2012.
BACUNA 7
An excellent choice spanning both seasons. Leandro Bacuna developed through Groningen's youth system and contributed five league goals during the 2012–13 campaign.
DE LEEUW 21
The strongest goalscoring choice for 2012–13. Michael de Leeuw scored 11 Eredivisie goals and became Groningen's leading league scorer that season.
TEXEIRA 9
A classic striker option. Uruguayan forward David Texeira provided attacking depth and goals during both campaigns.
KOSTIĆ 10
A distinctive 2012–13 young-player choice. Filip Kostić began his Groningen career during this period before establishing himself as a prominent European winger.
