Frank Rijkaard

Franklin Edmundo Rijkaard (born 30 September 1962) is a Dutch former footballer and manager. He played mainly as a defensive midfielder and is considered one of the finest ever in that role.

Rijkaard played for Ajax, Real Zaragoza, and AC Milan. At Ajax, he won five Eredivisie titles and the 1994–95 Champions League. With AC Milan, he won Serie A titles and back-to-back European Cups in 1988–89 and 1989–90.

He earned 73 caps for the Netherlands, winning Euro 1988 and finishing third at Euro 1992. He also played in the 1990 and 1994 World Cups.

As a manager, he is best known for five years at Barcelona, where he won La Liga in 2004–05 and 2005–06, plus the 2005–06 Champions League—the club’s first since 1992. He also managed the Netherlands, Sparta Rotterdam, Galatasaray, and Saudi Arabia.

Born in Amsterdam to a Surinamese father and Dutch mother, Rijkaard grew up playing football with Ruud Gullit. He made his Ajax senior debut at 17 under Leo Beenhakker, scoring in a 4–2 win over Go Ahead Eagles. He played 24 games in his first season, scoring four goals. Over seven and a half seasons at Ajax, he won three league titles (1981–82, 1982–83, 1984–85), three Dutch Cups (1982–83, 1985–86, 1986–87), and the 1986–87 Cup Winners’ Cup.

In September 1987, after a clash with Johan Cruyff, Rijkaard left Ajax. He signed for Sporting CP but was immediately loaned to Real Zaragoza. After one season, he joined AC Milan. There, alongside Marco van Basten and Ruud Gullit, he won two European Cups (1989 and 1990, scoring the only goal in the 1990 final) and two Serie A titles.

He returned to Ajax in 1993. With Louis van Gaal as coach, Rijkaard and Danny Blind anchored a defence that won two league titles, including an unbeaten 1994–95 season. In his final match, Ajax beat his former club Milan 1–0 to win the 1995 Champions League.

Rijkaard debuted for the Netherlands in 1981. At Euro 1988, he played centre-back alongside Ronald Koeman as the Dutch beat the Soviet Union 2–0 in the final. At Euro 1992, he set up Dennis Bergkamp’s goal against Scotland, scored against Germany, and equalised in a semi-final loss to Denmark on penalties. His last international match was a 3–2 quarter-final defeat to Brazil at the 1994 World Cup.

In the 1990 World Cup, Rijkaard was sent off alongside Rudi Völler after spitting in Völler’s hair twice. The German press called him “Llama.” He later apologised, and Völler accepted.

Praised for his speed, strength, work rate, positioning, and tactical intelligence, Rijkaard is widely regarded as one of the greatest defensive midfielders ever.