Blue-yellow rendezvous with Jimmy Floyd Hasselbaink
After the Argentine world champion Mario Kempes, the Dutch striker is the most famous player to ever wear the Vienna jersey. Unfortunately just for a couple of days. Nevertheless, the two-time Premier League top scorer does not rule out a comeback to the Hohe Warte as a guest at the game against Sheffield FC.
The anecdote is still considered one of the club’s most curious transfer stories. The now 48-year-old Hasselbaink, born in Surinam, a 23-time Dutch international who helped his country to fourth place at the 1998 World Cup, had a trial at the Hohe Warte in 1995. Hasselbaink was 23 at the time. Vienna coach Eggenberger claims that he wanted to sign him but the club didn’t have the funds, so the transfer did not take place. Hasselbaink, two-time top scorer in
the Premier League (1999 and 2001), still eleventh on the all-time list of goalscorers in the English League, went to Portugal and became a world star. Today a real-estate investor, Jimmy played for Boavista, Leeds United, Atletico
Madrid, Chelsea and Middlesbrough among others. The thoroughbred striker scored 249 goals in 591 games.
Hasselbaink did not forget the First Vienna Football Club 1894. He confirmed that to us when we called him. The former coach of Royal Antwerp and Queens Park Rangers remembers the days in Vienna with smiles. And admits that he would be ready to come back to Vienna at any time. One phone call would be enough.
