Head-coach Ronald Koeman extends contract until 2006
12 December: Ajax head-coach Ronald Koeman
has reacted to the persistent rumours that he will soon
replace Frank Rijkaard at his 'old love' FC Barcelona: he put
his signature at the bottom of a new contract with Ajax, which
will tie the former Oranje superstar to the Amsterdam
club until the summer of 2006. The extension of his contract is
regarded as very positive development for Ajax, which may well
convince several key players to also extend their stay at the
ArenA.
Koeman accepted the job as Ajax's head-coach in December
2001, immediately after the dismissal of Co Adriaanse after a
string of negative results. His original contract would have
expired at the end of the current season (30 June 2004).
With Koeman as the new captain on the ship Ajax managed to
climb out of the 'black hole' in which the club was trapped
from 1998 to 2001. The Amsterdammers won the Dutch 'double' in
2002, qualifying directly for the Champions League of the
following season, in which Koeman succesfully led the team
through two group stages, to the quarter finals.
Being a legendary former player himself Koeman is well
respected and highly esteemed by the Ajax players, several
of whom stated in past publications that they would love to
continue working with Koeman for a longer period.
Ronald Koeman (b. 21 March 1963) was born in the town
of Zaandam, a northern outskirt of the 'Greater Amsterdam'
area, but he grew up in the northern city of Groningen, where
he played for amateur sides Helpman and GRC before he was
scouted by the local professional club, FC Groningen. He
made his début for FC Groningen in 1980 at age 17. In
total he played 89 Eredivisie games in three seasons for 'the
FC', scoring 33 goals, a remarkably high number for a defensive
midfielder.
He made the step to the top level in August 1983, joining
Ajax. Until his departure to PSV in May 1986 he played 94
Eredivisie games for Ajax, scoring 23 goals and winning the
1985 Dutch championship and the KNVB Cup of 1986. His three
seasons at PSV (1986-1989) were considerably more
succesful: three Dutch championships in a row, as well as
two KNVB Cups. The year 1988 was arguably the most glorious
year of his career: Koeman won the European Champions Cup with
PSV and the European Championship with the Dutch national team.
In Eindhoven he played 98 Eredivisie games, scoring the
spectacular number of 51 goals as a central defender.
The inevitable great international career move came in 1989
as FC Barcelona payed 12.5 million guilders for the defender
with the 'cannon shot', who was soon nicknamed 'Snowflake'
because of the sandy, reddish-blonde colour of his hair. Koeman
played more games for Barça than for any other
club: 192 Spanish league games (67 goals). Four out of his six
seasons in Barcelona were concluded with the winning of the
Spanish championship. With Barcelona Koeman also won the
Spanish Copa del Rey, the Spanish Super Cup and the
second European Champions Cup of his career, in 1992. His
incredible winning strike from a free-kick, at Wembley Stadium
against Sampdoria, is regarded as one of the legendary goals in
the history of the game.
Koeman spent the last two years of his footballing career at
Feyenoord, for which club he played another 60 Eredivisie games
(19 goals), without winning any trophies. In total, Koeman
played 533 league games, in which he scored 193 goals, more
than any other defender in the world. In his 78 games for the
Dutch national team he netted 14 times.
His coaching career started as Guus
Hiddink's assistant at the Dutch national team
(1997-1998), followed by two seasons as Louis van Gaal's
assistant at FC Barcelona (1998-2000). His first job as a
head-coach was offered to him by Vitesse, where he worked
between 2000 and December 2001.
Tuesday's disastrous Champions League match at Club Brugge
was Koeman's 100th official game as head-coach of Ajax: 63
wins, 21 draws and 16 defeats. Under Ronald Koeman Ajax scored
222 official goals and conceded 94. Ajax's most recent
Eredivisie fixture, against Feyenoord (2-0), saw Koeman's 50th
Eredivisie win with Ajax. (MP)
Source: Ajax.nl
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