Football Club Groningen was founded on 16 June 1971 in the city of Groningen, in the north-eastern Netherlands, as the successor to the amateur club GVAV. The new club inherited GVAV's Eredivisie place but almost immediately ran into financial trouble, suffering relegation in 1973–74 and coming close to bankruptcy before being saved by the Groningen City Council. Recovery was built largely on homegrown talent: a youth academy established in 1975 produced the core of the squad that won promotion back to the Eredivisie as champions in 1979–80.
The 1980s brought Groningen's most celebrated continental moments. Entering the UEFA Cup for the first time in 1983–84, they caused a notable upset by eliminating Atlético Madrid before falling to Inter Milan in the next round. The club returned to European competition five more times between 1986 and 1992, reaching the third round on two occasions. Their best-ever Eredivisie finish came in 1990–91, when they pushed Ajax and PSV for the title before settling for third place. A second run of financial and sporting difficulties led to relegation in 1997–98, but Groningen bounced back within two seasons and stabilised as a solid mid-to-upper-table side through the 2000s and 2010s.
The defining honour in the club's history arrived in 2014–15, when Groningen won the KNVB Cup — their only major trophy to date — defeating PEC Zwolle 2–0 in the final. The victory earned a place in the UEFA Europa League group stage the following season. Groningen were relegated again in 2022–23 but returned at the first attempt, finishing runners-up in the Eerste Divisie in 2023–24.
Known as "Trots van het Noorden" (Pride of the North), Groningen's identity is closely tied to their city and region. Their fiercest rivalry is the Derby van het Noorden against neighbouring Heerenveen, a contest that captures the competitive spirit of northern Dutch football. Home colours of green and white reflect the coat of arms of Groningen city.