Wim Jansen
The versatile anchor who mastered Total Football from deep.
Wilhelmus Marinus Antonius "Wim" Jansen (28 October 1946 – 25 January 2022) was a Dutch professional footballer and manager whose career spanned the golden age of Total Football. While he spent the majority of his playing days at Feyenoord, winning the European Cup in 1970, he later joined rivals Ajax for a final chapter that secured a league title in 1981–82. Known for his versatility as a defensive midfielder or sweeper despite standing only 1.65 meters tall, Jansen was celebrated for his incredible stamina and "blind communication" with teammate Willem van Hanegem. His legacy extends beyond the pitch, where he guided Celtic to their first league title in a decade and served Feyenoord in multiple management roles.
Quick Facts
- Full name
- Wilhelmus Marinus Antonius Jansen
- Born
- 28 October 1946
- Birthplace
- Rotterdam, Netherlands
- Died
- 25 January 2022
- Place of death
- Hendrik-Ido-Ambacht, Netherlands
- Height
- 1.65 m / 5 ft 5 in
- Position
- Midfielder, defender
- Total caps
- 491
Facts from the source article.
Background
Jansen's most dramatic moment at Ajax occurred during his debut against his former club, Feyenoord, in December 1980 at De Kuip. During the warm-up, a fan threw an icy snowball that struck Jansen in the eye, forcing him to be substituted within 20 minutes of the match starting. Despite this rocky start, he secured the Eredivisie title with Ajax in the 1981–82 season. Earlier in his career, as captain of Feyenoord, he led the team to victory against Tottenham Hotspur (4–2 on aggregate) to win the UEFA Cup in 1974. Internationally, Jansen was a central figure for the Netherlands, playing all seven games in the 1974 and 1978 World Cup finals where they finished runners-up. He notably committed the foul on Bernd Hölzenbein in 1974 that led to Paul Breitner's equalizing penalty against West Germany.
Did You Know?
- Jansen stood only 1.65 meters (5'5") tall, yet Van Hanegem noted he was "too small" only for the goalkeeper position.
- He was appointed Celtic's first manager from outside Great Britain and Ireland on 3 July 1997, winning the league title in his only season there.
- In January 2024, Jansen's son revealed that he died by euthanasia following a dementia diagnosis announced in late 2021.
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