Ronald Koeman[3] (Dutch pronunciation:[ˈroːnɑltˈkumɑn]ⓘ; born 21 March 1963) is a Dutch professionalfootball manager and formerplayer who is the manager of theNetherlands national team. Koeman scored over 250 goals whilst playing in defence for the majority of his career. Koeman was capable of playing both as adefender and as amidfielder; he frequently played as asweeper, although he was equally known for hisgoalscoring, long-range shooting, and accuracy from free kicks and penalties. Because of his goalscoring, he is considered one of the best attacking center backs of all time.[4][5]
In his managerial career, Koeman has won three Eredivisie titles: twice with Ajax (2001–02 and2003–04) and once with PSV (2006–07). He is the only individual to have both played for and managed the "Big Three" of Dutch football: Ajax, PSV andFeyenoord.[6] Abroad, he had spells in Portugal withBenfica and Spain withValencia, coachingLos Ché to victory in the2007–08 Copa del Rey, and managedPremier League clubsSouthampton andEverton in the 2010s. He was the manager of the Netherlands national team between 2018 and 2020, finishing runners-up in the 2019UEFA Nations League. In August 2020, he was appointed manager of Barcelona, with whom he won the2020–21 Copa del Rey, but was sacked in October 2021, following a poor start to thenew season. In 2023, he was reappointed as the manager of the Netherlands national team.
Koeman started his professional career atGroningen, making his debut at the age of 17 years and 183 days in a 2–0 win overNEC in theEredivisie. This made him the third-youngest player in the club's history, afterPiet Wildschut and Bert de Voogt.[7] Thirty-three goals from ninety appearances in his three seasons at the club saw the young defender called up by theNetherlands national team and earn a transfer toEredivisie championsAjax. After failing to defend their title in Koeman's first season at the club, theAmsterdam team regained the championship in1984–85. The following season sawJohan Cruyff take over as Ajax head coach and, despite scoring 120 goals in 34 Eredivisie matches and winning theKNVB Cup,de Godenzonen could only finish second in the league behindrivalsPSV.
In the summer of 1986, Koeman controversially transferred to PSV to play forHans Kraay's champions. Towards the end of the1986–87 season, Kraay resigned and was replaced byGuus Hiddink, under the management of whom PSV overtook league leaders Ajax in the final weeks of the season to defend their league title. Koeman enjoyed further success with Hiddink and PSV in the following seasons, as the team also won the1987–88 and1988–89 Eredivisie titles and the club's first, and to date only,European Cup againstBenfica inStuttgart on 25 May 1988. PSV had also won the KNVB Cup in both1988 and1989, making their successes in the two yearstrebles anddoubles respectively. In his three seasons at PSV, Koeman scored 51 goals in 98 league appearances, averaging more than one goal every two matches. During 1987–88 season, he recorded the highest scoring season of his club career, with 21 goals scored in the league.[8]
Koeman was known for his powerful right-footed free kicks and deadball ability where he scored many vital goals for the team.[11] One of his best strikes in La Liga came in the memorable 5–0 win over Real Madrid in 1994, with hisbending free kick making the scoreline 2–0.[12] Koeman was joint-top scorer with eight goals in the1993–94 UEFA Champions League, in which Barcelona were beaten 0–4 in thefinal byA.C. Milan at theOlympic Stadium inAthens.
His nicknames while playing for Barcelona were "Tintin", due to his physical similarity withHergé's fictional character, and"Floquet de Neu", after the famous albino gorilla in the Barcelona Zoo.[13]
After six years and over 200 appearances at Barcelona, Koeman left Spain to return to the Netherlands in 1995. In joiningFeyenoord, he became one of the few players to represent all of Dutch football's "Big Three". Koeman spent two seasons in Rotterdam, captaining Feyenoord to third- and second-place finishes in the Eredivisie respectively.
Koeman ended his career with 192 league goals from 533 matches (ahead ofDaniel Passarella, who netted 182 goals in 556 matches) during his career, more than any other defender in the history of football.[14]
In April 1983, both Koeman and his brotherErwin debuted for the Netherlands national team in a 3–0 friendly loss toSweden inUtrecht.[15] Ronald's first international goal came in September of the same year, in a 3–0 victory ofIceland atGroningen'sOosterpark Stadion.[15]
With the Netherlands unable to qualify forUEFA Euro 1984 and the1986 FIFA World Cup, Koeman's tournament debut came atEuro 1988 in West Germany, whereRinus Michels' team defeated the hosts at the semi-final stage, with Koeman scoring a crucial penalty to equalize and make it 1–1. After this match, Koeman provocatively pretended to wipe his backside with the shirt ofOlaf Thon in front of the home supporters.[16]Inthe final, the Netherlands defeated theSoviet Union 2–0 atMunich'sOlympiastadion to win the nation's only major international trophy. This completed Koeman's extraordinary 1988 after winning the treble with PSV.[a][17] Both Koeman and his central defensive partner Frank Rijkaard were named inUEFA'sTeam of the Tournament.
Koeman went on to represent his nation at the1990 and1994World Cups, as well asEuro 1992, and picked up a total of 78 caps for the Netherlands, scoring 14 goals.
Having retired as a player after his stint with Feyenoord, Koeman became a member of the Netherlands international coaching staff ofGuus Hiddink during the1998 World Cup along withJohan Neeskens and Frank Rijkaard. After the tournament, he was appointed the assistant coach of Barcelona, and in 2000, he was handed his first managerial job as the head coach ofVitesse, where he led the team to aUEFA Cup spot in his only season.[18]
Koeman was appointed the manager of Ajax in 2001. He won a domestic double in2001–02. Despite regaining the title in2003–04, Ajax had fallen eight points behind rivals PSV in the Eredivisie. This situation, coupled with Ajax being knocked out of theUEFA Cup byAuxerre, 3–2 on aggregate, led Koeman to resign the following day on 25 February 2005.[19] During Koeman's spell at Ajax, a youngZlatan Ibrahimovic started his rise to international fame, andWesley Sneijder andRafael van der Vaart made their debut.
In the2006–07 season, Koeman served as head coach of PSV, as successor to Guus Hiddink. PSV dominated the first season half, keeping competitorsAZ and Ajax at a reasonable distance, and PSV seemed almost destined to become champions again. PSV, however, suffered in the second half of the season, also because of injuries of playersJefferson Farfán,Alex andIbrahim Afellay, obtaining only 19 out 39 possible points.[24] Alkmaar and Ajax regained their momentum, making for a close finish, with all three teams tied at 72 points before the last competition day. Alkmaar played strugglingExcelsior in their final match, but did not manage to win. Ajax played atWillem II, but did not score enough goals; it was PSV eventually who triumphed, winning at home 5–1 against Vitesse, and thereby becoming Eredivisie champions, one goal ahead of Ajax.
For the second consecutive season, he guided a team to the quarter-finals of theChampions League, this time defeating another English club in the shape ofArsenal in the first knockout stage by an aggregate score of 2–1,[25] before losing 4–0 on aggregate to eventual runners-upLiverpool in the quarter-finals.[26]
On 31 October 2007, Koeman agreed to be the new coach ofValencia after the sacking ofQuique Sánchez Flores, starting on 5 November 2007.[27] With Valencia, he won the2007–08 Copa del Rey, a tournament he previously won as a player with Barcelona.[28] This was Valencia's first Copa del Rey since 1999.[29] The remainder of his tenure at Valencia would prove disappointing: the team would slump to 15th in the league, only two points above the relegation zone, as well as finishing bottom of theirChampions League group. A 1–5 defeat byAthletic Bilbao would prove the final straw for Koeman's time with Valencia. He was sacked the following day, on 21 April 2008.[29]
Koeman was appointed manager ofAZ on 18 May 2009,[30] afterLouis van Gaal, who won the2008–09 Eredivisie with Alkmaar, joinedBayern Munich. On 5 December 2009, Alkmaar announced that Koeman no longer was in charge of the club, after losing 7 of the first 16 games in the Dutch competition.[31]
On 21 July 2011, Koeman was appointed manager of Feyenoord, signing a one-year contract with the Dutch club as replacement for outgoing trainerMario Been.[32] Through this appointment, Koeman notably became the first individual ever to serve as both player and head coach at all teams of the so-called "traditional big three" of Dutch football – Ajax, PSV and Feyenoord.[33] Moreover, he has completed this in the same order as player and as manager. At the beginning of 2012, it was announced that his contract was extended. In February 2014, Koeman announced that he would leave his position at Feyenoord at the end of the2013–14 season to pursue other ambitions.[34]
In June 2014, Koeman was announced as the replacement forSouthampton managerMauricio Pochettino, signing a three-year deal with the club. His brother Erwin was appointed assistant manager.[35]
In his first sixPremier League games in charge of the club, Koeman managed four wins, a draw and a defeat, propelling Southampton to second place in the league standings and resulting in Koeman being namedPremier League Manager of the Month for September.[36][37] In January 2015, Southampton won all three of their matches, including a first win atManchester United since 1988, and Koeman was again named Manager of the Month.[38] He led Southampton to a seventh-place finish at the end of the season.[39]
Koeman won his third Premier League Manager of the Month for January 2016,[40] on the way to Southampton's highest ever Premier League finish, sixth place, highest ever Premier League points total, 63, and qualification for the group stage of theUEFA Europa League.[41]
On 14 June 2016, Koeman was confirmed as manager ofEverton, signing a three-year contract.[42] His brother was again hired as his assistant.[43] In his first season, Koeman led Everton to qualification for theEuropa League.[44]
Prior to the 2017–18 season, Koeman was given the largest budget in Everton's history to spend on new players.[45] An estimated £150 million was spent on new players, but Koeman admitted that he had not bought a centre forward to replaceRomelu Lukaku, the previous season's squad top scorer who had been sold to Manchester United.[46] Koeman was sacked by the club on 23 October 2017, after his side fell into the relegation zone, following a 2–5 home defeat againstArsenal the previous day.[47][48] Koeman later stated his belief that the failure to signOlivier Giroud in the summer transfer window contributed to his sacking.[49]
On 6 February 2018, Koeman was appointed manager of the Netherlands national team on a four-and-a-half-year contract up to and including the2022 FIFA World Cup. He replacedDick Advocaat who resigned after failing to guide the Netherlands to the2018 FIFA World Cup.[50]
On 19 August 2020, Koeman left the national team to become manager ofBarcelona. Under his management, Netherlands qualified for a final tournament,UEFA Euro 2020, for the first time since the2014 FIFA World Cup after missing out on theUEFA Euro 2016 and the 2018 FIFA World Cup.[52]
On 19 August 2020, Koeman was announced as the new manager of Barcelona, on a two-year contract until 30 June 2022.[53] He took over afterQuique Setién had been dismissed from the post[54] following a disastrous8–2 defeat toBayern Munich in thequarter final of the2019–20 UEFA Champions League.[55] In his first competitive game in charge, Barcelona beatVillarreal 4–0 at theCamp Nou inLa Liga.[56] On 17 October, Koeman suffered his first loss as Barcelona manager after a 1–0 away defeat againstGetafe.[57] On 24 October, he lost the firstClásico of the season to arch rivalsReal Madrid by a 3–1 scoreline. That defeat was followed by a 1–1 draw againstAlavés, which resulted in Barcelona equalling their worst tally after the first six games in La Liga (eight points, as few as in the 2002–03 season).[58]In the following weeks, several disappointing occurred and with yet another loss against Atletico Madrid, Barcelona ended up with their worst league start since 1992, having won only 11 points in the first 8 La Liga matches.[59]
On 17 January 2021, Koeman managed Barcelona for the first time in a cup final, with his side losing 3–2 toAthletic Bilbao afterextra time inthe final of the2020–21 Supercopa de España at theEstadio de La Cartuja inSeville.[60] On 7 February, Koeman led Barcelona to their sixth consecutive away win in La Liga after winning 3–2 againstReal Betis, equallingLuis Enrique's feat achieved in the2015–16 season.[61] On 11 March, Barcelona were knocked out of theChampions League in theround of 16 againstPSG after failing to turn around a 1–4 loss at home, losing 2–5 on aggregate.[62] On 10 April, Barcelona's 19-game unbeaten run in La Liga came to an end after falling to Real Madrid 2–1 away from home in the secondClásico of the season. On 17 April, Koeman ledBarça to a 4–0 win overAthletic Bilbao in the2021 Copa del Rey Final, gaining revenge for the Supercopa defeat at the same venue three months earlier.[63] On 29 April, Barcelona were presented with a golden opportunity to go top of La Liga but failed to capitalize after losing out toGranada away 2–1 despite taking the lead.[64] Barcelona's title charge ended with a disappointment after winning only two of their last five matches and eventually finished third in the league table. Following the end of the season, club presidentJoan Laporta admitted that Koeman was not his first choice and was looking for a manager,[65] however on 3 June, he confirmed that Koeman would be staying in charge for another season.[66]
Barcelona began the2021–22 season with a 4–2 home victory over Real Sociedad in La Liga. However, in their next ten matches, they had a disappointing run of games with 4 wins, 3 draws and 3 defeats including consecutive 3–0 losses against Bayern Munich and Benfica in the Champions League group stage and a 2–0 away defeat against title contenders Atletico Madrid in La Liga.[67] On 24 October, followingBarça's 2–1 defeat against Real Madrid at home, Koeman became the first manager sincePatrick O’Connell in 1936 to lose three consecutiveClásicos.[68] On 28 October, the club announced that Koeman had been relieved of his duties as manager following the team's 1–0 away defeat againstRayo Vallecano, with Barcelona sitting at a dissatisfying ninth place on the table.[69][70] A week later,Xavi was announced as his replacement.[71]
On 6 April 2022, Koeman was announced as returning to role of manager of the Netherlands national team, and would commence in the role on 1 January 2023 after the2022 FIFA World Cup in Qatar, following the third retirement ofLouis van Gaal.[72] On 23 January 2023, he was introduced as Dutch national team coach, with an intention to go back to a 4-3-3 formation.[73] On 24 March, he managed his first match during theUEFA Euro 2024 qualifying which ended in a 4–0 defeat againstFrance with his team trailing by three goals after 21 minutes, an underperformance occurred more than a century after the Dutch loss toSweden 4–1 on 24 August 1919, with three goals being scored within the first 20 minutes.[74]
In the2024 European championship, the Netherlands were drawn with France,Poland andAustria in the Group D.[75] The Dutch defeated Poland 2–1 in the first matchday,[76] and against France they had to settle for a 0–0 draw.[77] In their final group match, the Netherlands lost to Austria, conceding three goals and scoring two.[78] The Netherlands finished Group D among the four best third placed teams, thus ensuring qualification to the Round of 16, where they played againstRomania and won 3–0.[79] In the Quarter finals, the Dutch defeatedTurkey 2–1,[80] but were eliminated byEngland in the Semi finals, losing 2–1.[81] This was the first time since 2014 that the Netherlands had made the semi-finals of a major international tournament.
A composed player on the ball, Koeman was capable of being deployed both as a defender and as a midfielder, and he frequently played as a sweeper, due to his vision and his ability on the ball.[82] Regarded as one of the best and most prolific attackingcentral defenders of all time, due to his eye for goal,[83] Koeman was renowned for hislong-range passing, as well as hisshooting accuracy and power from distance, especially onfree kicks; he is the top scoring defender in world football,[14][84] and Barcelona's top scoring defender.[85] A versatile set piece specialist, Koeman was nicknamed theKing of free kicks, and was capable of striking the ball with power from long range free kicks, orcurling shots on goal from close range;[86][87][84] he was also an accuratepenalty kick taker.[84] Regarding his unique run-up and approach to taking free kicks and penalties, Rob Smyth ofThe Guardian commented in 2009: "We tend to associate Koeman with that particular type of free-kick, where he would lace the ball in a manner that was paradoxically sledgehammer rather than silk, yet if anything he was more adept at the seductive, shorter-range curler. As with his penalties, when he would charge towards the ball like a man with murder in mind only to tap it gently into the net, part of the skill was in the deception. With Koeman, there was more than one way to skin a defensive wall; as all Englishmen know well, he could flippin' flip one as well."[87]
Koeman most commonly organises his teams to have a defensive approach led by their method of attack, whether that be a 4–3–3, a 4-2-3-1 or an alternative, and to defend with minimal space between the lines. Describing his coaching style when appointed as manager of Barcelona, he said: "I’m a coach who likes his teams to be disciplined and well-organised team. I like to dominate games. The Dutch like attacking football. I like to be direct and have good communication with my players. We hold short meetings but that make the message clear."[88]
Koeman is the top scoring defender in world football,[14] scoring 90 goals in all competitions for Barcelona.[85] An accurate free kick and penalty kick taker, Koeman was nicknamed theKing of free kicks throughout his playing career, and is Barcelona's second-highest goalscorer from free kicks, after previous club captainLionel Messi, with 26 goals from set pieces in all competitions;[86][89] he is also Barcelona's second-highest scorer from penalties in La Liga, behind Messi once again, with 46 goals from spot kicks, and the highest scoring defender in La Liga from penalties.[85][90] With 67 goals, he is the second most prolific defender in La Liga history, behindSergio Ramos.[91] He currently holds the record for 25 consecutive successful penalty conversions in La Liga.[92]
When Erwin was appointed as the head coach ofOman in 2019, they became the first set of brothers to take charge of two different national teams at the same time[95]
Koeman is an ambassador for the anti-smoking campaign Kick it with Help. He said that the cancer diagnoses of his wife and his friendJohan Cruyff motivated him to join the campaign.[93]
During the transfer as a manager to Barcelona in 2020, Koeman was filmed for a 3-part docuseries entitled,Força Koeman. The series can be seen on Dutch streaming service "videoland" from 17 February 2021.[96]
Koeman stated that he has been visiting the Portuguese region ofAlgarve since 1988 after the victory ofPSV in the1988 European Cup Final against Portuguese football clubBenfica. He bought aplot of land with 1,000 m2 (11,000 sq ft) there in 2004 and built a 2,000,000 euro house for himself inVale do Lobo between 2005 and 2006.[97]
^Gorst, Paul (23 October 2017)."The damning goalscoring statistics that led to Ronald Koeman's Everton sacking".Liverpool Echo.Archived from the original on 24 October 2017. Retrieved24 October 2017.However, his true undoing was the club's failure to fill the Romelu Lukaku-shaped hole left by the Belgium international's summer departure to Manchester United. Speaking on the lack of a Lukaku successor back in September, Koeman wasn't shy in admitting Everton had ended the transfer window without completing their business – despite the historic outlay.
_(cropped).jpg)
.jpg)
