Rinus Michels
Encyclopedia
Marinus Jacobus Hendricus Michels OON
(9 February 1928 – 3 March 2005) was a Dutch
association football player and coach
. He played his entire career for the club Ajax Amsterdam, which he later coached, and was a member of the Netherlands national team
both as a player and as manager.
Michels became most notable for his coaching achievements, having won the European Cup
with Ajax and the Spanish league
with Barcelona
, and having had four tenures as coach of the Netherlands national team
, which he led to reach the final match of the 1974 World Cup and to win the 1988 European Championship. He is credited with the invention of a major football tactic known as "Total Football
" in the 1970s, and was named "coach of the century" by FIFA
in 1999.
and grew up at the Olympiaweg, a street near the Olympic Stadium
. He celebrated his ninth birthday on 9 February 1936, when he received a pair of football boots and an Ajax jersey. Moments later he was playing with his father at a small field near their home. Via Joop Köhler, a friend of the family who was commissioner at Ajax, Michels was introduced to the club and became a junior member in 1940. When World War II
started, and specially during the Dutch famine of 1944
, Michels' career was set on hold.
French club Lille OSC
had also wanted to contract him, but an international career did not go through as the Dutch Army
did not let him go because he had to go on duty.
8–3 and Michels scored five times. That season Ajax won their fourteenth division championship and a year later they won the Dutch national championship
. Although there were doubts about Michels' technical skills, team members like Cor van der Hart
and captain Joop Stoffelen
were enthusiastic about his strength and heading capabilities. Indeed Michels was characterized for his hard work rather than for his technical qualities.
He went on to become a regular for the club, and between 1946 and 1958, he appeared in 264 league matches for Ajax, in which he scored 122 goals. In 1958, four years after the introduction of professional football in the Netherlands and one year after winning his second league title he was forced to end his career due to a back injury.
lasted five matches, making his debut on 8 June 1950 away to Sweden
, losing 4–1. He also lost all of his remaining matches as an Oranje player, 4–1 to Finland
, 4–0 to Belgium, 6–1 to Sweden and 3-1 to Switzerland
.
three times in the following six years. In 1969 they reached the final of the European Cup for the first time, being defeated 4-1 by Italian side A.C. Milan. In 1971, he managed Ajax's to the first of three consecutive European Cup
s, a feat only achieved previously by the great Real Madrid team of Di Stefano and Puskas. While at Ajax, Michels modernized the game by introducing what became known as "Total Football" and using the offside trap (See also: Total football
). He then moved to Barcelona
in the second part of 1971, being joined by Johan Cruyff in 1973. With Michels and Cruyff, the team won the Primera División
title in 1974, before Michels became manager of the Dutch national team.
after the Netherlands had qualified for the 1974 World Cup
. His first game as Dutch coach was on 27 March 1974, in a 1–1 draw against Austria
. At the finals tournament in Germany
, their third ever World Cup participation, the Dutch impressed many observers with their style of play which was backed up by their results; they won their first round group, then in the second round group they defeated Argentina
and the defending world champions Brazil
, and reached the final after five wins and one draw, with 14 goals scored and only one conceded in six matches. At that point, Michels was undefeated in nine matches as the Netherlands coach. The Netherlands scored first against Germany in the final, but the host team came back to defeat them 2–1, ending their run. That match was the last of Michels' first tenure in charge of the Dutch team, which he would return to coach ten years later.
where he coached in the ill-fated North American Soccer League
. He ended his club coaching career with Bayer Leverkusen in 1989. He had his jour de gloire however, when he coached the Dutch team to European glory at the Euro 88.
(1–0), the Netherlands went on to qualify for the semi-final by defeating England
3–1 (with a hat-trick by the tournament's top scorer Marco van Basten), and Republic of Ireland
(1–0). For many Dutch football supporters, the most important match in the tournament was the semi-final against West Germany, the host country, considered a revenge for the lost 1974 World Cup final (also in West Germany). Michels said, after the match,"We won the tournament, but we all know that the semi-final was the real final". Marco van Basten, who would later become national team coach, scored in the 89th minute of the game to sink the German side. The game is also remembered for its post-match shenanigans, including Ronald Koeman
, who, in front of the German supporters, provocatively pretended to wipe his backside with the shirt of Olaf Thon as if it were toilet paper, an action Koeman later regretted. The Netherlands won the final with a convincing victory over the USSR, a rematch on the round robin game, through a header by Ruud Gullit
and a volley by van Basten. This was the national team's first major tournament win and it restored them to the forefront of international football after almost a decade in the wilderness for almost three years to come.
He died, on 3 March 2005, in the City of Aalst
hospital in Belgium
after a heart surgery (his second since 1986).
climbed up the stages to sing some duets. After matches he was always singing in the showers of the changing rooms as well, even when the match was lost.
Michels was also known as a practical joke
r. At a hotel he once borrowed a fur coat of a lady and pretended to be a lady to his team mates. During a training session in Lille
the players went fishing and Michels, who did not enjoy himself, jumped into the water.
Due to his authoritarian style as coach Rinus Michels was called The General. He said "Professional football is something like war. Whoever behaves too properly is lost." This has often been misquoted in the form "Football is war". Michels felt the quote was taken out of context as he did not intend to equate war with football. Michels was named coach of the century by FIFA
in 1999.
The Rinus Michels Award
, which rewards the best managers in Dutch football
, is named in his honour.
|1945-46
||rowspan="13"|Ajax||rowspan="11"|Football League Championship
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|1946-47
||28||14
|-
|1947-48
||5||3
|-
|1948-49
||20||7
|-
|1949-50
||26||16
|-
|1950-51
||14||5
|-
|1951-52
||19||15
|-
|1952-53
||20||8
|-
|1953-54
||26||12
|-
|1954-55
||33||14
|-
|1955-56
||30||8
|-
|1956-57
||rowspan="2"|Eredivisie
||29||7
|-
|1957-58
||2||0
264||122
264||122
|}
Order of Orange-Nassau
The Order of Orange-Nassau is a military and civil order of the Netherlands which was created on 4 April 1892 by the Queen regent Emma of the Netherlands, acting on behalf of her under-age daughter Queen Wilhelmina. The Order is a chivalry order open to "everyone who have earned special merits for...
(9 February 1928 – 3 March 2005) was a Dutch
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...
association football player and coach
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:...
. He played his entire career for the club Ajax Amsterdam, which he later coached, and was a member of the Netherlands national team
Netherlands 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...
both as a player and as manager.
Michels became most notable for his coaching achievements, having won the European Cup
UEFA Champions League
The UEFA Champions League, known simply the Champions League and originally known as the European Champion Clubs' Cup or European Cup, is an annual international club football competition organised by the Union of European Football Associations since 1955 for the top football clubs in Europe. It...
with Ajax and the Spanish league
La Liga
The Primera División of the Liga Nacional de Fútbol Profesional , commonly known as La Liga or, for sponsorship reasons, Liga BBVA since 2008, is the top professional association football division of the Spanish football league system...
with Barcelona
FC Barcelona
Futbol Club Barcelona , also known as Barcelona and familiarly as Barça, is a professional football club, based in Barcelona, Catalonia, Spain....
, and having had four tenures as coach of the Netherlands national team
Netherlands 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...
, which he led to reach the final match of the 1974 World Cup and to win the 1988 European Championship. He is credited with the invention of a major football tactic known as "Total Football
Total Football
"Total Football" is the label given to an influential tactical theory of association football in which any outfield player can take over the role of any other player in a team. It was pioneered by Dutch football club Ajax from 1969 to 1973, and further used by the Netherlands National Football...
" in the 1970s, and was named "coach of the century" by FIFA
FIFA
The Fédération Internationale de Football Association , commonly known by the acronym FIFA , is the international governing body of :association football, futsal and beach football. Its headquarters are located in Zurich, Switzerland, and its president is Sepp Blatter, who is in his fourth...
in 1999.
Playing career
Michels was born in AmsterdamAmsterdam
Amsterdam is the largest city and the capital of the Netherlands. The current position of Amsterdam as capital city of the Kingdom of the Netherlands is governed by the constitution of August 24, 1815 and its successors. Amsterdam has a population of 783,364 within city limits, an urban population...
and grew up at the Olympiaweg, a street near the Olympic Stadium
Olympisch Stadion (Amsterdam)
The Olympisch Stadion is a stadium built as the main stadium for the 1928 Summer Olympics in Amsterdam. When completed, the stadium had a capacity of 31,600. Following the completion of the rival De Kuip stadium in Rotterdam in 1937, the Amsterdam authorities decided to increase the capacity of the...
. He celebrated his ninth birthday on 9 February 1936, when he received a pair of football boots and an Ajax jersey. Moments later he was playing with his father at a small field near their home. Via Joop Köhler, a friend of the family who was commissioner at Ajax, Michels was introduced to the club and became a junior member in 1940. When World War II
World War II
World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
started, and specially during the Dutch famine of 1944
Dutch famine of 1944
The Dutch famine of 1944, known as the Hongerwinter in Dutch, was a famine that took place in the German-occupied part of the Netherlands, especially in the densely populated western provinces above the great rivers, during the winter of 1944-1945, near the end of World War II. A German blockade...
, Michels' career was set on hold.
French club Lille OSC
Lille OSC
LOSC Lille Métropole is a French association football club based in Lille. The club was founded in 1944 as a result of a merger and currently play in Ligue 1, the first division of French football. Lille plays its home matches at the Stade Lille-Metropole in nearby Villeneuve-d'Ascq. In 2012, the...
had also wanted to contract him, but an international career did not go through as the Dutch Army
Royal Netherlands Army
The Royal Netherlands Army is the land forces element of the military of the Netherlands.-Short history:The Royal Netherlands Army was raised on 9 January 1814, but its origins date back to 1572, when the so-called Staatse Leger was raised...
did not let him go because he had to go on duty.
Ajax first team
On 9 June 1946 Michels was invited into Ajax' first team squad to replace the injured Han Lambregt. In his debut, Ajax beat ADOADO Den Haag
Alles Door Oefening Den Haag , commonly known by the abbreviated name ADO Den Haag , is a Dutch football club from the city of The Hague. The club was for a time known as FC Den Haag , with ADO representing the amateur branch of the club...
8–3 and Michels scored five times. That season Ajax won their fourteenth division championship and a year later they won the Dutch national championship
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....
. Although there were doubts about Michels' technical skills, team members like Cor van der Hart
Cor van der Hart
Cor van der Hart was a Dutch footballer. He is known as one of the best defenders of the Dutch national team in history, who was physically strong, who read the game very well and who had a quality kicking technique....
and captain Joop Stoffelen
Joop Stoffelen
Joop Stoffelen was a Dutch footballer who was active as a midfielder. Stoffelen made his debut at AFC Ajax and also played for RC Paris, Toulouse, Blauw-Wit Amsterdam and Neerlandia.-External links:***...
were enthusiastic about his strength and heading capabilities. Indeed Michels was characterized for his hard work rather than for his technical qualities.
He went on to become a regular for the club, and between 1946 and 1958, he appeared in 264 league matches for Ajax, in which he scored 122 goals. In 1958, four years after the introduction of professional football in the Netherlands and one year after winning his second league title he was forced to end his career due to a back injury.
National team
Michels' international playing career with the Dutch national teamNetherlands 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...
lasted five matches, making his debut on 8 June 1950 away to Sweden
Sweden national football team
The Swedish national football team represents Sweden in association football and is controlled by the Swedish Football Association, the governing body for Football in Sweden. Sweden's home ground is Råsunda Stadium in Stockholms län and their head coach is Erik Hamrén. Sweden made their first...
, losing 4–1. He also lost all of his remaining matches as an Oranje player, 4–1 to Finland
Finland national football team
The Finland national football team represents Finland in international football competitions and is controlled by the Football Association of Finland....
, 4–0 to Belgium, 6–1 to Sweden and 3-1 to Switzerland
Switzerland national football team
The Swiss national football team is the national football team of Switzerland...
.
Coaching career
Michels returned to Ajax as head coach in 1965. Under his tenure and along with great players such as Johan Cruyff and Johan Neeskens, Ajax went from relegation candidates to a team that won the national championship four times and the KNVB CupKNVB Cup
The KNVB Cup is a competition in the Netherlands organized by the Royal Dutch Football Association since 1899. It was based on the format of the English FA Cup. Outside of the Netherlands, it is often referred to as the Dutch Cup...
three times in the following six years. In 1969 they reached the final of the European Cup for the first time, being defeated 4-1 by Italian side A.C. Milan. In 1971, he managed Ajax's to the first of three consecutive European Cup
UEFA Champions League
The UEFA Champions League, known simply the Champions League and originally known as the European Champion Clubs' Cup or European Cup, is an annual international club football competition organised by the Union of European Football Associations since 1955 for the top football clubs in Europe. It...
s, a feat only achieved previously by the great Real Madrid team of Di Stefano and Puskas. While at Ajax, Michels modernized the game by introducing what became known as "Total Football" and using the offside trap (See also: Total football
Total Football
"Total Football" is the label given to an influential tactical theory of association football in which any outfield player can take over the role of any other player in a team. It was pioneered by Dutch football club Ajax from 1969 to 1973, and further used by the Netherlands National Football...
). He then moved to Barcelona
FC Barcelona
Futbol Club Barcelona , also known as Barcelona and familiarly as Barça, is a professional football club, based in Barcelona, Catalonia, Spain....
in the second part of 1971, being joined by Johan Cruyff in 1973. With Michels and Cruyff, the team won the Primera División
La Liga
The Primera División of the Liga Nacional de Fútbol Profesional , commonly known as La Liga or, for sponsorship reasons, Liga BBVA since 2008, is the top professional association football division of the Spanish football league system...
title in 1974, before Michels became manager of the Dutch national team.
1974 World Cup
Michels was appointed national coach by the KNVBRoyal Dutch Football Association
The Royal Dutch Football Association is the governing body of football in the Netherlands. It organises the main Dutch football leagues , the amateur leagues, the KNVB Cup, and the Dutch national football team. It is based in the municipality of Zeist.The KNVB came into being on 8 December 1889...
after the Netherlands had qualified for the 1974 World Cup
1974 FIFA World Cup
The 1974 FIFA World Cup, the tenth staging of the World Cup, was held in West Germany from 13 June to 7 July. The tournament marked the first time that the current trophy, the FIFA World Cup Trophy, created by the Italian sculptor Silvio Gazzaniga, was awarded...
. His first game as Dutch coach was on 27 March 1974, in a 1–1 draw against Austria
Austria national football team
The Austria national football team is the association football team that represents the country of Austria in international competition and is controlled by the Austrian Football Association ....
. At the finals tournament in 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...
, their third ever World Cup participation, the Dutch impressed many observers with their style of play which was backed up by their results; they won their first round group, then in the second round group they defeated Argentina
Argentina national football team
The Argentina national football team represents Argentina in association football and is controlled by the Argentine Football Association , the governing body for football in Argentina. Argentina's home stadium is Estadio Monumental Antonio Vespucio Liberti and their head coach is Alejandro...
and the defending world champions Brazil
Brazil national football team
The Brazil national football team represents Brazil in international men's football and is controlled by the Brazilian Football Confederation , the governing body for football in Brazil. They are a member of the International Federation of Association Football since 1923 and also a member of the...
, and reached the final after five wins and one draw, with 14 goals scored and only one conceded in six matches. At that point, Michels was undefeated in nine matches as the Netherlands coach. The Netherlands scored first against Germany in the final, but the host team came back to defeat them 2–1, ending their run. That match was the last of Michels' first tenure in charge of the Dutch team, which he would return to coach ten years later.
Later years
Michels later moved on to the United StatesUnited States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
where he coached in the ill-fated North American Soccer League
North American Soccer League
North American Soccer League was a professional soccer league with teams in the United States and Canada that operated from 1968 to 1984.-History:...
. He ended his club coaching career with Bayer Leverkusen in 1989. He had his jour de gloire however, when he coached the Dutch team to European glory at the Euro 88.
European Champions
Rinus Michels returned to coach the team for the Euro '88 tournament. After losing the first group match against the Soviet UnionUSSR national football team
The Soviet Union National Football Team was the national football team of the Soviet Union. It ceased to exist after the break up of the Union...
(1–0), the Netherlands went on to qualify for the semi-final by defeating England
England national football team
The England national football team represents England in association football and is controlled by the Football Association, the governing body for football in England. England is the joint oldest national football team in the world, alongside Scotland, whom they played in the world's first...
3–1 (with a hat-trick by the tournament's top scorer Marco van Basten), and Republic of Ireland
Republic of Ireland national football team
The Republic of Ireland national football team represents Ireland in association football. It is run by the Football Association of Ireland and currently plays home fixtures at Aviva Stadium in Dublin, which opened in May 2010....
(1–0). For many Dutch football supporters, the most important match in the tournament was the semi-final against West Germany, the host country, considered a revenge for the lost 1974 World Cup final (also in West Germany). Michels said, after the match,"We won the tournament, but we all know that the semi-final was the real final". Marco van Basten, who would later become national team coach, scored in the 89th minute of the game to sink the German side. The game is also remembered for its post-match shenanigans, including Ronald Koeman
Ronald Koeman
Ronald Koeman is a former Dutch footballer, and the current manager of Feyenoord. He is the younger brother of former Feyenoord coach Erwin Koeman and the son of former Dutch international Martin Koeman...
, who, in front of the German supporters, provocatively pretended to wipe his backside with the shirt of Olaf Thon as if it were toilet paper, an action Koeman later regretted. The Netherlands won the final with a convincing victory over the USSR, a rematch on the round robin game, through a header by Ruud Gullit
Ruud Gullit
OON is a Dutch football manager and former football player, who played professionally in the 1980s and 1990s. He was the captain of the Netherlands national team that was victorious at Euro 88 and was also a member of the squad for the 1990 World Cup. He was named the European Footballer of the...
and a volley by van Basten. This was the national team's first major tournament win and it restored them to the forefront of international football after almost a decade in the wilderness for almost three years to come.
He died, on 3 March 2005, in the City of Aalst
Aalst, Belgium
Aalst is a city and municipality on the Dender River, 19 miles northwest from Brussels. It is located in the Flemish province of East Flanders in the Denderstreek. The municipality comprises the city of Aalst itself and the villages of Baardegem, Erembodegem, Gijzegem, Herdersem, Hofstade,...
hospital in Belgium
Belgium
Belgium , officially the Kingdom of Belgium, is a federal state in Western Europe. It is a founding member of the European Union and hosts the EU's headquarters, and those of several other major international organisations such as NATO.Belgium is also a member of, or affiliated to, many...
after a heart surgery (his second since 1986).
Personality and legacy
Michels became known as a person who was keen on his money and did not want to spend much of it. A common joke in the Ajax changing rooms in these days was: "Does anybody actually know the color of Michels' wallet?". His IQ was high and during foreign trips he always brought a book with him, which he wanted to have read completely before coming home. He was known as someone who did not need anybody and who felt happy on his own, but sometimes he joined his team mates and share their enthusiastic friendships. At the celebrations of Ajax' 50th birthday in 1950 he was the organizer of the humoristic show that was held and during traditional parties he and his friend Hans BoskampHans Boskamp
Hans Boskamp was a Dutch footballer and actor.-Club career:Rotterdam-born Boskamp played his club football in Amsterdam for Ajax, BVC Amsterdam and DWS.-International career:...
climbed up the stages to sing some duets. After matches he was always singing in the showers of the changing rooms as well, even when the match was lost.
Michels was also known as a practical joke
Practical joke
A practical joke is a mischievous trick played on someone, typically causing the victim to experience embarrassment, indignity, or discomfort. Practical jokes differ from confidence tricks in that the victim finds out, or is let in on the joke, rather than being fooled into handing over money or...
r. At a hotel he once borrowed a fur coat of a lady and pretended to be a lady to his team mates. During a training session in Lille
Lille
Lille is a city in northern France . It is the principal city of the Lille Métropole, the fourth-largest metropolitan area in the country behind those of Paris, Lyon and Marseille. Lille is situated on the Deûle River, near France's border with Belgium...
the players went fishing and Michels, who did not enjoy himself, jumped into the water.
Due to his authoritarian style as coach Rinus Michels was called The General. He said "Professional football is something like war. Whoever behaves too properly is lost." This has often been misquoted in the form "Football is war". Michels felt the quote was taken out of context as he did not intend to equate war with football. Michels was named coach of the century by FIFA
FIFA
The Fédération Internationale de Football Association , commonly known by the acronym FIFA , is the international governing body of :association football, futsal and beach football. Its headquarters are located in Zurich, Switzerland, and its president is Sepp Blatter, who is in his fourth...
in 1999.
The Rinus Michels Award
Rinus Michels Award
The Rinus Michels Award is an annual prize in Dutch football. It is supported by the official football coaches union...
, which rewards the best managers in Dutch football
Football in the Netherlands
Football is the most popular Sport in the Netherlands. Football was introduced to the Netherlands by Pim Mulier in the 19th century when in 1879, at the age of 14, he founded Haarlemsche Football Club...
, is named in his honour.
Quotes
- Professional football is something like war. Whoever behaves too properly, is lost. Often misquoted in the form "Football is war".
- It is an art in itself to compose a starting team, finding the balance between creative players and those with destructive powers, and between defence, construction and attack – never forgetting the quality of the opposition and the specific pressures of each match.
About Michels
- "Both as a player and as a trainer there is nobody who taught me as much as him. I will miss Rinus Michels. ... I always greatly admired his leadership." Johan Cruijff
Career statistics
|-|1945-46
Netherlands Football League Championship 1945–46
The Netherlands Football League Championship 1945/1946 was contested by 66 teams participating in six divisions. The national champion would be determined by a play-off featuring the winners of the eastern, northern, two southern and two western football divisions of the Netherlands...
||rowspan="13"|Ajax||rowspan="11"|Football League Championship
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....
||12||13
|-
|1946-47
Netherlands Football League Championship 1946–47
The Netherlands Football League Championship 1946/1947 was contested by 66 teams participating in six divisions. The national champion would be determined by a play-off featuring the winners of the eastern, northern, two southern and two western football divisions of the Netherlands...
||28||14
|-
|1947-48
Netherlands Football League Championship 1947–48
The Netherlands Football League Championship 1947/1948 was contested by 66 teams participating in six divisions. The national champion would be determined by a play-off featuring the winners of the eastern, northern, two southern and two western football divisions of the Netherlands...
||5||3
|-
|1948-49
Netherlands Football League Championship 1948–49
The Netherlands Football League Championship 1948/1949 was contested by 66 teams participating in six divisions. The national champion would be determined by a play-off featuring the winners of the eastern, northern, two southern and two western football divisions of the Netherlands...
||20||7
|-
|1949-50
Netherlands Football League Championship 1949–50
The Netherlands Football League Championship 1949/1950 was contested by 60 teams participating in six divisions. The national champion would be determined by a play-off featuring the winners of the eastern, northern, two southern and two western football divisions of the Netherlands...
||26||16
|-
|1950-51
Netherlands Football League Championship 1950–51
The Netherlands Football League Championship 1950/1951 was contested by 60 teams participating in five divisions. The national champion would be determined by a play-off featuring the winners of each division of the Netherlands...
||14||5
|-
|1951-52
Netherlands Football League Championship 1951–52
The Netherlands Football League Championship 1951/1952 was contested by 56 teams participating in four divisions. The national champion would be determined by a play-off featuring the winners of each division of the Netherlands. Willem II won this years championship by beating Hermes DVS, HFC...
||19||15
|-
|1952-53
Netherlands Football League Championship 1952–53
The Netherlands Football League Championship 1952/1953 was contested by 56 teams participating in four divisions. The national champion would be determined by a play-off featuring the winners of each division of the Netherlands...
||20||8
|-
|1953-54
Netherlands Football League Championship 1953–54
The Netherlands Football League Championship 1953/1954 was contested by 56 teams participating in four divisions. It would be the last season on an amateur basis. The national champion would be determined by a play-off featuring the winners of each division of the Netherlands...
||26||12
|-
|1954-55
Netherlands Football League Championship 1954–55
The Netherlands Football League Championship 1954/1955 was contested by 56 teams participating in four divisions. The national champion would be determined by a play-off featuring the winners of each division of the Netherlands. Willem II won this years championship by beating NAC, PSV and FC...
||33||14
|-
|1955-56
Netherlands Football League Championship 1955–56
The Netherlands Football League Championship 1955/1956 was contested by 36 teams participating in two divisions. The national champion would be determined by a play-off featuring the two best placed teams in both divisions of the Netherlands...
||30||8
|-
|1956-57
Eredivisie 1956-57
The 1956/57 season of the Eredivisie was the first in its history. It was the start of a single professional football competition in the Netherlands, represented by the country's best clubs. It was contested by 18 teams, and Ajax won the championship....
||rowspan="2"|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....
||29||7
|-
|1957-58
Eredivisie 1957-58
The Dutch Eredivisie in the 1957/1958 season was contested by 18 teams. At the end of the competition, Door Oefening Sterk and SC Enschede shared the lead with 47 points. According to the rules, an extra match was required. It was played at a neutral field and Door Oefening Sterk won the...
||2||0
264||122
264||122
|}
Manager
- UEFA European Football ChampionshipUEFA European Football ChampionshipThe UEFA European Football Championship is the main football competition of the men's national football teams governed by UEFA . Held every four years since 1960, in the even-numbered year between World Cup tournaments, it was originally called the UEFA European Nations Cup, changing to the current...
winner: 19881988 UEFA European Football ChampionshipThe 1988 UEFA European Football Championship final tournament was held in West Germany. West Germany won the right to host the tournament with five votes ahead of a joint bid from Norway, Sweden and Denmark, who gained 1 vote, and a bid from England. It was the eighth European Football... - FIFA World CupFIFA World CupThe FIFA World Cup, often simply the World Cup, is an international association football competition contested by the senior men's national teams of the members of Fédération Internationale de Football Association , the sport's global governing body...
finalist: 19741974 FIFA World CupThe 1974 FIFA World Cup, the tenth staging of the World Cup, was held in West Germany from 13 June to 7 July. The tournament marked the first time that the current trophy, the FIFA World Cup Trophy, created by the Italian sculptor Silvio Gazzaniga, was awarded... - Inter-Cities Fairs Cup Trophy Play-OffInter-Cities Fairs Cup Trophy Play-OffThe last Inter-Cities Fairs Cup was contested in the 1970-71 season before it was replaced by the UEFA Cup, and a new trophy. The old trophy had not been won by any club permanently, so a one-off play-off game was arranged between FC Barcelona, who were the original winners and had held the trophy...
winner: 1971Inter-Cities Fairs Cup Trophy Play-OffThe last Inter-Cities Fairs Cup was contested in the 1970-71 season before it was replaced by the UEFA Cup, and a new trophy. The old trophy had not been won by any club permanently, so a one-off play-off game was arranged between FC Barcelona, who were the original winners and had held the trophy... - European CupUEFA Champions LeagueThe UEFA Champions League, known simply the Champions League and originally known as the European Champion Clubs' Cup or European Cup, is an annual international club football competition organised by the Union of European Football Associations since 1955 for the top football clubs in Europe. It...
winner: 1971European Cup 1970-71The 1970–71 season of the European Cup football club tournament was won by Ajax in the final against Panathinaikos. It was the first time the cup went to Ajax, beginning a three-year period of domination, and the second consecutive championship for the Netherlands... - European CupUEFA Champions LeagueThe UEFA Champions League, known simply the Champions League and originally known as the European Champion Clubs' Cup or European Cup, is an annual international club football competition organised by the Union of European Football Associations since 1955 for the top football clubs in Europe. It...
finalist: 1969European Cup 1968-69The 1968–69 season of the European Cup football club tournament was won by Milan, who beat Ajax 4–1 in the final, giving Milan its first European Cup title since 1963, and its second overall... - EredivisieEredivisieThe 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....
winner: 1966, 1967, 1968, 1970 - La LigaLa LigaThe Primera División of the Liga Nacional de Fútbol Profesional , commonly known as La Liga or, for sponsorship reasons, Liga BBVA since 2008, is the top professional association football division of the Spanish football league system...
winner: 1974 - KNVB CupKNVB CupThe KNVB Cup is a competition in the Netherlands organized by the Royal Dutch Football Association since 1899. It was based on the format of the English FA Cup. Outside of the Netherlands, it is often referred to as the Dutch Cup...
winner: 1967, 1970, 1971 - Copa del ReyCopa del ReyThe Copa del Rey is an annual football cup competition for Spanish football teams. Its full name is Campeonato de España – Copa de Su Majestad el Rey de Fútbol ....
winner: 1978 - DFB Pokal winner: 1983
Other
- Named knight in the Order of Orange-NassauOrder of Orange-NassauThe Order of Orange-Nassau is a military and civil order of the Netherlands which was created on 4 April 1892 by the Queen regent Emma of the Netherlands, acting on behalf of her under-age daughter Queen Wilhelmina. The Order is a chivalry order open to "everyone who have earned special merits for...
: 1974 - Named officer in the Order of Orange-NassauOrder of Orange-NassauThe Order of Orange-Nassau is a military and civil order of the Netherlands which was created on 4 April 1892 by the Queen regent Emma of the Netherlands, acting on behalf of her under-age daughter Queen Wilhelmina. The Order is a chivalry order open to "everyone who have earned special merits for...
: 1988 - Named Dutch manager of the century: 1999
- Named knight of the KNVBRoyal Dutch Football AssociationThe Royal Dutch Football Association is the governing body of football in the Netherlands. It organises the main Dutch football leagues , the amateur leagues, the KNVB Cup, and the Dutch national football team. It is based in the municipality of Zeist.The KNVB came into being on 8 December 1889...
: 2002 - UEFA Lifetime Award: 2002
- Best Manager in 50 years of professional football in the Netherlands: 2004