PSV beat Heerenveen 4-1 at home to move out of reach of second-placed Ajax Amsterdam and reclaim the crown they last won in 2008.
The victory ended a frustrating run of six season without success and was heartily celebrated in Eindhoven on Sunday, with the city again able to proclaim to be the capital of Dutch football following a 22nd league title for PSV.
Although the achievement of taking a largely home-grown squad of inexperienced youngsters to the title was cause to celebrate, the post-match focus has been on the club ending a long period of under achievement.
"PSV shake off years of frustration," said the website of the Algemeen Dagblad newspaper while the De Volkskrant said there was "intense relief after seven years' drought".
PSV coach Phillip Cocu engineered this success less than two years after initiating risky change. At the start of last season he adopted a policy of using as many players as possible who were developed within the club’s youth structures.
The move threatened to implode as PSV struggled but suddenly they gelled and the team finished last season strongly, even after Cocu had to take the final months off to undergo surgery on a back tumour.
The manager returned for the pre-season preparations and PSV have not looked back.
“We had a disappointing first season but we also leant a lot from it. The young players learnt what it means to play for PSV, to feel the pressure. Last season we laid the foundation for this title,” the 44-year-old Cocu told reporters as PSV embarked on a street parade on Sunday.
“These are the moments for which you work. Hopefully, the players will make many more highlights like this.”
(Reporting by Mark Gleeson; Editing by Douglas Beattie)
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