Van Persie and Feyenoord: Crowned Europe’s Finest in 2002 by Toppling an Inter Side Yet to Snag a Trophy
Cast your mind back to a particular year in the not-so-distant past when Inter found themselves pitted against Feyenoord in an important European duel. It was the season of 2001/2002, helmed by Hector Cuper, the enigmatic 'hombre vertical', armed with a strike force that oozed talent—Vieri, Ronaldo, Recoba, Ventola, and Kallon formed an imposing front line. As the Nerazzurri battled it out fiercely with Juventus and Roma for the Scudetto (ultimately lost in a devastating turn of events on May 5 against Lazio, but that tale is for another day), they were thrust into a memorable semi-final clash with Feyenoord in April 2002.
The Dutch outfit was a mere shadow of its previous iterations, seemingly hitting the peak of its powers under Bert van Marwijk, boasting a formidable attacking duo in Jon Dahl Tomasson (who would later grace the fields of Milan) and Pierre Van Hooijdonk, who was famed for his free-kick prowess. The squad also featured talents like Bosvelt, Emerton, and Ono—most notably a young Robin Van Persie, yet to unleash the full extent of his scoring capabilities.
On April 5, 2002, Inter arrived at the first leg charged with confidence after a tense win over Valencia, despite Toldo's sending off and Farinos stepping in as keeper late on. However, following a narrow 1-0 victory over Fiorentina—Ronaldo sidelined and Vieri injured—the shock of Ivan Cordoba’s own goal at the 51st minute sent a chill through San Siro, reshaping the tie.
Fast forward to April 11, and a raucous De Kuip awaited for the return leg; a key focus on the Scudetto seemed to fade for the Nerazzurri as they faced a defensive crisis. Young Ferraro was thrown into the fray—neither Ronaldo nor Vieri was in peak form. The tide turned quickly with Van Persie orchestrating the first goal, feeding Van Hooijdonk for a header. By the 34th minute, Tomasson extended Feyenoord's lead, leaving Inter’s hopes hanging by a thread.
A late flurry saw substitutes Conceicao and Kallon revive hopes with an equaliser from Cristiano Zanetti and a converted penalty. Yet, a final-minute miscue by Conceicao snuffed the flames of a dramatic comeback, sending Feyenoord through to their eventual victory over Borussia Dortmund in the Europa finale, marking a third international trophy for the club after their 1970 European Cup glory.
Reflecting back, former player Nicola Ventola remarked on the magnitude of that first leg, amidst their Scudetto chase, lamenting that it proved costlier than they could have envisioned. Today, the roles have shifted as Simone Inzaghi has managed to position Inter advantageously with a 2-0 lead going into their next match against Feyenoord—a pivotal scudetto contest. Van Persie remains a looming contender in Europe, with hopes high in Milan for a different outcome this time around.
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