Heracles Almelo

Founding and Early Years

Heracles Almelo was born on 3 May 1903 from the merger of Hollandia and Inartie, initially as "Hercules," renamed "Heracles" in 1906 to avoid confusion with another Dutch club of the same name. The club was backed in its early years by the local ten Cate textile dynasty.

Club Evolution

Nicknamed "Heraclieden" or, self-deprecatingly, "Paupers" in reference to fans' budget away-day travel culture, the club plays at Asito Stadion, opened in 1999.

Great Managers

Peter Bosz, across two spells (2004-2006, 2010-2013), won the 2004-05 second-division title and reached the 2011-12 KNVB Cup final, before becoming one of Europe's most recognized Dutch coaches. John Stegeman (2014-2018) led the club into the 2016-17 Europa League.

Iconic Players

Wout Weghorst broke through at Heracles before moving on to AZ, Wolfsburg, then Manchester United and the national team, while Cyriel Dessers was the Eredivisie's top scorer in 2019-20 while at the club. Mike te Wierik, who returned in 2025, captains the current squad.

Major Achievements

Heracles Almelo have never won the Eredivisie or the KNVB Cup (runners-up in 2011-12), their honours limited to three second-division titles (1984-85, 2004-05, 2022-23).

The Club Today

After a disastrous 2025-26 season marked by nine losses in the first ten matches, Heracles Almelo were relegated to the second division, their second relegation in five seasons, under young coach Vincent Heilmann, promoted internally in May 2026.