Frank Rijkaard

Frank Rijkaard
Rijkaard in 2006
Personal information
Full name Franklin Edmundo Rijkaard[1]
Date of birth (1962-09-30) 30 September 1962 (age 61)
Place of birth Amsterdam, Netherlands
Height 1.90 m (6 ft 3 in)
Position(s) Central midfielder, central defender
Youth career
–1973 SC Buitenveldert
1973–1976 Blauw-Wit Amsterdam
1976–1979 DWS
1979–1980 Ajax
Senior career*
Years Team Apps (Gls)
1980–1987 Ajax 205 (47)
1987–1988 Sporting CP 0 (0)
1987–1988Real Zaragoza (loan) 11 (0)
1988–1993 AC Milan 142 (16)
1993–1995 Ajax 56 (12)
Total 414 (75)
International career
1981–1994 Netherlands 73 (10)
Managerial career
1998 Netherlands (assistant)
1998–2000 Netherlands
2001–2002 Sparta Rotterdam
2003–2008 Barcelona
2009–2010 Galatasaray
2011–2013 Saudi Arabia
Medal record
Men's football
Representing  Netherlands
UEFA European Championship
Winner 1988 West Germany
Third place 1992 Sweden
*Club domestic league appearances and goals

Franklin Edmundo Rijkaard (Dutch pronunciation: [frɑŋk ˈɛtmundoː ˈrɛikaːrt] ; born 30 September 1962) is a Dutch former footballer and former manager who played as a defensive midfielder. Regarded as one of the best midfielders in footballing history,[2][3] Rijkaard was described by British broadsheet The Daily Telegraph as having been "a stylish player of faultless pedigree".[4]

Rijkaard played for Ajax, Real Zaragoza and AC Milan. With Ajax, he won five Eredivisie titles and the 1994–1995 Champions League. With AC Milan, he won Serie A titles, as well as the 1988–89 and 1989–90 European Cup (Champions League) titles.

He earned 73 caps for the Netherlands national team. He was part of the team that won the 1988 Euro and finished third in the 1992 Euro. He also played in the 1990 and 1994 World Cups.

In his managerial career, he is most well known for his five-year tenure at Barcelona where he won the 2004–05 and 2005–06 La Liga titles, as well as the 2005–06 Champions League. He has also managed the Netherlands national team, Sparta Rotterdam, Galatasaray and the Saudi Arabia national team.

  1. ^ "Acta del Partido celebrado el 17 de mayo de 2008, en Murcia" [Minutes of the Match held on 17 May 2008, in Murcia] (in Spanish). Royal Spanish Football Federation. Retrieved 16 June 2019.[permanent dead link]
  2. ^ "Dutchman who ruled Europe in three shirts". FIFA. Archived from the original on 27 February 2012. Retrieved 31 December 2015.
  3. ^ "Frank Rijkaard Biography". history-of-soccer.org. Archived from the original on 7 January 2016. Retrieved 31 December 2015.
  4. ^ "Liverpool's Roy Hodgson under fresh scrutiny after Frank Rijkaard leaves Galatasaray". The Daily Telegraph. 20 October 2010. Archived from the original on 12 January 2022. Retrieved 21 October 2010.