Frank Rijkaard: biography and football achievements

Franklin Edmundo Rijkaard, nicknamed the Black Swan to date, is recognized as one of the best players in the history of European football. Son of a professional football player from Suriname began his professional career in the Dutch "Ajax" in his seventeen. There he played for more than seven years, and in the under nineteen Frank Rijkaard already debuted in the national team.

Carier start

The young footballer had high hopes, his talent simply was impossible not to notice. During the game in the Amsterdam club, Rijkaard Frank became the Dutch champion three times and won the national cup as many times. In his last season for "Ajax" he managed to win the Cup of Cups.

Unpleasant incident

In 1987, between Rijkaard and the head coach of "Ajax" Johan Cruyff, a quarrel occurred. When it turned out that the football player secretly signed a contract with Ajax's main rival, Eindhoven PSV, Cruyff simply stopped telling Rijkaard about the games.

After a long search for a new club, Frank Rijkaard finally agreed to take the Spanish "Zaragoza". There he was able to play at least a few matches, so as not to lose form before the approaching European championship.

New trophies

The victory of the Dutch national team at Euro-88, in which Rijkaard played, finally convinced the leadership of "Milan" to sign with him a contract worth billions of lira for 3 years. As for "Milan", and for the Dutchman it was a turning point. Italian head coach Arrigo Sacchi made Frank Rijkaard the key player in midfield. It was in Italy that Rijkaard Frank got his nickname - the Black Swan. In this case, it was understood that his path to fame was more difficult than the way his compatriots: Ruda Gullit and Marco van Basten. Together with them, Frank made an unbeatable trio of the Italian club. Trophies fell one after another. After five consecutive seasons in "Milan" Frank Rijkaard twice won the European Cup, European Super Cup and Intercontinental Cup. And also twice in the composition of this team became the champion of Italy and the owner of the Italian Super Cup.

The big scandal

The resounding success continued in the career of the football player not for long - in 1990 the biography of Frank Rijkaard was replenished with a new unpleasant incident. This year was basically difficult for the Black Swan: his wife quarreled with her and returned with her child to Holland, after which Frank suffered a nervous breakdown and as a result, problems began in the game: he was regularly kicked out of the field for gross violations.

In February, he was kicked out of the field during the final match of the Italian Cup against Juventus, a couple of months later - during the championship game with Verona. And this despite the fact that for ten years of his football career, he has never been removed.

The biggest scandal occurred at the World Championships in Germany. In the first half, Rijkaard stopped the attack, knocking down the attacker of the German national team Rudi Föller, for which he was "awarded" a yellow card. After that, he spat on Veller, who, of course, climbed to him to understand.

The referee gave the German "yellow card", but after a few minutes the players again made the showdown, for which they were finally removed from the field. Leaving, the football player again gave Veller a farewell spit. Frank Rijkaard, whose photo from this match flew the entire football world, did not admit his wrong. The discussions of his career as a whole and successes in recent games in particular began immediately. The reputation of the player is visibly shaken. Later in the interview Frank Rijkaard said that he regretted his act, and he explained his behavior by the fact that Rudi Föller allowed himself racist statements against him. The player of the German national team just said that he forgives Frank. After a bad performance of the team in this championship, Rijkaard repeatedly stated that he intends to leave the national team, but was delayed for several more years. Time has shown that not in vain.

The incident, which caused such a stormy reaction, eventually came to naught. A few years later, Frank Rijkaard and Rudy Föller symbolically dined together as a sign of reconciliation.

73 matches

As part of the national team of the Netherlands, Rijkaard Frank played from 1981 to 1994. In his assets for this period there are 10 goals scored. The most memorable of them is at the Euro-92 semi-final. Frank scored the decisive goal on the 86th minute, so he brought his team to the penalty shootout. The Netherlands then shared third place with Sweden.

The last match for the national team of Rijkaard was a game with Brazil in 1994. Then in the quarter finals of the world championship the Dutch lost to opponents with a set of 2: 3. Later, with the national team, he will begin his coaching career.

Return

After five seasons in the Italian club, Frank returned to his native Ajax. There he completed his career as a player after two years. During this time, Rijkaard twice became the champion of Holland. And in 1995, won the third time the main European Cup, which has already been renamed the Champions League. In the final, the player sent the transfer head Patrick Kluivertu, which led them to victory with a score of 1-0 in a game against AC Milan. That's so beautiful Frank Rijkaard completed his football career at 32 years. Early and unexpected for many.

New Role

Having finished playing, he decided to seriously engage in business and began to create his own collections of underwear, but a few years later he had a chance to work in the Dutch team, which was headed by Guus Hiddink at the time .

In 1998, he received the post of assistant head coach. With him in the coaching staff worked Johan Neskens and Ronald Kuman. When Hiddink left his post, the Dutch Football Federation invited Frank to lead the national team.

Having worked there for two years, Rijkaard resigned after the unsuccessful performance of the team at Euro 2000. The Dutch then took the championship and managed to break through only to the semifinals.

Next, he headed one season Rotterdam "Sparta" - the oldest Dutch club, but the team for the first time in its existence flew from Eredivizi. Despite all these failures, in 2003 Frank Rijkaard receives an invitation to the Catalan "Barcelona". Just at the same time blue-garnet buy a Brazilian star - Ronaldinho.

At the beginning of the season, the team was almost on the verge of relegation, but, gradually gaining momentum, finished the season in an honorable second place, after which only the victories followed, and Rijkaard finally won his first awards as a coach. Two seasons in a row, he led them to victory in La Liga, they twice received the Spanish Super Cup, and also three times the Catalonia Cup.

In 2006, the team also won the Champions League - Rijkaard Frank was one of the few players who managed to do this both as a player and as a coach.

After such success, the zeal of the players died down, and the main rival of Barça, Madrid's Real Madrid, took the first place in the championship. Neither the fans nor the leadership of this, of course, was not satisfied, and in 2008 the president of the club Joan Laporta sent a previously successful coach to resign, terminating his contract ahead of time. Frank Rijkaard completed his coaching career, and in this post he was succeeded by Josep Guardiola.

Further, Frank's candidacy for the post of head coach was considered by the Russian CSKA, but the army team preferred Ziko in the end. In June 2009, Rijkaard replaces Bülent Korkmaz and heads the Turkish Galatasaray. But a year later they terminate the contract with him on mutual consent. After 8 rounds the team was in the ninth place and flew out of the League of Europe. In July 2011, Frank Rijkaard signed a three-year contract with the Saudi national team, which cost $ 11 million.

What is today?

Having worked in Saudi Arabia for two years, Frank Rijkaard, whose biography was already teeming with unpleasant facts, was fired. After that he could not find a new job. A year later, on March 18, 2014, Frank made a statement that he had completed his coaching career. He also said that he wants to change the line of activity, but did not specify at the same time what specifically will be engaged. After the official completion of his career, Frank still propose to the coaches, then "Barcelona", then "Milan", but so far this is only rumors, not confirmed by the facts.

As a talented football player, Frank Rijkaard is one of the top 100. Beautifully completing his career, he made the game "Barcelona" elegant and tactful.