Founded in 1965, Twente's previous best finish was second, which they first achieved in 1974. They did it again in 2009, under the guidance of new manager Steve McClaren, then in his first season with the club.
Twente got off to a remarkable start in McClaren's second season, winning 17 and drawing four of their first 21 matches. They had reached the top spot and held it for 10 weeks during that spell, but dropped into second place after a couple of scoreless draws in January. PSV, meanwhile, claimed first place with an even better run of 20 wins and five draws in their first 25 matches. But PSV slipped on 6 March, losing 1-2 away to NAC Breda. The loss opened the door for Twente, who were one point back.
On Sunday, 7 March, Twente were away at RKC Waalwijk, whom they had narrowly beaten at home in August, 2-1. The return fixture was equally tight, with only a header from Twente midfielder Kenneth Perez separating the two sides. It was enough, though, to secure the full three points for the visitors, who jumped two points past PSV to top the league.
PSV had a chance to reclaim the lead two weeks later when they hosted Twente, but they played to a 1-1 draw. Twente did lose to Alkmaar in April, but remained on top to claim their first league title while PSV slipped to third.
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