Marco van Basten
Encyclopedia
Marcel "Marco" van Basten (ˈmɑrkoˑ vɑmˈbɑstə(n); 31 October 1964) is a Dutch
football manager
and former football player, who played for AFC Ajax and A.C. Milan
, as well as the Dutch national team
, in the 1980s and early 1990s. He is regarded as one of the greatest forwards of all time and has scored 277 goal
s in a high-profile career, which ended in 1995 as a result of an injury
suffered two years earlier.
He was later the head coach of AFC Ajax and the Dutch national team.
Known for his strength on the ball, his tactical awareness and spectacular strikes and volley
s, van Basten was named European Footballer of the Year
three times (1988, '89 and '92) and FIFA World Player of the Year
in 1992. Van Basten was voted eighth in a poll organised by the French weekly magazine France Football
consulting their former Ballon d'Or winners to elect the Football Player of the Century. In 2004, a nationwide poll was held for the 100 greatest Dutch people (De Grootste Nederlander
) and van Basten was number 25, the second highest for a football player.
In March 2007, Sky Sports ranked van Basten first on its list of great athletes who had their careers cut short.
. He began playing for a local team, EDO, when he was seven years old. A year later, he moved to UVV Utrecht
. After 10 years there, he briefly played for another club from Utrecht, Elinkwijk.
In the 1982–83 season, he competed with the European top scorer
Wim Kieft
for the position of centre forward, and scored nine goals in 20 league matches. After Kieft left for Serie A
club Pisa
the next season, van Basten solidified his position as the team's main attacker.
He became a top scorer in the league for four seasons from 1983–84 to 1986–87, scoring 117 goals in 112 matches. In the 1985–86 season, he scored 37 goals in 26 league matches, including six goals against Sparta Rotterdam
and five against Heracles Almelo
, and won the European Golden Boot. He also scored the winning goal in the UEFA Cup Winners' Cup final against Lokomotive Leipzig
in 1987.
signed van Basten for A.C. Milan
, with fellow countrymen Ruud Gullit
and Frank Rijkaard
joining in 1988. In his first season, Milan won their first Scudetto
in eight years, but van Basten played only 11 games and was constantly troubled by an ankle injury.
In 1988–89, van Basten won the Ballon d'Or as Europe's top footballer. He scored 19 goals in Serie A
and scored two goals in the final of the European Cup
as Milan triumphed against Steaua Bucureşti.
In 1989–90, he became Capocannoniere, Serie A's leading goal scorer, and Milan successfully defended the European Cup after beating S.L. Benfica in the final match.
Milan struggled in the 1990–91 season, as Sampdoria
won the Scudetto. After van Basten fell out with Arrigo Sacchi
, Berlusconi sacked the manager. Fabio Capello
took over the following season, and Milan went undefeated in the league to win another Scudetto. Van Basten scored 25 league goals, and became Capocannoniere again.
In November 1992, he became the first player to score four goals in a Champions League match, including a picture perfect bicycle kick. The goals came against the Swedish team IFK Göteborg
.
Milan stretched their unbeaten run into the 1992–93 season, going 58 matches over two seasons before they lost a game. Van Basten played exceptionally well in the early part of the season. He was again voted the European player of the year, becoming the third player after Johan Cruyff
and Michel Platini
to win the award three times.
His troublesome ankle injury recurred in a game against A.C. Ancona
, forcing him to undergo another series of surgery. He returned for the last few games in the season, before Milan lost to Olympique de Marseille
in the Champions League final
. The match was van Basten's final game for the Italian club.
He had been hopeful of playing for his country at the 1994
World Cup
as well as for his club in the 1994-95 season after spending the whole 1993-94 season out of action (missing Milan's victory
in the European Cup as well as their Serie A title glory), but his club ordered him not to take part in the World Cup amid fear of ruining his rehabilitation. He finally conceded defeat in his battle to recover on 17 August 1995, when he announced his retirement as a player after two whole years on sidelines.
testimonial at the San Siro
in March 2006, and headed in a goal before being substituted early in the first half. On 22 July 2006, he also returned for the testimonial to celebrate the 11-year Arsenal
career of Dennis Bergkamp
, in what was the first game played at the new Emirates Stadium
. He played in the second half for the Ajax legends team. He entered the match as part of a double substitution that also introduced Johan Cruyff
.
. He made his senior debut that same year. At the UEFA Euro 1988, van Basten scored a total of five goals, including a hat trick against England
, the winning goal in the semi-final against West Germany
, and a spectacular volley
in the final against the Soviet Union. He was the tournament's top scorer and was the only player to score more than two goals.
The Dutch national team
exited early in the World Cup in the 1990 FIFA World Cup
, losing to West Germany in the second round. Van Basten never scored in the World Cup Finals.
The Netherlands reached the semi-final of UEFA Euro 1992 when they lost to Denmark
in a penalty shootout, with Peter Schmeichel
saving a penalty shot from van Basten.
Van Basten officially left A.C. Milan
in 1995 and retired from football, stating he would never try management. However, he changed his mind and took a course with the Royal Dutch Football Association
(KNVB). His first stint as a manager was as an assistant to his former teammate John van 't Schip
with the second team of AFC Ajax in 2003–04. On 29 July 2004, van Basten was named the new manager of the Dutch national team
, with van 't Schip as his assistant.
As a manager, he soon established himself as a man of strong principles. Van Basten famously dropped regulars like Clarence Seedorf
, Patrick Kluivert
, Edgar Davids
and Roy Makaay
and benched Mark van Bommel
, because he believed that they were either past their prime or constantly underachieving.
There were also calls for van Basten to call up Dennis Bergkamp
, who had retired from the national team six years earlier for a final "hurrah" as he was retiring that season. Van Basten then revealed to the media that he never intended to do so despite Bergkamp's own willingness.
For probably the first time in decades, none of the "Big Three" Clubs (AFC Ajax, PSV, and Feyenoord) provided the backbone for the national team. Instead, newcomer AZ led the way with players such as Denny Landzaat
, Barry Opdam
, Barry van Galen, Ron Vlaar
, Jan Kromkamp
and Joris Mathijsen. Other unheralded choices were Khalid Boulahrouz
, Hedwiges Maduro
, Ryan Babel
and Romeo Castelen
selected. Van Basten had also wanted to include Ivorian
forward Salomon Kalou
, but was thwarted when Kalou was denied Dutch citizenship by the immigration authorities headed by Rita Verdonk
. Kalou eventually accepted a call-up to play for Côte d'Ivoire
.
Under his guidance, the team were unbeaten in their World Cup qualification group and made it through the group stages at the FIFA World Cup 2006, but were eliminated in a frenzied 1–0 loss to Portugal
in the Round of 16. Van Basten was heavily criticised for dropping Ruud van Nistelrooy
(who had scored 28 goals for the Netherlands) before this game, in favour of Dirk Kuyt
, who did not score throughout the entire tournament.
In November 2006, van Basten recalled exiled A.C. Milan
midfielder Clarence Seedorf
for a friendly against England
at the Amsterdam ArenA
. In May 2007, van Basten announced the end of his long-running dispute with Real Madrid
forward Ruud van Nistelrooy
, who had previously declared never to play for a Dutch national squad with van Basten as its manager. Other players, such as Roy Makaay
, Mark van Bommel
, Boudewijn Zenden, and Edgar Davids
, however, remained out of favour.
Van Basten had a contract with the KNVB
for managing the Dutch national side until 2008. The KNVB had expressed its wishes to extend his contract to include the World Cup qualification route to 2010 FIFA World Cup
in South Africa
. On 22 February 2008, van Basten signed a four-year contract with AFC Ajax, starting from 1 July. His last tournament thus was the UEFA Euro 2008, where the Netherlands surprised with a strong round 1 performance. They beat world champions
Italy
3-0 in their first match, followed by a 4-1 win over World Cup runners-up
France
. In their third game, already qualified for the next round, van Basten selected non-regulars such as Maarten Stekelenburg, Wilfred Bouma
and Ibrahim Afellay
for the starting lineup against Romania
, a match the 'Oranje' won 2-0. In the quarter finals, van Basten faced fellow Dutchman
Guus Hiddink
's Russia
. With the score at 1-1 after 90 minutes, Hiddink and Russia went on to win the match 3-1.
Van Basten became trainer of Ajax after Euro 2008 but resigned on 6 May 2009 after his team failed to qualify for the UEFA Champions League
. Van Basten started the season well, having spent millions on players such as Miralem Sulejmani
, Ismaïl Aissati
, Darío Cvitanich
, Evander Sno
, Eyong Enoh
and Oleguer Presas Renom. However, in the second half of the season striker Klaas-Jan Huntelaar left for Real Madrid
, and Van Basten started switching around his lineups. When Ajax lost eleven points in four games, the Eredivisie title was out of sight. Ajax could, however, still get second place, which would have have ensured a place in the third qualifying round of the UEFA Champions League
. But after two big losses against PSV (6-2) and Sparta Rotterdam
(4-0) Van Basten's Ajax could only make it to number three. Van Basten decided to resign as Ajax manager at the end of the 2008-09 season.
Van Basten is now a pundit for Sport1
, but is still planning to return as a manager.
Milan
*European competitions include the UEFA Champions League, UEFA Cup Winners' Cup, UEFA Cup, and UEFA Super Cup
|1983||3||2
|-
|1984||3||0
|-
|1985||4||1
|-
|1986||4||2
|-
|1987||4||1
|-
|1988||9||5
|-
|1989||5||2
|-
|1990||11||8
|-
|1991||5||2
|-
|1992||10||1
|-
!Total||58||24
|}
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...
football manager
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:...
and former football player, who played for AFC Ajax and A.C. Milan
A.C. Milan
Associazione Calcio Milan, commonly referred to as A.C. Milan or simply Milan , is a professional Italian football club based in Milan, Lombardy, that plays in the Serie A. Milan was founded in 1899 by English lace-maker Herbert Kilpin and businessman Alfred Edwards among others...
, as well as the Dutch 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...
, in the 1980s and early 1990s. He is regarded as one of the greatest forwards of all time and has scored 277 goal
Goal (sport)
Goal refers to a method of scoring in many sports. It can also refer to the physical structure or area of the playing surface where scoring occurs....
s in a high-profile career, which ended in 1995 as a result of an injury
Injury
-By cause:*Traumatic injury, a body wound or shock produced by sudden physical injury, as from violence or accident*Other injuries from external physical causes, such as radiation injury, burn injury or frostbite*Injury from infection...
suffered two years earlier.
He was later the head coach of AFC Ajax and the Dutch national team.
Known for his strength on the ball, his tactical awareness and spectacular strikes and volley
Volley (football)
A volley is an air-borne strike in association football, where a player's feet meets and directs the ball in an angled direction before it has time to reach the ground...
s, van Basten was named European Footballer of the Year
European Footballer of the Year
The "", literally translated as "the golden ball" and often referred to as the European Footballer of the Year award, was an annual association football award. It was presented to the player who had been considered to have performed the best over the previous calendar year...
three times (1988, '89 and '92) and FIFA World Player of the Year
FIFA World Player of the Year
The FIFA World Player of the Year was an association football award given annually to the male and female player who were thought to be the best in the world, based on votes by coaches and captains of international teams...
in 1992. Van Basten was voted eighth in a poll organised by the French weekly magazine France Football
France Football
France Football is a French bi-weekly magazine containing football news from all over the world. It's one of the most reputable sports publications in Europe, mostly because of their photographic reports and accurate statistics of the big European Cup matches, and extensive coverage of the European...
consulting their former Ballon d'Or winners to elect the Football Player of the Century. In 2004, a nationwide poll was held for the 100 greatest Dutch people (De Grootste Nederlander
De Grootste Nederlander
De Grootste Nederlander was a public poll held in 2004 by the broadcasting company KRO of the Publieke Omroep. The series is based on the BBC's 100 Greatest Britons...
) and van Basten was number 25, the second highest for a football player.
In March 2007, Sky Sports ranked van Basten first on its list of great athletes who had their careers cut short.
Early years
Van Basten was born on 31 October 1964 in UtrechtUtrecht (city)
Utrecht city and municipality is the capital and most populous city of the Dutch province of Utrecht. It is located in the eastern corner of the Randstad conurbation, and is the fourth largest city of the Netherlands with a population of 312,634 on 1 Jan 2011.Utrecht's ancient city centre features...
. He began playing for a local team, EDO, when he was seven years old. A year later, he moved to UVV Utrecht
UVV Utrecht
UVV Utrecht is a sports club based in Utrecht, Netherlands. It was founded in 1902. The club has teams in the following sports: football, tennis, baseball, softball and beach volleyball....
. After 10 years there, he briefly played for another club from Utrecht, Elinkwijk.
Ajax
AFC Ajax signed van Basten for the 1981–82 season. He played his first game for Ajax in April 1982, scoring a debut goal in the 5–0 victory over NEC.In the 1982–83 season, he competed with the European top scorer
European Golden Boot
The European Golden Shoe, formerly known as the European Golden Boot, is an association football award presented each season to the leading goalscorer in league matches from the top division of every European national league...
Wim Kieft
Wim Kieft
Willem "Wim" Cornelis Nicolaas Kieft is a retired Dutch footballer who played as a centre forward.A prolific goalscorer whose main asset resided in his heading ability, he played in his country for two of the most important clubs, Ajax Amsterdam and PSV Eindhoven, with equal team and individual...
for the position of centre forward, and scored nine goals in 20 league matches. After Kieft left for Serie A
Serie A
Serie A , now called Serie A TIM due to sponsorship by Telecom Italia, is a professional league competition for football clubs located at the top of the Italian football league system and has been operating for over eighty years since 1929. It had been organized by Lega Calcio until 2010, but a new...
club Pisa
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...
the next season, van Basten solidified his position as the team's main attacker.
He became a top scorer in the league for four seasons from 1983–84 to 1986–87, scoring 117 goals in 112 matches. In the 1985–86 season, he scored 37 goals in 26 league matches, including six goals against Sparta Rotterdam
Sparta Rotterdam
Sparta Rotterdam is the oldest professional football team in the Netherlands, established on April 1, 1888. Sparta is one of three professional football clubs from Rotterdam, the others being Excelsior and Feyenoord , the latter playing in the Eredivisie.-History:Sparta was first founded in 1887....
and five against Heracles Almelo
Heracles Almelo
Heracles Almelo is a football club from Almelo, Netherlands.Heracles Almelo were founded on May 3, 1903 as Heracles, after the demigod son of Zeus. They changed their name on July 1, 1974 to SC Heracles '74 and finally settled on the current name in 1998. The club has won the Dutch national title...
, and won the European Golden Boot. He also scored the winning goal in the UEFA Cup Winners' Cup final against Lokomotive Leipzig
Lokomotive Leipzig
1. FC Lokomotive Leipzig is a German football club based in the city of Leipzig in Saxony and may be more familiar to many of the country's football fans as the historic side VfB Leipzig, the first national champions of Germany...
in 1987.
Milan
In 1987, Silvio BerlusconiSilvio Berlusconi
Silvio Berlusconi , also known as Il Cavaliere – from knighthood to the Order of Merit for Labour which he received in 1977 – is an Italian politician and businessman who served three terms as Prime Minister of Italy, from 1994 to 1995, 2001 to 2006, and 2008 to 2011. Berlusconi is also the...
signed van Basten for A.C. Milan
A.C. Milan
Associazione Calcio Milan, commonly referred to as A.C. Milan or simply Milan , is a professional Italian football club based in Milan, Lombardy, that plays in the Serie A. Milan was founded in 1899 by English lace-maker Herbert Kilpin and businessman Alfred Edwards among others...
, with fellow countrymen 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 Frank Rijkaard
Frank Rijkaard
Franklin Edmundo Rijkaard is a Dutch football manager of Dutch and Surinamese descent and former player. Rijkaard has played for Ajax, Real Zaragoza and Milan, and represented his national side 73 times, scoring 10 goals. In his coaching career, he has been at the helm of the Dutch national side,...
joining in 1988. In his first season, Milan won their first Scudetto
Italian football champions
The Italian football champions are the annual winners of Serie A, Italy's premier annual football league competition. The title has been contested since 1898 in varying forms of competition. While Milan are the current champions, Juventus have won a record 27 championship titles...
in eight years, but van Basten played only 11 games and was constantly troubled by an ankle injury.
In 1988–89, van Basten won the Ballon d'Or as Europe's top footballer. He scored 19 goals in Serie A
Serie A
Serie A , now called Serie A TIM due to sponsorship by Telecom Italia, is a professional league competition for football clubs located at the top of the Italian football league system and has been operating for over eighty years since 1929. It had been organized by Lega Calcio until 2010, but a new...
and scored two goals in the final of 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...
as Milan triumphed against Steaua Bucureşti.
In 1989–90, he became Capocannoniere, Serie A's leading goal scorer, and Milan successfully defended the European Cup after beating S.L. Benfica in the final match.
Milan struggled in the 1990–91 season, as Sampdoria
U.C. Sampdoria
Unione Calcio Sampdoria is an Italian association football club based in Genoa. The club was formed in 1946 from the merger of two existing sports clubs whose roots can be traced back to the 1890s, Sampierdarenese and Andrea Doria...
won the Scudetto. After van Basten fell out with Arrigo Sacchi
Arrigo Sacchi
Arrigo Sacchi is an Italian football coach. He is best known for his success coaching Italian teams, particularly with Milan where he won back to back European Cups as coach in the late eighties where he was head coach of the Italy national football team . He was twice manager of A.C...
, Berlusconi sacked the manager. Fabio Capello
Fabio Capello
Fabio Capello is an Italian football manager and former player. He is the manager of the England national football team.Capello has the distinction of winning the domestic league title with every club he has coached throughout his career...
took over the following season, and Milan went undefeated in the league to win another Scudetto. Van Basten scored 25 league goals, and became Capocannoniere again.
In November 1992, he became the first player to score four goals in a Champions League match, including a picture perfect bicycle kick. The goals came against the Swedish team IFK Göteborg
IFK Göteborg
IFK Göteborg is a Swedish professional football club based in Gothenburg. Founded in 1904, the club has won 18 national championship titles, five national cup titles, and two UEFA Cups....
.
Milan stretched their unbeaten run into the 1992–93 season, going 58 matches over two seasons before they lost a game. Van Basten played exceptionally well in the early part of the season. He was again voted the European player of the year, becoming the third player after Johan Cruyff
Johan Cruyff
Hendrik Johannes Cruijff OON , known as Johan Cruyff, is a retired Dutch footballer and is currently the manager of the Catalan national team as well as a member of the AFC Ajax board of directors. He won the Ballon d'Or three times, in 1971, 1973 and 1974, which is a record jointly held with...
and Michel Platini
Michel Platini
Michel François Platini is a former French football player, manager and current president of UEFA. Platini was a member of the French national team that won the 1984 European Championship, a tournament in which he was the top goalscorer and voted the best player. He participated in the 1978, 1982...
to win the award three times.
His troublesome ankle injury recurred in a game against A.C. Ancona
A.C. Ancona
Associazione Calcio Ancona was a professional Italian football club, based in Ancona, Marche. It was founded in 1905 as Unione Sportiva Anconitana, changing its name to Ancona Calcio 1905 in 1981 and being refounded in 2004 with its last denomination....
, forcing him to undergo another series of surgery. He returned for the last few games in the season, before Milan lost to Olympique de Marseille
Olympique de Marseille
Olympique de Marseille is a French association football club based in Marseille. Founded in 1899, the club plays in Ligue 1 and have spent most of its history in the top tier of French football. Marseille have been French champions nine times and have won the Coupe de France a record ten times. In...
in the Champions League final
1993 UEFA Champions League Final
The 1993 UEFA Champions League Final was a football match between French club Marseille and Italian club Milan, played on 26 May 1993 at the Olympiastadion in Munich, Germany....
. The match was van Basten's final game for the Italian club.
He had been hopeful of playing for his country at the 1994
1994 FIFA World Cup
The 1994 FIFA World Cup, the 15th staging of the FIFA World Cup, was held in nine cities across the United States from June 17 to July 17, 1994. The United States was chosen as the host by FIFA on July 4, 1988...
World Cup
FIFA World Cup
The 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...
as well as for his club in the 1994-95 season after spending the whole 1993-94 season out of action (missing Milan's victory
1994 European cup final
The 1994 UEFA Champions League Final was a football match between Italian club Milan and Spanish club Barcelona, played on 18 May 1994 at the Athens Olympic Stadium in Athens, Greece...
in the European Cup as well as their Serie A title glory), but his club ordered him not to take part in the World Cup amid fear of ruining his rehabilitation. He finally conceded defeat in his battle to recover on 17 August 1995, when he announced his retirement as a player after two whole years on sidelines.
After retirement
He played in the Demetrio AlbertiniDemetrio Albertini
Demetrio Albertini is a former professional Italian football midfielder who spent most of his career with AC Milan of the Italian Serie A, winning five Serie A titles and three UEFA Champions League titles with that club...
testimonial at the San Siro
San Siro
The Stadio Giuseppe Meazza, originally and commonly referred to as the San Siro because of its location, officially given its current name on 3 March 1980, is a football stadium located in the San Siro district in Milan, Italy. It is the home of both A.C. Milan and F.C. Internazionale Milano...
in March 2006, and headed in a goal before being substituted early in the first half. On 22 July 2006, he also returned for the testimonial to celebrate the 11-year Arsenal
Arsenal F.C.
Arsenal Football Club is a professional English Premier League football club based in North London. One of the most successful clubs in English football, it has won 13 First Division and Premier League titles and 10 FA Cups...
career of Dennis Bergkamp
Dennis Bergkamp
Dennis Nicolaas Bergkamp , is a former Dutch professional footballer who is currently the assistant manager to Frank de Boer at Ajax. At club level he played for Ajax, Internazionale, and Arsenal, and also represented the Netherlands at international level...
, in what was the first game played at the new Emirates Stadium
Emirates Stadium
Ashburton Grove, currently known as the Emirates Stadium, is a UEFA elite football stadium which is home to Arsenal FC, where they moved from Highbury in 2006. It has an current capacity of 60,361, and there have been rumours of an expansion...
. He played in the second half for the Ajax legends team. He entered the match as part of a double substitution that also introduced Johan Cruyff
Johan Cruyff
Hendrik Johannes Cruijff OON , known as Johan Cruyff, is a retired Dutch footballer and is currently the manager of the Catalan national team as well as a member of the AFC Ajax board of directors. He won the Ballon d'Or three times, in 1971, 1973 and 1974, which is a record jointly held with...
.
International
Van Basten's talent was already noticed at a young age and he was called up for the 1983 FIFA World Youth Championship1983 FIFA World Youth Championship
The 1983 FIFA World Youth Championship, the fourth edition of the FIFA World Youth Championship, was held in Mexico from June 2 to June 19, 1983. The tournament took place in seven venues — Guadalajara, Irapuato, León, Mexico City, Monterrey, Puebla and Toluca — where a total of 32 matches were...
. He made his senior debut that same year. At the UEFA Euro 1988, van Basten scored a total of five goals, including a hat trick against 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...
, the winning goal in the semi-final against West Germany
Germany national football team
The Germany national football team is the football team that has represented Germany in international competition since 1908. It is governed by the German Football Association , which was founded in 1900....
, and a spectacular volley
Volley (football)
A volley is an air-borne strike in association football, where a player's feet meets and directs the ball in an angled direction before it has time to reach the ground...
in the final against the Soviet Union. He was the tournament's top scorer and was the only player to score more than two goals.
The Dutch 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...
exited early in the World Cup in the 1990 FIFA World Cup
1990 FIFA World Cup
The 1990 FIFA World Cup was the 14th FIFA World Cup, the quadrennial international football world championship tournament. It was held from 8 June to 8 July 1990 in Italy, the second country to host the event twice. Teams representing 116 national football associations from all six populated...
, losing to West Germany in the second round. Van Basten never scored in the World Cup Finals.
The Netherlands reached the semi-final of UEFA Euro 1992 when they lost to Denmark
Denmark national football team
The Denmark national football team represents Denmark in association football and is controlled by the Danish Football Association , the governing body for the football clubs which are organized under DBU...
in a penalty shootout, with Peter Schmeichel
Peter Schmeichel
Peter Bolesław Schmeichel MBE is a retired Danish professional footballer who played as a goalkeeper, and was voted the "World's Best Goalkeeper" in 1992 and 1993...
saving a penalty shot from van Basten.
Managing career
A.C. Milan
Associazione Calcio Milan, commonly referred to as A.C. Milan or simply Milan , is a professional Italian football club based in Milan, Lombardy, that plays in the Serie A. Milan was founded in 1899 by English lace-maker Herbert Kilpin and businessman Alfred Edwards among others...
in 1995 and retired from football, stating he would never try management. However, he changed his mind and took a course with the Royal Dutch Football Association
Royal 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...
(KNVB). His first stint as a manager was as an assistant to his former teammate John van 't Schip
John van 't Schip
Johannes Nicolaas "John" van 't Schip is a former Dutch international footballer. He is the manager for the A-League team Melbourne Heart.- Early life :Born in Fort St...
with the second team of AFC Ajax in 2003–04. On 29 July 2004, van Basten was named the new manager of the Dutch 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...
, with van 't Schip as his assistant.
As a manager, he soon established himself as a man of strong principles. Van Basten famously dropped regulars like Clarence Seedorf
Clarence Seedorf
Clarence Clyde Seedorf OON is a Dutch footballer who currently plays as an attacking midfielder for Serie A club Milan. Seedorf is the first player to have won the Champions League with three different clubs - Ajax in 1995, Real Madrid in 1998 and Milan in 2003 and 2007...
, Patrick Kluivert
Patrick Kluivert
Patrick Stephan Kluivert is a former Dutch footballer, currently head coach of the youth side of FC Twente. He played as a striker for AFC Ajax, A.C. Milan, FC Barcelona, Newcastle United, Valencia CF, PSV Eindhoven, and Lille OSC. Kluivert played for the Dutch national team from 1994 to 2004. He...
, Edgar Davids
Edgar Davids
Edgar Steven Davids is a retired Dutch footballer and current member of the supervisory board of Ajax. After beginning his career with the Amsterdam club, he subsequently played in Italy for Milan and Juventus before a loan spell with Barcelona. He went on to play for Internazionale and Tottenham...
and Roy Makaay
Roy 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:...
and benched Mark van Bommel
Mark van Bommel
Mark Peter Gertruda Andreas van Bommel is a Dutch footballer who currently plays for Milan and captains the Netherlands national team as a midfielder....
, because he believed that they were either past their prime or constantly underachieving.
There were also calls for van Basten to call up Dennis Bergkamp
Dennis Bergkamp
Dennis Nicolaas Bergkamp , is a former Dutch professional footballer who is currently the assistant manager to Frank de Boer at Ajax. At club level he played for Ajax, Internazionale, and Arsenal, and also represented the Netherlands at international level...
, who had retired from the national team six years earlier for a final "hurrah" as he was retiring that season. Van Basten then revealed to the media that he never intended to do so despite Bergkamp's own willingness.
For probably the first time in decades, none of the "Big Three" Clubs (AFC Ajax, PSV, and Feyenoord) provided the backbone for the national team. Instead, newcomer AZ led the way with players such as 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...
, Barry Opdam
Barry Opdam
Barry Opdam is a Dutch professional footballer who plays for FC Volendam as a central defender.-Club career:...
, Barry van Galen, Ron Vlaar
Ron Vlaar
Ron Peter Vlaar is a Dutch footballer who currently plays as a centre back for Dutch Eredivisie club Feyenoord.Vlaar made his professional debut at the age of 20 for the club AZ...
, Jan Kromkamp
Jan Kromkamp
Jan Kromkamp is a Dutch footballer. He currently plays for Go Ahead Eagles.-Early career:Kromkamp made his professional debut for Dutch side Go Ahead Eagles on September 18, 1998....
and Joris Mathijsen. Other unheralded choices were Khalid Boulahrouz
Khalid Boulahrouz
Khalid Boulahrouz is a Dutch footballer of Berber Moroccan Rif descent, who plays for the Netherlands and VfB Stuttgart. His nickname is "Khalid the Cannibal" for his ability to "eat up" his opposition....
, Hedwiges Maduro
Hedwiges Maduro
Hedwiges Martinez-Maduro is a Dutch footballer who plays for Valencia CF in Spain.Mainly a central defender, he can also operate as a defensive midfielder, where he started his career at Ajax Amsterdam.-Ajax:...
, Ryan Babel
Ryan Babel
Ryan Guno Babel is a Dutch football player who currently plays for TSG 1899 Hoffenheim. He can play as a left winger and as a striker. Babel began his career at AFC Ajax in 1998, working his way up through the youth team and into the senior squad...
and Romeo Castelen
Romeo Castelen
Romeo Castelen is a Dutch footballer who plays for Hamburger SV in Germany, as a right winger.-Den Haag:Castelen started his professional career with ADO Den Haag, playing two full seasons in the second division...
selected. Van Basten had also wanted to include Ivorian
Côte d'Ivoire
The Republic of Côte d'Ivoire or Ivory Coast is a country in West Africa. It has an area of , and borders the countries Liberia, Guinea, Mali, Burkina Faso and Ghana; its southern boundary is along the Gulf of Guinea. The country's population was 15,366,672 in 1998 and was estimated to be...
forward Salomon Kalou
Salomon Kalou
Salomon Armand Magloire Kalou is an Ivorian footballer who plays as a striker for Chelsea in the Premier League.He is often used on the wings at Chelsea. He has a preference for playing on the left wing as this gives him opportunities to cut inside and take shots with his favoured right foot...
, but was thwarted when Kalou was denied Dutch citizenship by the immigration authorities headed by Rita Verdonk
Rita Verdonk
Maria Cornelia Frederika "Rita" Verdonk is a retired Dutch politician initially of the People's Party for Freedom and Democracy until she was expelled in October 2007, she later formed her own party Proud of the Netherlands . She served as Minister for Integration and Immigration in Cabinets...
. Kalou eventually accepted a call-up to play for Côte d'Ivoire
Côte d'Ivoire national football team
The Côte d'Ivoire National Football Team or Ivory Coast National Football Team, nicknamed Les Éléphants , represents Côte d'Ivoire in international football and is controlled by the Fédération Ivoirienne de Football...
.
Portugal national football team
The Portugal national football team represents Portugal in association football and is controlled by the Portuguese Football Federation, the governing body for football in Portugal. Portugal's home ground is Estádio Nacional in Oeiras, and their head coach is Paulo Bento...
in the Round of 16. Van Basten was heavily criticised for dropping Ruud van Nistelrooy
Ruud van Nistelrooy
Rutgerus Johannes Martinus "Ruud" van Nistelrooy, , is a Dutch footballer who plays as a striker for Málaga CF in Spain's La Liga. He is the second-highest goalscorer in Champions League history with 60 goals...
(who had scored 28 goals for the Netherlands) before this game, in favour of Dirk Kuyt
Dirk Kuyt
Dirk Kuyt is a Dutch footballer who plays for English club Liverpool. He started his career as a striker, but he has been converted into a winger and plays the position for both Liverpool and the Netherlands national team....
, who did not score throughout the entire tournament.
In November 2006, van Basten recalled exiled A.C. Milan
A.C. Milan
Associazione Calcio Milan, commonly referred to as A.C. Milan or simply Milan , is a professional Italian football club based in Milan, Lombardy, that plays in the Serie A. Milan was founded in 1899 by English lace-maker Herbert Kilpin and businessman Alfred Edwards among others...
midfielder Clarence Seedorf
Clarence Seedorf
Clarence Clyde Seedorf OON is a Dutch footballer who currently plays as an attacking midfielder for Serie A club Milan. Seedorf is the first player to have won the Champions League with three different clubs - Ajax in 1995, Real Madrid in 1998 and Milan in 2003 and 2007...
for a friendly against 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...
at the Amsterdam ArenA
Amsterdam ArenA
Amsterdam Arena is a stadium in Amsterdam, Netherlands. It is the largest stadium in the nation and it was built from 1993 to 1996 at a cost of €140 million, and was officially opened on 14 August 1996. It has been used for association football, American football, concerts, and other events...
. In May 2007, van Basten announced the end of his long-running dispute with Real Madrid
Real Madrid C.F.
Real Madrid Club de Fútbol , commonly known as Real Madrid, is a professional football club based in Madrid, Spain. The club have won a record 31 La Liga titles, the Primera División of the Liga de Fútbol Profesional , 18 Copas del Rey, 8 Spanish Super Cups, 1 Copa Eva Duarte and 1 Copa de la...
forward Ruud van Nistelrooy
Ruud van Nistelrooy
Rutgerus Johannes Martinus "Ruud" van Nistelrooy, , is a Dutch footballer who plays as a striker for Málaga CF in Spain's La Liga. He is the second-highest goalscorer in Champions League history with 60 goals...
, who had previously declared never to play for a Dutch national squad with van Basten as its manager. Other players, such as Roy Makaay
Roy 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:...
, Mark van Bommel
Mark van Bommel
Mark Peter Gertruda Andreas van Bommel is a Dutch footballer who currently plays for Milan and captains the Netherlands national team as a midfielder....
, Boudewijn Zenden, and Edgar Davids
Edgar Davids
Edgar Steven Davids is a retired Dutch footballer and current member of the supervisory board of Ajax. After beginning his career with the Amsterdam club, he subsequently played in Italy for Milan and Juventus before a loan spell with Barcelona. He went on to play for Internazionale and Tottenham...
, however, remained out of favour.
Van Basten had a contract with the KNVB
Royal 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...
for managing the Dutch national side until 2008. The KNVB had expressed its wishes to extend his contract to include the World Cup qualification route to 2010 FIFA World Cup
2010 FIFA World Cup
The 2010 FIFA World Cup was the 19th FIFA World Cup, the world championship for men's national association football teams. It took place in South Africa from 11 June to 11 July 2010...
in South Africa
South Africa
The Republic of South Africa is a country in southern Africa. Located at the southern tip of Africa, it is divided into nine provinces, with of coastline on the Atlantic and Indian oceans...
. On 22 February 2008, van Basten signed a four-year contract with AFC Ajax, starting from 1 July. His last tournament thus was the UEFA Euro 2008, where the Netherlands surprised with a strong round 1 performance. They beat world champions
2006 FIFA World Cup Final
The 2006 FIFA World Cup Final was a football match that took place on 9 July 2006 at the Olympiastadion, Berlin to determine the winner of the 2006 FIFA World Cup. Italy beat France on penalties after the match finished 1–1 after extra time...
Italy
Italy national football team
The Italy National Football Team , represents Italy in association football and is controlled by the Italian Football Federation , the governing body for football in Italy. Italy is the second most successful national team in the history of the World Cup having won four titles , just one fewer than...
3-0 in their first match, followed by a 4-1 win over World Cup runners-up
2006 FIFA World Cup Final
The 2006 FIFA World Cup Final was a football match that took place on 9 July 2006 at the Olympiastadion, Berlin to determine the winner of the 2006 FIFA World Cup. Italy beat France on penalties after the match finished 1–1 after extra time...
France
France national football team
The France national football team represents the nation of France in international football. It is fielded by the French Football Federation , the governing body of football in France, and competes as a member of UEFA, which encompasses the countries of Europe...
. In their third game, already qualified for the next round, van Basten selected non-regulars such as Maarten Stekelenburg, Wilfred Bouma
Wilfred Bouma
Wilfred Bouma is a Dutch footballer who plays for PSV Eindhoven. Bouma is a technically refined left back/centre back who is known for his hard working nature, defensive positioning and tackling ability.-Early career:...
and Ibrahim Afellay
Ibrahim Afellay
Ibrahim Afellay is a Dutch professional footballer who plays for FC Barcelona as an attacking midfielder or winger.He has played for the Dutch national youth team and is now part of the senior Dutch national team, which he represented at UEFA Euro 2008 and the 2010 FIFA World Cup, the latter of...
for the starting lineup against Romania
Romania national football team
The Romania national football team is the national football team of Romania and is controlled by the Romanian Football Federation.Romania is one of only four national teams, the other three being Brazil, France, and Belgium, that took part in the first three World Cups.However, after that...
, a match the 'Oranje' won 2-0. In the quarter finals, van Basten faced fellow Dutchman
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...
Guus Hiddink
Guus Hiddink
Guus Hiddink is a Dutch football manager and former player. He was the most recently manager of the Turkish national football team. He is considered to be one of the best managers of his generation and was the best-paid coach in international football in 2009...
's Russia
Russia national football team
The Russia national football team represents Russia in association football and is controlled by the Russian Football Union , the governing body for football in Russia. Russia's home grounds are Luzhniki Stadium, Lokomotiv Stadium , and Petrovsky Stadium in St.Petersburg and their head coach is...
. With the score at 1-1 after 90 minutes, Hiddink and Russia went on to win the match 3-1.
Van Basten became trainer of Ajax after Euro 2008 but resigned on 6 May 2009 after his team failed to qualify for the UEFA Champions League
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...
. Van Basten started the season well, having spent millions on players such as Miralem Sulejmani
Miralem Sulejmani
Miralem Sulejmani is a Serbian football player of Gorani origin who plays for Ajax.-Early career:...
, Ismaïl Aissati
Ismaïl Aissati
Ismaïl Aissati is a Dutch-Moroccan footballer. He currently plays for Ajax Amsterdam in the Dutch Eredivisie.-Career:Being born to Moroccan parents in the Netherlands, he is still allowed to play for either national team...
, Darío Cvitanich
Darío Cvitanich
Darío Cvitanich is an Argentine-Croatian football striker who plays for Boca Juniors.-Banfield:...
, Evander Sno
Evander Sno
Evander Sno is a Dutch footballer who currently plays as a defensive midfielder for Eredivisie club RKC Waalwijk. He has also featured for the Dutch under-21 and under-23 international teams. Sno typically plays in a defensive midfield role, but was utilised in nine different field positions...
, Eyong Enoh
Eyong Enoh
Eyong Tarkang Enoh is a Cameroonian football midfielder who currently plays for Ajax and the Cameroon national team.- Club career :...
and Oleguer Presas Renom. However, in the second half of the season striker Klaas-Jan Huntelaar left for Real Madrid
Real Madrid
Real Madrid Club de Fútbol , commonly known as Real Madrid, is a professional football club based in Madrid, Spain. The club have won a record 31 La Liga titles, the Primera División of the Liga de Fútbol Profesional , 18 Copas del Rey, 8 Spanish Super Cups, 1 Copa Eva Duarte and 1 Copa de la...
, and Van Basten started switching around his lineups. When Ajax lost eleven points in four games, the Eredivisie title was out of sight. Ajax could, however, still get second place, which would have have ensured a place in the third qualifying round of the UEFA Champions League
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...
. But after two big losses against PSV (6-2) and Sparta Rotterdam
Sparta Rotterdam
Sparta Rotterdam is the oldest professional football team in the Netherlands, established on April 1, 1888. Sparta is one of three professional football clubs from Rotterdam, the others being Excelsior and Feyenoord , the latter playing in the Eredivisie.-History:Sparta was first founded in 1887....
(4-0) Van Basten's Ajax could only make it to number three. Van Basten decided to resign as Ajax manager at the end of the 2008-09 season.
Van Basten is now a pundit for Sport1
Sport1
Sport1 is a Dutch premium television service owned by Chellomedia, the European content division of Liberty Global. Sport1 launched together with its sister service Film1 on February 1, 2006 and replaced the Canal+ Netherlands channels. At launch the service consisted of two main channels, six...
, but is still planning to return as a manager.
Club
Ajax- UEFA Cup Winners CupUEFA Cup Winners' CupThe UEFA Cup Winners' Cup was a football club competition contested annually by the most recent winners of all European domestic cup competitions. The cup is one of the many inter-European club competitions that have been organised by UEFA. The first competition was held in the 1960–61 season—but...
: 1986–87 - 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....
: 1981–82, 1982–83, 1984–85Eredivisie 1984-85The Dutch Eredivisie in the 1984/1985 season was contested by 18 teams. Ajax won the championship.-League standings:1 Winners KNVB Cup. 2 FC Twente would play in the Intertoto Cup 1985.-References:* *... - 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...
: 1982–83, 1985–86, 1986–87
Milan
A.C. Milan
Associazione Calcio Milan, commonly referred to as A.C. Milan or simply Milan , is a professional Italian football club based in Milan, Lombardy, that plays in the Serie A. Milan was founded in 1899 by English lace-maker Herbert Kilpin and businessman Alfred Edwards among others...
- 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...
: 19891989 European Cup FinalThe 1989 European Cup Final was a football match held at the Camp Nou in Barcelona, Spain on 24 May 1989, that saw Milan of Italy defeat Steaua Bucureşti of Romania 4–0. Two goals each from Marco van Basten and Ruud Gullit gave the Italian side their third victory in the competition.-Match...
, 19901990 European Cup FinalThe 1990 European Cup Final was a football match between Milan of Italy and Benfica of Portugal, played on 23 May 1990 at the Praterstadion in Vienna, Austria... - Intercontinental CupIntercontinental Cup (football)The European/South American Cup, commonly referred to as the World Club Championship, Intercontinental Cup or Toyota Cup, was a football competition endorsed by UEFA and CONMEBOL, contested between the winners of the European Cup and the South American Copa Libertadores...
: 19891989 Intercontinental CupThe 1989 Intercontinental Cup was a football match played on 17 December 1989 between Milan of Italy, winners of the 1988–89 European Cup, and Atlético Nacional of Colombia, winners of the 1989 Copa Libertadores. The match was played at the neutral venue of the National Stadium in Tokyo in front of...
, 19901990 Intercontinental CupThe 1990 Intercontinental Cup was a football match played on 9 December 1990 between Milan of Italy, winners of the 1989–90 European Cup, and Olimpia of Paraguay, winners of the 1990 Copa Libertadores. The match was played at the neutral venue of the National Stadium in Tokyo in front of 60,228... - European Supercup: 19891989 UEFA Super CupThe 1989 European Super Cup was the 14th UEFA Super Cup, an annual football match contested by the winners of the previous season's European Cup and European Cup Winners' Cup competitions. The 1989 Super Cup was played on a home-and-away basis, and was contested by Milan, winners of the 1988–89...
, 19901990 UEFA Super CupThe 1990 UEFA Super Cup was played between A.C. Milan and U.C. Sampdoria, with A.C. Milan winning 3–1 on aggregate.-First leg:-Second leg:-External links:*... - Serie ASerie ASerie A , now called Serie A TIM due to sponsorship by Telecom Italia, is a professional league competition for football clubs located at the top of the Italian football league system and has been operating for over eighty years since 1929. It had been organized by Lega Calcio until 2010, but a new...
: 1987–88, 1991–92, 1992–93 - Supercoppa ItalianaSupercoppa ItalianaThe Supercoppa Italiana is a pre-season football competition held the week before the season begins in Italy every year. It is contested by the winners of the Serie A and the Coppa Italia in the previous season, as a curtain raiser to the new season. It is usually played at the home of the Serie A...
: 19881988 Supercoppa ItalianaThe 1988 Supercoppa Italiana was a match played by the 1987–88 Serie A winners Milan and 1987–88 Coppa Italia winners Sampdoria. It took place on 14 June 1989 at the San Siro in Milan, Italy, and was the first edition of the trophy...
, 19921992 Supercoppa ItalianaThe 1992 Supercoppa Italiana was a match played by the 1991–92 Serie A winners Milan and 1991–92 Coppa Italia winners Parma. It took place on 30 August 1992 at the San Siro in Milan, Italy. A.C...
, 19931993 Supercoppa ItalianaThe 1993 Supercoppa Italiana was a match played by the 1992–93 Serie A winners Milan and 1992–93 Coppa Italia winners Torino. It took place on 21 August 1993 at the RFK Memorial Stadium in Washington, D.C., USA...
International
- UEFA European Championship: 1988
- Nasazzi's Baton: 1985
Individual honours
- FIFA World Player of the YearFIFA World Player of the YearThe FIFA World Player of the Year was an association football award given annually to the male and female player who were thought to be the best in the world, based on votes by coaches and captains of international teams...
: 19921992 FIFA World Player of the YearThe 1992 FIFA World Player of the Year award was won by Marco van Basten.-Results:The best 8 players:# Marco van Basten – Milan# Hristo Stoichkov – Barcelona# Thomas Häßler – Roma# Jean-Pierre Papin – Marseille → Milan... - World Soccer Player of the Year: 1988, 1992
- UEFAUEFAThe Union of European Football Associations , almost always referred to by its acronym UEFA is the administrative and controlling body for European association football, futsal and beach soccer....
Best Player of the Year: 1989, 1990, 1992 - IFFHS Best Player of the Year: 1988, 1989, 1990
- Onze d'OrOnze d'OrThe Onze d'Or is a football award handed out by French magazine Onze Mondial at the end of the year since 1976...
: 1988, 1989 - Onze d'ArgentOnze d'OrThe Onze d'Or is a football award handed out by French magazine Onze Mondial at the end of the year since 1976...
: 1987, 1992 - Bravo AwardBravo AwardThe Bravo Award is an annual award which is handed out by the Italian magazine Guerin Sportivo to the most outstanding young European footballer. The first winner of the award was English Jimmy Case. Until 1992 only under-23 players participating in one of the three European club cups were eligible...
: 1987 - UEFA European Championship 1988 Top Scorer and Best Player with 5 goals
- European Footballer of the Year: 1988, 1989, 1992
- Dutch Footballer of the YearDutch Footballer of the YearThe title Dutch Footballer of the Year has been awarded in the Netherlands since 1984. The award is determined by a poll of Dutch professional footballers playing in the First and Second leagues....
: 1984–85 - FIFA 100FIFA 100The FIFA 100 is a list of the world-renowned Brazilian striker Pelé's choice of the "greatest living footballers". Unveiled on 4 March 2004 at a gala ceremony in London, the FIFA 100 marked part of the celebrations of the 100th anniversary of the foundation of the Fédération Internationale de...
(List of the greatest living footballers picked by PeléPeléHowever, Pelé has always maintained that those are mistakes, that he was actually named Edson and that he was born on 23 October 1940.), best known by his nickname Pelé , is a retired Brazilian footballer. He is widely regarded as one of the greatest football players of all time...
): 2004 - European Golden BootEuropean Golden BootThe European Golden Shoe, formerly known as the European Golden Boot, is an association football award presented each season to the leading goalscorer in league matches from the top division of every European national league...
: 1985–86 - European Silver Boot: 1983–84
- 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...
Top Scorer: 1989 - 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...
Silver Top Scorer: 1993 - Dutch LeagueEredivisieThe 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....
Top Scorer: 1983–84, 1984–85, 1985–86, 1986–87 - Serie A Top Scorer: 1989–90, 1991–92
- Serie ASerie ASerie A , now called Serie A TIM due to sponsorship by Telecom Italia, is a professional league competition for football clubs located at the top of the Italian football league system and has been operating for over eighty years since 1929. It had been organized by Lega Calcio until 2010, but a new...
Silver Top Scorer: 1988–89 - World Golden Boot: 1985–86
Club
| Club | Season | League | League | Cup | Europe | Other | Total | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | |||
| 1981–82 | Ajax | 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.... |
1 | 1 | 1 | 0 | ||||||
| 2 | 1 | |||||||||||
| 1982–83 | 20 | 9 | 5 | 4 | ||||||||
| 25 | 13 | |||||||||||
| 1983–84 | 26 | 28 | 4 | 1 | 2 | 0 | ||||||
| 32 | 29 | |||||||||||
| 1984–85 | 33 | 22 | 4 | 2 | 4 | 5 | ||||||
| 41 | 29 | |||||||||||
| 1985–86 | 26 | 37 | 1 | 0 | 2 | 0 | ||||||
| 29 | 37 | |||||||||||
| 1986–87 | 27 | 31 | 7 | 6 | 9 | 6 | ||||||
| 43 | 43 | |||||||||||
| Total | 133 | 128 | 22 | 13 | 17 | 11 | - | - | 172 | 152 | ||
| 1987–88 | Milan A.C. Milan Associazione Calcio Milan, commonly referred to as A.C. Milan or simply Milan , is a professional Italian football club based in Milan, Lombardy, that plays in the Serie A. Milan was founded in 1899 by English lace-maker Herbert Kilpin and businessman Alfred Edwards among others... |
Serie A Serie A Serie A , now called Serie A TIM due to sponsorship by Telecom Italia, is a professional league competition for football clubs located at the top of the Italian football league system and has been operating for over eighty years since 1929. It had been organized by Lega Calcio until 2010, but a new... |
11 | 3 | 5 | 5 | 3 | 0 | ||||
| 19 | 8 | |||||||||||
| 1988–89 | 33 | 19 | 4 | 3 | 9 | 9 | 1 | 1 | 48 | 32 | ||
| 1989–90 | 26 | 19 | 4 | 1 | 9 | 4 | 1 | 0 | 40 | 24 | ||
| 1990–91 | 31 | 11 | 1 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 34 | 11 | ||
| 1991–92 | 31 | 25 | 7 | 4 | ||||||||
| 38 | 29 | |||||||||||
| 1992–93 | 15 | 13 | 1 | 0 | 5 | 6 | 1 | 1 | 22 | 20 | ||
| 1993–94 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | ||||||
| 0 | 0 | |||||||||||
| 1994–95 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | ||||||
| 0 | 0 | |||||||||||
| Total | 147 | 90 | 22 | 13 | 28 | 19 | 4 | 2 | 201 | 124 | ||
| Career totals | 280 | 218 | 44 | 26 | 45 | 30 | 4 | 2 | 373 | 276 | ||
*European competitions include the UEFA Champions League, UEFA Cup Winners' Cup, UEFA Cup, and UEFA Super Cup
International
|-|1983||3||2
|-
|1984||3||0
|-
|1985||4||1
|-
|1986||4||2
|-
|1987||4||1
|-
|1988||9||5
|-
|1989||5||2
|-
|1990||11||8
|-
|1991||5||2
|-
|1992||10||1
|-
!Total||58||24
|}
Manager
| Team | From | To | Record | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| G | W | D | L | Win % | |||
| Netherlands 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... |
July 2004 | July 2008 |
|||||
| Ajax | July 2008 | May 2009 |
|||||
| Total |
|||||||