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Frank Rijkaard

Frank Rijkaard
FrankRijkaard2.jpg
Rijkaard in 2006
Personal information
Full name Franklin Edmundo Rijkaard
Date of birth (1962-09-30) 30 September 1962 (age 54)
Place of birth Amsterdam, Netherlands
Height 1.90 m (6 ft 3 in)
Playing position Defensive midfielder, Centre back
Senior career*
Years Team Apps (Gls)
1980–1987 Ajax 205 (47)
1987–1988 Sporting CP 0 (0)
1987–1988 Real Zaragoza (loan) 11 (0)
1988–1993 Milan 142 (16)
1993–1995 Ajax 56 (12)
Total 414 (75)
National team
1981–1994 Netherlands 73 (10)
Teams managed
1998–2000 Netherlands
2001–2002 Sparta Rotterdam
2003–2008 Barcelona
2009–2010 Galatasaray
2011–2013 Saudi Arabia
* Senior club appearances and goals counted for the domestic league only.

Franklin Edmundo Rijkaard (Dutch pronunciation: [ˈfrɑŋk ˈrɛi̯kaːrt]; born 30 September 1962) is a Dutch former footballer and manager who played as a midfielder or defender. Rijkaard has played for Ajax, Real Zaragoza and Milan and represented the Netherlands national team side 73 times, scoring 10 goals. In his managerial career, he has been at the helm of the Netherlands national team, Sparta Rotterdam, Barcelona, Galatasaray and the Saudi Arabia national team.

Regarded as one of the best defensive midfielders in footballing history and as one of the best players of his generation, in 2010 Rijkaard was described by British broadsheet The Daily Telegraph as having been "a stylish player of faultless pedigree".

Rijkaard was born in Amsterdam. His mother, Neel, is Dutch and his father, Herman (1935–2010), was a former Surinamese footballer. Rijkaard was just 17 when Ajax coach Leo Beenhakker gave him his senior squad debut on 23 August 1980. He made an immediate impact, scoring the third goal in a 4–2 away victory over Go Ahead Eagles, the first league match in the 1980–81 season. He would play another 23 games for Ajax in his first season, netting four goals. In 1981–82, he won his first league championship with Ajax and went on to successfully defend that title in the following season.


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