Back to Football
Sparta Rotterdam crest

Sparta Rotterdam

Heartbreak#5222.0

Rotterdam, Rotterdam-The Hague · Netherlands · Eredivisie

League titles
6
last 1959
Major cups
9
last 1966
Top-2 finishes
7
Top-4 finishes
16
WikipediaQ209895

Power-ranking history

Hover a season for its rank and score
Rank (1 = best)1627Score (per-season normalised)0.00.51.059/6069/7079/8089/9099/0009/1019/20

Against expectation

Every Dutch top-flight match this club has played in the Eredivisie, scored against the odds an Elo rating gave it before kick-off. Over 59 seasons from 1956-57 to 2024-25 it has fallen short of them by 0.1 match points.

Sparta Rotterdam: surplus against expectation, 1956-57 to 2024-251956-57: +2.2 league points vs expected (36 on 33.8, 2 for a win) · bar height +1.1 match points1957-58: −1.0 league points vs expected (34 on 35.0, 2 for a win) · bar height −0.5 match points1958-59: +11.9 league points vs expected (51 on 39.1, 2 for a win) · bar height +6.0 match points1959-60: −5.2 league points vs expected (34 on 39.2, 2 for a win) · bar height −2.6 match points1960-61: +3.4 league points vs expected (41 on 37.6, 2 for a win) · bar height +1.7 match points1961-62: −2.4 league points vs expected (33 on 35.4, 2 for a win) · bar height −1.2 match points1962-63: +5.4 league points vs expected (39 on 33.6, 2 for a win) · bar height +2.7 match points1963-64: −6.9 league points vs expected (22 on 28.9, 2 for a win) · bar height −3.4 match points1964-65: +1.4 league points vs expected (31 on 29.6, 2 for a win) · bar height +0.7 match points1965-66: −1.8 league points vs expected (29 on 30.8, 2 for a win) · bar height −0.9 match points1966-67: +10.4 league points vs expected (48 on 37.5, 2 for a win) · bar height +5.2 match points1967-68: +0.4 league points vs expected (40 on 39.6, 2 for a win) · bar height +0.2 match points1968-69: −4.1 league points vs expected (34 on 38.1, 2 for a win) · bar height −2.1 match points1969-70: +3.8 league points vs expected (41 on 37.2, 2 for a win) · bar height +1.9 match points1970-71: +4.6 league points vs expected (45 on 40.4, 2 for a win) · bar height +2.3 match points1971-72: +4.4 league points vs expected (46 on 41.6, 2 for a win) · bar height +2.2 match points1972-73: +3.8 league points vs expected (47 on 43.2, 2 for a win) · bar height +1.9 match points1973-74: −9.8 league points vs expected (32 on 41.8, 2 for a win) · bar height −4.9 match points1974-75: −1.8 league points vs expected (36 on 37.8, 2 for a win) · bar height −0.9 match points1975-76: −6.5 league points vs expected (29 on 35.5, 2 for a win) · bar height −3.3 match points1976-77: +2.6 league points vs expected (36 on 33.4, 2 for a win) · bar height +1.3 match points1977-78: +4.6 league points vs expected (40 on 35.4, 2 for a win) · bar height +2.3 match points1978-79: −3.5 league points vs expected (33 on 36.5, 2 for a win) · bar height −1.7 match points1979-80: −5.1 league points vs expected (27 on 32.1, 2 for a win) · bar height −2.6 match points1980-81: +5.1 league points vs expected (36 on 30.9, 2 for a win) · bar height +2.5 match points1981-82: +0.6 league points vs expected (36 on 35.4, 2 for a win) · bar height +0.3 match points1982-83: +2.0 league points vs expected (37 on 35.0, 2 for a win) · bar height +1.0 match points1983-84: +0.8 league points vs expected (37 on 36.1, 2 for a win) · bar height +0.4 match points1984-85: +6.0 league points vs expected (42 on 36.0, 2 for a win) · bar height +3.0 match points1985-86: +1.3 league points vs expected (37 on 35.7, 2 for a win) · bar height +0.6 match points1986-87: −2.9 league points vs expected (34 on 36.9, 2 for a win) · bar height −1.4 match points1987-88: −3.8 league points vs expected (32 on 35.8, 2 for a win) · bar height −1.9 match points1988-89: −3.0 league points vs expected (30 on 33.0, 2 for a win) · bar height −1.5 match points1989-90: −0.7 league points vs expected (31 on 31.7, 2 for a win) · bar height −0.4 match points1990-91: −1.6 league points vs expected (29 on 30.6, 2 for a win) · bar height −0.8 match points1991-92: +3.4 league points vs expected (35 on 31.6, 2 for a win) · bar height +1.7 match points1992-93: −3.9 league points vs expected (27 on 30.9, 2 for a win) · bar height −2.0 match points1993-94: +2.8 league points vs expected (32 on 29.2, 2 for a win) · bar height +1.4 match points1994-95: −4.6 league points vs expected (26 on 30.6, 2 for a win) · bar height −2.3 match points1995-96: +10.5 league points vs expected (53 on 42.5, 3 for a win) · bar height +3.8 match points1996-97: −5.0 league points vs expected (38 on 43.0, 3 for a win) · bar height −2.3 match points1997-98: −0.8 league points vs expected (41 on 41.8, 3 for a win) · bar height +0.1 match points1998-99: −11.7 league points vs expected (26 on 37.7, 3 for a win) · bar height −4.4 match points1999-00: +2.0 league points vs expected (37 on 35.0, 3 for a win) · bar height −0.1 match points2000-01: −7.8 league points vs expected (25 on 32.8, 3 for a win) · bar height −2.7 match points2001-02: −7.0 league points vs expected (24 on 31.0, 3 for a win) · bar height −1.6 match points2005-06: +3.8 league points vs expected (37 on 33.2, 3 for a win) · bar height +1.1 match points2006-07: +2.4 league points vs expected (37 on 34.6, 3 for a win) · bar height +0.7 match points2007-08: +0.0 league points vs expected (34 on 34.0, 3 for a win) · bar height −0.0 match points2008-09: −0.4 league points vs expected (35 on 35.4, 3 for a win) · bar height −0.0 match points2009-10: −8.9 league points vs expected (26 on 34.9, 3 for a win) · bar height −2.9 match points2016-17: −4.8 league points vs expected (34 on 38.8, 3 for a win) · bar height −1.8 match points2017-18: −7.2 league points vs expected (27 on 34.2, 3 for a win) · bar height −2.7 match points2019-20: +5.4 league points vs expected (33 on 27.6, 3 for a win) · bar height +1.8 match points2020-21: +7.8 league points vs expected (47 on 39.2, 3 for a win) · bar height +2.6 match points2021-22: −4.1 league points vs expected (35 on 39.1, 3 for a win) · bar height −0.8 match points2022-23: +13.0 league points vs expected (59 on 46.0, 3 for a win) · bar height +4.4 match points2023-24: +0.3 league points vs expected (49 on 48.8, 3 for a win) · bar height −0.0 match points2024-25: −6.5 league points vs expected (39 on 45.5, 3 for a win) · bar height −1.5 match points
1956-57one bar per season · height in match points · hover for that season2024-25
Best season against expectation
2022-23 +13.0 league pts
59 points on 46.0 expected as Sparta Rotterdam
Worst season against expectation
1998-99 11.7 league pts
26 points on 37.7 expected as Sparta Rotterdam

Season points use that season’s own scoring, two for a win before 1995-96 and three from it; the bars use match points so the whole series is comparable.The rating only starts telling you much after about 1960. Before that, knowing the era’s home-and-away split is almost as good as knowing the teams.

2019-20 table not final: voided at the COVID-19 shutdown, 232 of 306 played.

Rotterdam-The Hague against expectation →How this is measured →

What the squad was worth

Total market value of the squad, EUR millions, by month; the player count beside it is the size of the priced squad.

How this is measured

Drawn as a step, not a curve: Transfermarkt reprices every squad in December and June (marked with a small tick on the axis) and revalues continuously between, so the line only moves when a real valuation changed, never by interpolation.

A month renders no value at all once the priced squad falls below 15 players, so a thin squad is never shown as a cheap one. The series is floored at July 2012on purpose: earlier Transfermarkt totals reflect which players happened to be priced yet rather than the squad’s real worth, and are excluded rather than shown misleadingly low.

Upstream (dcaribou/transfermarkt-datasets) has been paused since July 2026, so the series ends where the source ends rather than where the season does.

Player valuations from Transfermarkt via github.com/dcaribou/transfermarkt-datasets (CC0).

What the squad was worth€34m
Sparta Rotterdam: squad value by month, 2014-08 to 2026-060244714-1516-1718-1920-2122-2324-25
Peak
€44m in May 2025 · 29 players valued
Most recent
€34m in Jun 2026 · 27 players valued

Rotterdam-The Hagueon the rankings →

The money ledger

Fees paid and received each season, and what the squad was worth once the trading is netted out.

How this is measured

Spent is the fees paid for players arriving, received the fees for players leaving, both in EUR millions by the July-to-June season of the move. A move with no fee on record (a free, a loan, an undisclosed sum) is counted, never priced: the small figure beside each total is the moves with a fee, plus those without (so 4+3 is four priced arrivals and three unpriced), and a quiet window is not mistaken for a cheap one. Wages are not here: they are estimates nobody licenses, and fees are documented.

Appreciationis the season’s change in squad value with the net spend taken out: buy 100m of players and finish 100m higher is zero; finish 120m higher and the club made 20m of players better, or the market repriced them. It needs a priced squad at both ends of the season (the same 15-player floor as the value chart), so it is blank rather than guessed for a season that lacks one.

The source has been paused since 6 July 2026, so the final row holds only the opening days of its window.

Transfer fees and player valuations from Transfermarkt via github.com/dcaribou/transfermarkt-datasets (CC0).

The money ledger+€27m
Spent
€5m
11 arrivals with a fee
Received
€32m
18 departures with a fee
Net
+€27m
199 moves with no fee
Appreciation
+€49m
11 seasons with a priced squad

Grown or bought: in 2026-27, trading −€0m and appreciation . Over the last 5 seasons (2022-232026-27), trading +€10m and appreciation unpriced.

The director’s ledger: 75 arrivals graded since 2022-23, 100% EV-positive. €4m deployed for a 3.2× multiplier.

2026-27 spent €1m received €0mto 6 July 2026
in: Casper Terho €1m
unpriced
2025-26 spent €1m received €10m
in: Lance Duijvestijn €1m
+€10m
squad gain
2024-25 spent received €0m
out: Arno Verschueren €0m
€0m
squad gain
2023-24 spent €1m received
in: Camiel Neghli €1m
+€3m
squad gain
2022-23 spent €1m received €4m
in: Joshua Kitolano €1m
+€17m
squad gain
2021-22 spent received €8m
out: Maduka Okoye €5m
+€6m
squad gain
2020-21 spent €1m received €2m
in: Maduka Okoye €1m
+€4m
squad gain
2019-20 spent received €3m
out: Halil Dervişoğlu €3m
+€3m
squad gain
Show all 15 seasons
2018-19 spent received €2m
out: Jeff Chabot €1m
−€3m
squad gain
2017-18 spent received €4m
out: Rick van Drongelen €3m
+€5m
squad gain
2016-17 spent received
7 moves, no fee on record
+€4m
squad gain
2015-16 spent received
6 moves, no fee on record
+€1m
squad gain
2014-15 spent received
1 moves, no fee on record
unpriced
2013-14 spent received
2 moves, no fee on record
unpriced
2012-13 spent received
1 moves, no fee on record
unpriced

Money against football

Every priced club-season in the six leagues: points against expectation across, squad value gained beyond the net spend up. This club’s seasons are joined.

Tap or drag on the plot: the nearest club-season, its points and its money.

the frontier: no other club-season beat it on both axes · this club, season by season, the largest dot the latest

Every club’s return on the transfer window →

Greatest games

Sparta Rotterdam's top matches by the club Game Score: closeness, stakes, quality and upset over one unified rating of league and European play.All-time board.

#DateStageResultScore
11960-03-09European Cup · Quarterfinals · 1st legHL 2-3 v Rangersgame score 68.1
21971-05-20KNVB Beker · FinalNL 1-2 v Ajaxgame score 66.3
31960-03-16European Cup · Quarterfinals · 2nd leg, agg 3-3AW 1-0 v Rangersgame score 65.2
41980-05-04EredivisieAL 0-1 v Ajaxgame score 64.6
51960-03-30European Cup · QuarterfinalsNL 2-3 v Rangersgame score 64.1
61966-05-25KNVB Beker · FinalNW 1-0 v ADO Den Haaggame score 62.4
71958-06-26KNVB Beker · FinalNW 4-3 v FC Volendamgame score 60.5
81996-04-07KNVB Beker · Rotterdam Derby · SemifinalsHW 1-0 v Feyenoordgame score 60.5
92004-03-17KNVB Beker · SemifinalsHD 3-3 v FC Utrecht(pens 4 / 3)game score 57.0
101962-06-20KNVB Beker · FinalNW 1-0 v DHC Delftgame score 56.9

Footprint

Tiers played
L1
Top-flight (L1) seasons
75
First season
1894
Most recent season
2026
RivalriesRotterdam Derbyvs Feyenoordtwo-way

The Heartbreak Index22.0 · #52

The Tortured · Major trophy, 1966

22.0
Heartbreak
#52
of 1,139 clubs
#18
in Football
22.0
agony
The clocks
  • Major trophy since 196612.6
  • Major final appearance since 19965.5
  • League title since 19592.5
Heaviest wounds

relegated from the top flight, 2018 · relegated from the top flight, 2002 · relegated from the top flight, 2010 · lost the national cup final, 1996

One formula, every club the site covers. See the whole board →

Season-by-season

Most recent season first. Covers Eredivisie only. Rows tagged "national playoff" are pre-modern formats where the workbook records only playoff participants, not round-robin standings.

2027
Eredivisie (1) · P12● live
6 P · 1-2-3 · 10:13 · -3
5
pts
2026
Eredivisie (1) · P10
34 P · 12-7-15 · 40:62 · -22
43
pts
2025
Eredivisie (1) · P12
34 P · 9-12-13 · 39:43 · -4
39
pts
2024
Eredivisie (1) · P8
34 P · 14-7-13 · 51:48 · +3
49
pts
2023
Eredivisie (1) · P6
34 P · 17-8-9 · 60:37 · +23
59
pts
2022
Eredivisie (1) · P14
34 P · 8-11-15 · 30:48 · -18
35
pts
2021
Eredivisie (1) · P8
34 P · 13-8-13 · 49:48 · +1
47
pts
2020
Eredivisie (1) · P11
26 P · 9-6-11 · 41:45 · -4
33
pts
2018
Eredivisie (1) · P17
34 P · 7-6-21 · 34:75 · -41
27
pts
2017
Eredivisie (1) · P15
34 P · 9-7-18 · 42:61 · -19
34
pts
2010
Eredivisie (1) · P16
34 P · 6-8-20 · 30:66 · -36
26
pts
2009
Eredivisie (1) · P13
34 P · 9-8-17 · 46:66 · -20
35
pts
Show all 75 seasons
2008
Eredivisie (1) · P13
34 P · 9-7-18 · 52:76 · -24
34
pts
2007
Eredivisie (1) · P13
34 P · 10-7-17 · 40:66 · -26
37
pts
2006
Eredivisie (1) · P14
34 P · 10-7-17 · 34:50 · -16
37
pts
2002
Eredivisie (1) · P17
34 P · 4-12-18 · 26:75 · -49
24
pts
2001
Eredivisie (1) · P17PO
34 P · 6-7-21 · 42:72 · -30
25
pts
2000
Eredivisie (1) · P13
34 P · 11-4-19 · 48:75 · -27
37
pts
1999
Eredivisie (1) · P17PO
34 P · 7-5-22 · 37:71 · -34
26
pts
1998
Eredivisie (1) · P13
34 P · 10-11-13 · 50:59 · -9
41
pts
1997
Eredivisie (1) · P13
34 P · 11-5-18 · 40:56 · -16
38
pts
1996
Eredivisie (1) · P6
34 P · 14-11-9 · 53:53 · 0
53
pts
KNVB
1995
Eredivisie (1) · P14
34 P · 8-10-16 · 42:58 · -16
26
pts
1994
Eredivisie (1) · P9
34 P · 12-8-14 · 58:57 · +1
32
pts
1993
Eredivisie (1) · P13
34 P · 8-11-15 · 36:65 · -29
27
pts
1992
Eredivisie (1) · P8
34 P · 11-13-10 · 50:53 · -3
35
pts
1991
Eredivisie (1) · P13
34 P · 7-15-12 · 40:57 · -17
29
pts
1990
Eredivisie (1) · P12
34 P · 12-7-15 · 51:61 · -10
31
pts
1989
Eredivisie (1) · P12
34 P · 9-12-13 · 42:50 · -8
30
pts
1988
Eredivisie (1) · P12
34 P · 12-8-14 · 44:50 · -6
32
pts
1987
Eredivisie (1) · P8
34 P · 11-12-11 · 52:48 · +4
34
pts
1986
Eredivisie (1) · P7
34 P · 13-11-10 · 54:59 · -5
37
pts
UC
1985
Eredivisie (1) · P4
34 P · 17-8-9 · 62:52 · +10
42
pts
UC
1984
Eredivisie (1) · P5
34 P · 12-13-9 · 77:63 · +14
37
pts
UC
1983
Eredivisie (1) · P4
34 P · 12-13-9 · 64:52 · +12
37
pts
UC
1982
Eredivisie (1) · P8
34 P · 13-10-11 · 61:48 · +13
36
pts
1981
Eredivisie (1) · P7
34 P · 15-6-13 · 75:71 · +4
36
pts
1980
Eredivisie (1) · P13
34 P · 10-7-17 · 45:55 · -10
27
pts
1979
Eredivisie (1) · P6
34 P · 14-5-15 · 47:48 · -1
33
pts
1978
Eredivisie (1) · P5
34 P · 14-12-8 · 54:33 · +21
40
pts
1977
Eredivisie (1) · P7
34 P · 12-12-10 · 52:47 · +5
36
pts
1976
Eredivisie (1) · P10
34 P · 7-15-12 · 32:42 · -10
29
pts
1975
Eredivisie (1) · P6
34 P · 9-18-7 · 43:37 · +6
36
pts
1974
Eredivisie (1) · P8
34 P · 10-12-12 · 37:45 · -8
32
pts
1973
Eredivisie (1) · P4
34 P · 21-5-8 · 85:37 · +48
47
pts
1972
Eredivisie (1) · P4
34 P · 18-10-6 · 73:38 · +35
46
pts
CWC
1971
Eredivisie (1) · P6
34 P · 16-13-5 · 54:34 · +20
45
pts
KNVBICFCCWC
1970
Eredivisie (1) · P5
34 P · 16-9-9 · 56:41 · +15
41
pts
ICFC
1969
Eredivisie (1) · P8
34 P · 11-12-11 · 45:33 · +12
34
pts
1968
Eredivisie (1) · P5
34 P · 15-10-9 · 53:33 · +20
40
pts
1967
Eredivisie (1) · P3
34 P · 20-8-6 · 50:25 · +25
48
pts
CWC
1966
Eredivisie (1) · P7
30 P · 12-5-13 · 53:51 · +2
29
pts
KNVBCWC
1965
Eredivisie (1) · P5
30 P · 11-9-10 · 39:40 · -1
31
pts
1964
Eredivisie (1) · P14
30 P · 6-10-14 · 34:52 · -18
22
pts
1963
Eredivisie (1) · P3
30 P · 17-5-8 · 60:38 · +22
39
pts
CWC
1962
Eredivisie (1) · P9
34 P · 12-9-13 · 46:50 · -4
33
pts
KNVBCWC
1961
Eredivisie (1) · P4
34 P · 16-9-9 · 71:54 · +17
41
pts
1960
Eredivisie (1) · P7
34 P · 14-6-14 · 53:52 · +1
34
pts
EC
1959
Eredivisie (1) · P1
34 P · 20-11-3 · 83:30 · +53
51
pts
EC
1958
Eredivisie (1) · P9
34 P · 11-12-11 · 63:62 · +1
34
pts
KNVB
1957
Eredivisie (1) · P8
34 P · 12-12-10 · 66:59 · +7
36
pts
1956
Landskampioenschap (1) · P4
6 P · 1-1-4 · 7:13 · -6
3
pts
1953
Landskampioenschap (1) · P3
6 P · 2-2-2 · 11:8 · +3
6
pts
1929
Landskampioenschap (1) · P4
8 P · 3-1-4 · 11:13 · -2
7
pts
1925
Landskampioenschap (1) · P3
8 P · 4-1-3 · 18:12 · +6
9
pts
1916
Landskampioenschap (1) · P3
4 P · 1-1-2 · 7:9 · -2
3
pts
1915
Landskampioenschap (1) · P1
3 P · 2-0-1 · 8:3 · +5
4
pts
1913
Landskampioenschap (1) · P1
2 P · 2-0-0 · 4:2 · +2
4
pts
1912
Landskampioenschap (1) · P1
2 P · 2-0-0 · 8:1 · +7
4
pts
1911
Landskampioenschap (1) · P1
2 P · 2-0-0 · 6:1 · +5
4
pts
1909
Landskampioenschap (1) · P1
2 P · 2-0-0 · 10:3 · +7
4
pts
1897
Landskampioenschap (1) · P4
12 P · 5-2-5 · 20:30 · -10
12
pts
1896
Landskampioenschap (1) · P3
12 P · 8-1-3 · 30:18 · +12
17
pts
1895
Landskampioenschap (1) · P2
10 P · 6-1-3 · 32:18 · +14
13
pts
1894
Landskampioenschap (1) · P4
10 P · 4-1-5 · 14:24 · -10
9
pts
Domestic Cup Finals

Most recent first. Every domestic cup final the club has played, including losses. Scheduled finals (date not yet passed) are flagged.

1996
KNVB Beker
Runner-up
1971
KNVB Beker
Runner-up
1966
KNVB Beker
Won
1962
KNVB Beker
Won
1958
KNVB Beker
Won
European competition appearances

Most recent first. One row per entry showing the deepest round reached. A Cup Winner badge marks tournaments the club won: gold for the European Cup / Champions League, silver for every other UEFA or Intercontinental trophy.

1985-86
UEFA Cup(UC)
Group stage
1983-84
UEFA Cup(UC)
Round of 16
1971-72
Cup Winners Cup(CWC)
Round of 16
1970-71
Inter-Cities Fairs Cup(ICFC)
Round of 16
1966-67
Cup Winners Cup(CWC)
Round of 16
1962-63
Cup Winners Cup(CWC)
Round of 32 / qualifying
1959-60
European Cup(EC)
Quarter-final