| Franklin Edmundo Rijkaard (born 30 September 1962, in Amsterdam) is a Dutch football manager 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, Sparta Rotterdam, Barcelona and Galatasaray. His mother is Dutch and his father is Surinamese. Ajax (1980--1987)Rijkaard was just 17 when Ajax coach Leo Beenhakker gave him his senior squad debut 23 August 1980. He made an immediate impact, scoring for his team 0--3 in the 2--4 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 a total of 4 goals. In 1981--82 he won his first Dutch Eredivisie championship with Ajax, and went on to successfully defend that title in the following 1982--83 season. Rijkaard stayed at Ajax for seven and a half seasons, as a central defender (1981--82, 1982--83, 1984--85), a right midfielder and a central midfielder (1985--86). During this period he won the Dutch league championship three times (1981--82, 1982--83, 1984--85) and the Dutch Cup (KNVB-Cup) 3 times (1982--83, 1985--86, 1986--87). In the 1986--87 season he won the European Cup II (Cup Winners' Cup) with Ajax (Final: Ajax 1--0 Lokomotiv Leipzig). In September 1987, what would have been Rijkaard's third season (1987--88) under Dutch football legend Johan Cruijff as head coach, Rijkaard ... |
