Mario Been
Encyclopedia
Mario Been is a former football professional and football manager
from the Netherlands
, who is currently the head coach of Genk
since 30 August 2011.
He is nicknamed "Mariodona", after Diego Maradona
and his first name.
, Pisa Calcio
, Roda JC, SC Heerenveen, FC Tirol Innsbruck
, and Excelsior Rotterdam
. Been played his last competitive match on 17 September 1995 when HFC Haarlem
defeated Excelsior Rotterdam
(4–0).
, against Austria on 14 November 1984 as substitute for Ton Lokhoff
in the 73rd minute.
at Feyenoord in 2000. He held this position until the summer of 2004 when Bert van Marwijk
choose to leave Feyenoord and head to Germany
to manage Borussia Dortmund
. Been headed across Rotterdam to join Feyenoord's sister club Excelsior
in 2005 and in his sole season in-charge of the club got them promoted from the Eerste Divisie
to the Eredivisie
. Along the way his team played attractive football and eventually finished 7 points clear of second placed VVV Venlo
.
side NEC Nijmegen back in Holland.
. With the signing of a few players during the summer of 2007 he molded a competitive and attractive team. However, the first half of the 2007 - 2008 season did not go well for Mario Been as his side were sitting bottom of the league at the start of the new year. However, Been managed to remarkably change the fortunes of his team as they went on a run which saw them eventually end 8th in the league standings. This earned the club a UEFA Cup Play-off berth against three other Dutch teams. Been got his team to play very attractive football which resulted in plenty of goals. In the final play-off round against NAC Breda
his side won 6-0 at home, and 1-0 away. For the first time Mario Been had qualified a team for European competition.
The season of 2008 - 2009 would be the finest season to date for Mario Been as professional manager. His side were drawn in a tough group in the UEFA Cup
with away games at Spartak Moscow
and Dinamo Zagreb
, while Tottenham Hotspurs and Udinese would come to Nijmegen. At the start of the European campaign his side were labeled the whipping boys of the group. However, after two losses in the group (3-2 against Dinamo Zagreb
& 1-0 against Tottenham Hotspurs), NEC managed to beat Spartak Moscow
in Russia
with a scoreline of 2-1. Lasse Schone scoring the all important goal in that match. The final and decisive game for Been would against Udinese, on a wonderful night for the club, he managed to get the team to a 2-0 scoreline and secure progression to the next round. They eventually lost 4-0 on aggregate to HSV Hamburg in the following round, but Mario Been had already written himself into the club's history. On 28 January 2009 NEC Nijmegen and Feyenoord had reached an agreement to let Been move to Rotterdam to become the head coach and manager there for the next season. On his final match as manager for NEC Nijmegen, Been was applauded by a full Goffert Stadium
, with fans singing his name and the players, board and fans giving him the honour of being the best manager the club has ever had. Been's farewell speech was filled with tears, however, his last words to the fans epitomized his legendary status at the club.
, Denny Landzaat
and Giovanni van Bronckhorst
. His first signing was from his old club where he signed Dani Fernandez
for the right-back position. Been's first season for Feyenoord was immediately a success as he led them to a fourth-place finish in the league and thus a place in the Europa League for the 2010 - 2011 season. This was also the clubs highest finish for a few years. In a turbulent summer which saw all his experienced heads retire, he signed only a handful of players on free transfers or by loan. Feyenoord started the campaign in mixed form. On the opening day they beat FC Utrecht 3-1 to kick off a good start to the campaign. However the club failed to qualify for the group stages of the Europa League after they lost 2-1 to AA Gent on aggregate.
Currently Been has a contract until 2012 with the club. On 24 October 2010 he oversaw his team losing 10-0 against PSV Eindhoven at the Philips Stadion
the biggest defeat in the history of Feyenoord. Despite that, and a rather disappointing final outcome that saw Feyenoord failing to qualify for European football and even in danger of relegation at some point in the season, he was confirmed at the helm of Feyenoord for the new season.
On 13 July 2011 Been was confirmed to have left his post as head coach of Feyenoord, citing lack of trust and confidence from his players as the main reason for his surprise choice.
Coach (sport)
In sports, a coach is an individual involved in the direction, instruction and training of the operations of a sports team or of individual sportspeople.-Staff:...
from the Netherlands
Netherlands
The Netherlands is a constituent country of the Kingdom of the Netherlands, located mainly in North-West Europe and with several islands in the Caribbean. Mainland Netherlands borders the North Sea to the north and west, Belgium to the south, and Germany to the east, and shares maritime borders...
, who is currently the head coach of Genk
K.R.C. Genk
Koninklijke Racing Club Genk , usually referred to as Racing Genk or simply Genk, is a Belgian professional football club based in the city of Genk in Belgian Limburg. Racing Genk plays in the Belgian Pro League and they have won 3 Belgian champion titles in 1998–99, in 2001–02 and in 2010–11 as...
since 30 August 2011.
He is nicknamed "Mariodona", after Diego Maradona
Diego Maradona
Diego Armando Maradona is a retired Argentine football player and widely regarded as one of the greatest football players of all time. Over the course of his professional club career Maradona played for Argentinos Juniors, Boca Juniors, Barcelona, Napoli, Sevilla and Newell's Old Boys, setting...
and his first name.
Career
As a football midfielder himself, Been played for Feyenoord RotterdamFeyenoord Rotterdam
Feyenoord is a Dutch professional football club located in Rotterdam. Along with Ajax and PSV Eindhoven, Feyenoord is one of the "big three" clubs in the Netherlands. These three clubs and Utrecht and Roda JC are the only clubs never to have been relegated from the Dutch first division...
, Pisa Calcio
Pisa Calcio
Associazione Calcio Pisa 1909 is an Italian association football club, based in Pisa, Tuscany. The club was founded in 1909 as Pisa Sporting Club and refounded in 1994 as A.C. Pisa , after the cancellation of the old one because of economical troubles...
, Roda JC, SC Heerenveen, FC Tirol Innsbruck
FC Tirol Innsbruck
FC Tirol Innsbruck was an Austrian association footballclub from Innsbruck, Tyrol which existed between 1993 and 2002, when bankruptcy was declared....
, and Excelsior Rotterdam
Excelsior Rotterdam
SBV Excelsior is a professional football club from the Kralingen-Crooswijk district of Rotterdam, Netherlands. It was founded on July 23, 1902 and was formerly known as 'Rotterdamse Voetbal en Atletiek Vereniging Excelsior'...
. Been played his last competitive match on 17 September 1995 when HFC Haarlem
HFC Haarlem
HFC Haarlem was a Dutch football club from the city of Haarlem, established in 1889. The club won the Dutch national title in 1946 and reached five Cup finals, winning in 1902 and 1912...
defeated Excelsior Rotterdam
Excelsior Rotterdam
SBV Excelsior is a professional football club from the Kralingen-Crooswijk district of Rotterdam, Netherlands. It was founded on July 23, 1902 and was formerly known as 'Rotterdamse Voetbal en Atletiek Vereniging Excelsior'...
(4–0).
International
Been only played one official international match for the NetherlandsNetherlands national football team
The Netherlands National Football Team represents the Netherlands in association football and is controlled by the Royal Dutch Football Association , the governing body for football in the Netherlands...
, against Austria on 14 November 1984 as substitute for Ton Lokhoff
Ton Lokhoff
Antonius Johannes Jacobus Lokhoff is a Dutch former football midfielder, who was the head coach of Excelsior since the summer of 2006, when he succeeded Mario Been. He is nicknamed Mister NAC. Lokhoff's contract at Excelsior expired in the spring of 2009...
in the 73rd minute.
Coaching career
Been started his coaching career as assistant manager to Bert van MarwijkBert van Marwijk
Bert van Marwijk OON is the coach of the Netherlands national football team. He also played for Go Ahead Eagles, AZ, MVV, Fortuna Sittard, and other clubs, as well as for the Dutch national team. In 1982, he began his transition into coaching, retiring as a player in 1988 and becoming a full time...
at Feyenoord in 2000. He held this position until the summer of 2004 when Bert van Marwijk
Bert van Marwijk
Bert van Marwijk OON is the coach of the Netherlands national football team. He also played for Go Ahead Eagles, AZ, MVV, Fortuna Sittard, and other clubs, as well as for the Dutch national team. In 1982, he began his transition into coaching, retiring as a player in 1988 and becoming a full time...
choose to leave Feyenoord and head to Germany
Germany
Germany , officially the Federal Republic of Germany , is a federal parliamentary republic in Europe. The country consists of 16 states while the capital and largest city is Berlin. Germany covers an area of 357,021 km2 and has a largely temperate seasonal climate...
to manage Borussia Dortmund
Borussia Dortmund
Ballspielverein Borussia Dortmund, commonly BVB, are a German sports club based in Dortmund, North Rhine-Westphalia. Dortmund are one of the most successful clubs in German football history. Borussia Dortmund play in the Bundesliga, the top league of German football...
. Been headed across Rotterdam to join Feyenoord's sister club Excelsior
Excelsior
Excelsior is a Latin and archaic English word meaning "ever higher". It may refer to:- Literature and music :* "Excelsior" , a poem by Henry Wadsworth Longfellow...
in 2005 and in his sole season in-charge of the club got them promoted from the Eerste Divisie
Eerste Divisie
The Eerste Divisie is the second-highest division of football in the Netherlands. It is linked with the top-level Eredivisie via a promotion/relegation system. It is also known as the Jupiler League due to sponsorship, which is the same name as the top league in Belgium...
to the Eredivisie
Eredivisie
The Eredivisie is the highest football league in the Netherlands. The league was founded in 1956 two years after the start of professional football in the Netherlands. It is currently ranked the ninth best league in Europe by UEFA....
. Along the way his team played attractive football and eventually finished 7 points clear of second placed VVV Venlo
VVV Venlo
VVV-Venlo is a football club from Venlo in the Netherlands, currently playing in the Eredivisie. The club plays its home games in the De Koel stadium, known as Seacon Stadion – De Koel - for sponsorship reasons....
.
Trinidad and Tobago
After his successful promotion season with Excelsior Been moved to become the assistant manager to Wim Rijsbergen at Trinidad and Tobago. He aided their campaign immensely, however, left that same year to become head coach and manager at EredivisieEredivisie
The Eredivisie is the highest football league in the Netherlands. The league was founded in 1956 two years after the start of professional football in the Netherlands. It is currently ranked the ninth best league in Europe by UEFA....
side NEC Nijmegen back in Holland.
NEC Nijmegen
Mario Been moved to NEC Nijmegen after NEC favorite Ron de Groot was forced to stop. He came with the image to return the glory years back to the club. In his first season 2006 - 2007 he led the club to a 10th place finish in the EredivisieEredivisie
The Eredivisie is the highest football league in the Netherlands. The league was founded in 1956 two years after the start of professional football in the Netherlands. It is currently ranked the ninth best league in Europe by UEFA....
. With the signing of a few players during the summer of 2007 he molded a competitive and attractive team. However, the first half of the 2007 - 2008 season did not go well for Mario Been as his side were sitting bottom of the league at the start of the new year. However, Been managed to remarkably change the fortunes of his team as they went on a run which saw them eventually end 8th in the league standings. This earned the club a UEFA Cup Play-off berth against three other Dutch teams. Been got his team to play very attractive football which resulted in plenty of goals. In the final play-off round against NAC Breda
NAC Breda
NAC Breda , simply often known as NAC, is a Dutch professional football club, based in Breda, Netherlands. NAC Breda play in the Rat Verlegh Stadium, named after their most important player, Antoon 'Rat' Verlegh. They play in the Dutch Eredivisie and are known by the fierce and fanatic support of...
his side won 6-0 at home, and 1-0 away. For the first time Mario Been had qualified a team for European competition.
The season of 2008 - 2009 would be the finest season to date for Mario Been as professional manager. His side were drawn in a tough group in the UEFA Cup
UEFA Cup
The UEFA Europa League is an annual association football cup competition organised by UEFA since 1971 for eligible European football clubs. It is the second most prestigious European club football contest after the UEFA Champions League...
with away games at Spartak Moscow
Spartak Moscow
Spartak Moscow may refer to the following teams based in Moscow, Russia:* FC Spartak Moscow, an association football club* HC Spartak Moscow, a professional ice hockey team* WBC Spartak Moscow, a women's basketball team...
and Dinamo Zagreb
Dinamo Zagreb
GNK Dinamo Zagreb, commonly referred to as Dinamo Zagreb , or by their nickname Modri are a Croatian football club based in Zagreb. They play their home matches at Stadion Maksimir. They are the most successful club in Croatian football, having won thirteen Croatian championship titles, ten...
, while Tottenham Hotspurs and Udinese would come to Nijmegen. At the start of the European campaign his side were labeled the whipping boys of the group. However, after two losses in the group (3-2 against Dinamo Zagreb
Dinamo Zagreb
GNK Dinamo Zagreb, commonly referred to as Dinamo Zagreb , or by their nickname Modri are a Croatian football club based in Zagreb. They play their home matches at Stadion Maksimir. They are the most successful club in Croatian football, having won thirteen Croatian championship titles, ten...
& 1-0 against Tottenham Hotspurs), NEC managed to beat Spartak Moscow
Spartak Moscow
Spartak Moscow may refer to the following teams based in Moscow, Russia:* FC Spartak Moscow, an association football club* HC Spartak Moscow, a professional ice hockey team* WBC Spartak Moscow, a women's basketball team...
in Russia
Russia
Russia or , officially known as both Russia and the Russian Federation , is a country in northern Eurasia. It is a federal semi-presidential republic, comprising 83 federal subjects...
with a scoreline of 2-1. Lasse Schone scoring the all important goal in that match. The final and decisive game for Been would against Udinese, on a wonderful night for the club, he managed to get the team to a 2-0 scoreline and secure progression to the next round. They eventually lost 4-0 on aggregate to HSV Hamburg in the following round, but Mario Been had already written himself into the club's history. On 28 January 2009 NEC Nijmegen and Feyenoord had reached an agreement to let Been move to Rotterdam to become the head coach and manager there for the next season. On his final match as manager for NEC Nijmegen, Been was applauded by a full Goffert Stadium
Stadion de Goffert
The Goffertstadion or Stadion de Goffert , formerly known as McDOS Goffertstadion for sponsorship reasons, is a football stadium in Nijmegen, Netherlands, located in the Goffertpark. It is home to football club NEC...
, with fans singing his name and the players, board and fans giving him the honour of being the best manager the club has ever had. Been's farewell speech was filled with tears, however, his last words to the fans epitomized his legendary status at the club.
Feyenoord Rotterdam
Been joined his boyhood club Feyenoord in the summer of 2009 in the hope of repairing the financially stricken club. He was given a very youthful squad to work with, which did have some experienced heads in the form of Roy MakaayRoy Makaay
Rudolphus "Roy" Antonius Makaay is a retired Dutch footballer. While playing for Bayern Munich he picked up the nickname Das Phantom , for his ability to score out of nowhere.-Career:...
, Denny Landzaat
Denny Landzaat
Denny Domingoes Landzaat is a Dutch footballer who currently plays as a defensive midfielder for Dutch Eredivisie club FC Twente.-Early life:Landzaat is born and raised in Amsterdam, Netherlands...
and Giovanni van Bronckhorst
Giovanni van Bronckhorst
Giovanni Christiaan van Bronckhorst OON , known as Gio in Spain, is a retired Dutch footballer of Moluccan descent who served as the captain of the Dutch national team from August 2008 until his retirement....
. His first signing was from his old club where he signed Dani Fernandez
Dani Fernández
Dani Fernández is a Spanish singer whom represented Spain in the Junior Eurovision Song Contest 2006 with the song "Te Doy Mi Voz". He finished 4th place with 90 points, despite suffering from a voice afflliction on the night of the final These were the points received from Spain that year: 5...
for the right-back position. Been's first season for Feyenoord was immediately a success as he led them to a fourth-place finish in the league and thus a place in the Europa League for the 2010 - 2011 season. This was also the clubs highest finish for a few years. In a turbulent summer which saw all his experienced heads retire, he signed only a handful of players on free transfers or by loan. Feyenoord started the campaign in mixed form. On the opening day they beat FC Utrecht 3-1 to kick off a good start to the campaign. However the club failed to qualify for the group stages of the Europa League after they lost 2-1 to AA Gent on aggregate.
Currently Been has a contract until 2012 with the club. On 24 October 2010 he oversaw his team losing 10-0 against PSV Eindhoven at the Philips Stadion
Philips Stadion
Philips Stadion is the 35,000 seater stadium of football club, PSV Eindhoven. It was first inaugurated on 31 August 1913. The stadium is located in the Philipsdorp part of the Eindhoven borough of Strijp, close to Eindhoven's city centre....
the biggest defeat in the history of Feyenoord. Despite that, and a rather disappointing final outcome that saw Feyenoord failing to qualify for European football and even in danger of relegation at some point in the season, he was confirmed at the helm of Feyenoord for the new season.
On 13 July 2011 Been was confirmed to have left his post as head coach of Feyenoord, citing lack of trust and confidence from his players as the main reason for his surprise choice.