Voetbalvrouwen is a Dutch dramedy favourably compared to Footballers' Wives. Three seasons (all available on DVD) have been taped since 2006; the first was shown in 2007 on the demissionary channel Tien, the second and third on RTL 4.
Cast
The 'Voetbalvrouwen'
Solange Ferrero-de Reuver: Nicolette van Dam (2007–2009)/Marit van Bohemen (2009–2010) Melanie Woesthoff-Zonderland: Lone van Roosendaal (2007–2010) Renske Doornbos-Veldman: Sophie van Oers (2007–2009) Liz Duivendrecht: Leontine Borsato (2007–2009) Kate Witte: Yolanthe Cabau van Kasbergen (2009–2010) Oksana Nikolajev: Peggy Vrijens (2009–2010)
Other appearances
Danny Doornbos: Mike Weerts (2007–2010) Italo Ferrero: Bas Muijs (2007–2010 Arjen Duivendrecht: Victor Low (2007) Jeffrey Woesthoff: Barry Atsma (2007–2008) Dylan Woesthoff: Manuel Broekman (2007)/Ludwig Bindervoet (2008) Rutger Carolus: Joep Sertons (2008–2010) Madonna Duprie-Zonderland: Marlous Dirks (2008–2010) Gio Goudzand: Curt Fortin (2008–2010) Hidde Storms: Wolter Muller (2008) Kofi Akua: André Dongelmans (2009–2010)
Storylines
Season 1 (2007) Arjen Duivendrecht is the coach of Heros, a struggling football-club determined to regain its leading position. The arrival of centre-player Danny Doornbos means new positions for Italo Ferrero and the seasoned Jeffrey Woesthof. When Arjen's secret life as a transvestite gets media exposure he loses his credibility and commits suicide; unaware that he has a teenage-daughter (Jamie) on the account of stolen sperm. Arjen gets immediately replaced by Harry Reitsema whose big plans don't make him everyone's favourite person; the fab four, of whom Italo was dismissed as "a disturbing force" are dragged to the sidelines. Reitsema soon dies in a car crash, and Jeffrey subsequently operates as assistant coach. Renske, Danny's longtime-girlfriend, finds out that someone has installed cameras inside the Doornbos-mansion which recently played host to a murder turns out to have played host to a murder. It appears to be the stylist, a straight man with a gay image. Renske works with mentally challenged children, but she's still too glamorous for her colleagues and gets fired on the spot. On her stag night she gets laid by a Chippendale, a move she immediately regrets and only comes clean about days after her televised marriage. Danny suggests that Renske has been raped. Liz is married to Arjen with whom she lives at a farmhouse. After 20 years of playing second fiddle to her husband, Liz decides to turn the tables and suggests to live in Spain. Her dream gets shattered after Arjen's suicide. Solange, Italo's girlfriend, wants to have a career of her own but she's treated like a slave. She retaliates by stitching Dolce & Gabbana labels onto cut-price underwear and spiking Italo's smoothies with tranquillizers. Italo hits back by confiscating her passport on the eve of a trip to Milan with Melanie. Fed up with this male chauvinist behaviour Solange walks out but returns after getting proposed. She says yes on condition that she gets treated like a lady with a career and bank account to match. Melanie Woesthof, bodylifted and bleach-blonde, is Jeffrey's wife; she's the mother of his second-born son. Mel co-hosts a showbiz-news programme, but soon gets sacked because she's allegedly too old. When Jeffrey is up for a transfer to Bahrain Mel covers the stairs in soap because her lifestyle doesn't fit in a country where women are expected to walk the streets in veils and burqas. Disgusted with the men's relegation to less than a supporting role, Mel hatches a plot with Renske and Solange to get rid of Reitsema. They celebrate his death, but are caught doing so by the gossip-press and arrested after being exposed on a TV-show.
