Go Ahead Eagles Go Ahead Eagles, founded on 2 December 1902 in Deventer, stand among the pioneers of Dutch football. The club was originally established as Be Quick and initially operated as a cricket club before turning to football. Upon registering with the Dutch football association, the team was forced to change its name to Go Ahead to avoid a clash with another club of the same name from Groningen, while the Eagles suffix — inspired by the eagle on Deventer's coat of arms — was only added in 1971, when the professional branch split from the amateur side.
The club's greatest success came in the pre-war era: in 1917, 1922, 1930 and 1933, Go Ahead won the Dutch national championship four times, establishing itself as one of the leading teams of that period. Following the introduction of professionalism in 1954, the club endured harder times, at one point dropping into the lower divisions, before making its debut in the newly formed Eredivisie in 1963 and going on to play at the top level continuously for the following 24 years.
Since then, the Deventer side has repeatedly moved between the country's top two divisions, returning to the elite in 2013 and again in 2021, among other years. A defining moment in the club's recent history came on 21 April 2025, when Go Ahead Eagles won their first-ever Dutch Cup, beating AZ Alkmaar 4–2 on penalties in the final at De Kuip in Rotterdam, following a 1–1 draw after normal and extra time. Goalkeeper Jari de Busser saved two decisive penalties to become the hero of the match, sending the club into the Europa League league phase — its first European appearance in half a century.
Go Ahead Eagles play their home matches at De Adelaarshorst, a stadium the club has occupied continuously since 1920 and which holds over 10,000 spectators. The team plays in traditional red-and-yellow colours and is known to supporters by the local nickname "Kowet".
