Ajax Amsterdam (Holland),
Sporting Lisbon (Portugal), Real Zaragoza (Spain), AC Milan (Italy),
Ajax Amsterdam (Holland)
Frank Rijkaard Honours
1987 UEFA Cup Winners'
Cup Winner with FC Ajax
1988 European Championship Winner with Holland
1989 UEFA Champions' Cup Winner with AC Milan
1990 UEFA Champions' Cup Winner with AC Milan
1995 UEFA Champions' Cup Winner with FC Ajax
Frank Rijkaard (born September 30, 1962 in Amsterdam) is a
former Dutch football player. He has been the manager of FC
Barcelona since 2003. In one of his less glorious moments Frank
spat at Rudi Völler during the match with Germany at the 1990
World Cup.
Frank Rijkaard made his professional debut for Ajax under coach
Leo Beenhakker in the season 1980-81, immediately scoring for
his team in the 4-2 victory over Go Ahead Eagles. He would play
another 23 games for Ajax in his first season netting a total of
4 goals. In 1982 he would win his first National Championship
with Ajax, and would defend that title a year later. In 1987,
what would have been Rijkaard's fouth year under Dutch football
ledgend Johan Cruijff as head coach, Rijkaard stormed off the
training field and vowed never to play under him again. He was
signed by Sporting Lisbon, but just too late and he was
ineligible to play in any games. He was immediately loaned out
to Spanish team Real Zaragoza and upon completing his first
season after leaving Ajax was signed by Italian side AC Milan.
His 5 seasons at Milan nearly made him a legend himself.
Alongside fellow country-men Marco van Basten and Ruud Gullit,
Milan won the European Cup twice and the scudetto twice. Finally
after 5 incredible seasons Rijkaard returned to Ajax. In his
last 2 seasons as a professinal footballer, he won the Dutch
Championship twice and in his final game won the European
Championship (which had been renamed as the Champions League)
again, with a 1-0 victory over AC Milan in the final.
Rijkaard made his debut for Holland in 1981, alongside his
childhood friend Ruud Gullit. He was part of the Holland side
that won the 1988 European Championship with a 2-0 win in the
final over the Soviet Union, playing at center-back alongside
Ronald Koeman. He won a total of 73 caps and scoring 10 goals.
Rijkaard also played for Holland during the 1990 and 1994 World
Cups and at Euro 92. He made his final appearance for Holland in
the 3-2 defeat against eventual winners Brazil in the quater-finals
of the 1994 World Cup.
His coaching career started out of the blue with no experience
or coaching training when he took the job of National Coach of
Holland in 1998 with the goal of winning the 2000 European
Championships, which were jointly hosted by Holland and Belgium.
After the loss to Italy in the semi-finals Rijkaard quit
shocking the press, fans and even players who would've have
liked to see him stay.
He then took the job as the head coach of Sparta Rotterdam.
After one season the club were relegated for the first time in
their history.
Currently, Rijkaard is the Head Coach of Spanish giants FC
Barcelona and has been a smashing success and is widely
recognized as one of the best football managers in the world.
Rijkaard was named by Pelé as one of the top 125 greatest living
footballers in March 2004.
