 Krol in 2005 | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Personal information | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Full name | Rudolf Jozef Krol | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Date of birth | (1949-03-24)24 March 1949 (age 76) | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Place of birth | Amsterdam, Netherlands | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Height | 1.84 m (6 ft 0 in) | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Position(s) | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Senior career* | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Years | Team | Apps | (Gls) | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 1968–1980 | Ajax | 339 | (23) | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 1980 | Vancouver Whitecaps | 14 | (0) | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 1980–1984 | Napoli | 107 | (1) | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 1984–1986 | Cannes | 63 | (0) | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Total | 523 | (24) | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| International career | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 1969–1983 | Netherlands[1][2] | 83 | (4) | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Managerial career | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 1989–1990 | Mechelen | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 1990 | Servette | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 1991–1993 | Netherlands U21 (assistant) | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 1994–1995 | Egypt U23 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 1995–1996 | Egypt[3] | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 1997–1999 | Zamalek | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 1999 | Al-Wahda | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 1999–2001 | Netherlands (assistant) | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 2002–2005 | Ajax (assistant) | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 2006–2007 | Ajaccio | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 2007–2008 | Zamalek | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 2008–2011 | Orlando Pirates | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 2012–2013 | Sfaxien | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 2013 | Tunisia | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 2014 | Espérance | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 2014 | Al-Ahli | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 2015 | Raja Casablanca | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 2016 | Club Africain | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 2018–2019 | Sfaxien | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 2020 | Kuwait SC[4] | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Medal record
| |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| * Club domestic league appearances and goals | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Rudolf Jozef "Ruud" (or "Rudi")Krol (Dutch pronunciation:[rytˈkrɔl]; born 24 March 1949)[5] is a Dutch former professionalfootballer who wascapped 83 times for theNetherlands national team.[5] Most of his career he played for his home town club,Ajax. He became a coach after retirement.[6] Regarded as one of the greatestdefenders of all time,[7][8] Krol mainly played as asweeper orleft-back, though he could play anywhere across the back line, or inmidfield as adefensive midfielder, due to his range of passing with both feet, temperament, tactical intelligence, and his ability to start attacking plays after winning back the ball.[9]
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He began his career atAjax under managerRinus Michels. In his first season at the club (1968-69), he only played one match.[10] After the departure of left-backTheo van Duivenbode toFeyenoord in the summer of 1969,[11] Krol became a regular player. When Ajax reached theUEFA European Cup in1971, and won, Krol did not play because of a broken leg.[12] Krol did play in the European Cup finals of1972 and1973. While others, such asJohan Cruyff andJohan Neeskens, left for new pastures, Krol, captain since the departure ofPiet Keizer in October 1974, stayed at Ajax until June 1980.[13]
He moved to theNorth American Soccer League to play for theVancouver Whitecaps[14] for four months.[13] He then joinedNapoli in September 1980,[15] where he played for the next four seasons and earned him the nicknamesGrande Rudy (meaningBig Rudy) andIl Tulipano Azzurro (meaningthe blue tulip).[13] His last club was in France withCannes, at the time playing inLigue 2 (the French Second division), before retiring in 1986.[13][16]
Internationally, Krol made his debut for theNetherlands in 1969 againstEngland,[17] retiring from international football in 1983. He was a crucial component in theTotal Football side of the 1970s. A versatile defender, he could play in any position along the back four or midfield. In the1974 FIFA World Cup, in which the Netherlands reached the final, Krol primarily played at left-back. He created Cruyff's goal againstBrazil[18] and scored a 25-yard screamer againstArgentina.[19]
Krol was part of the Dutch squad that participated in the1976 European Championship; the team finished inthird place.
By the time the1978 FIFA World Cup came about, Krol had switched to playing as a sweeper and had earned the captain's armband after the retirement of Cruyff. The Dutch teamlost the World Cup final for a second time in a row.
Krol played for the Netherlands as captain at the1980 European Championship, where the teamdidn't overcome the first round. He played for part of the qualifying for1984 European Championship, and played his last match as international in 1983.[2]
With 83 international games, he was the most capped Dutch player when he quit, untilAron Winter surpassed him duringUEFA Euro 2000.[20] In the 83 matches for the Netherlands, Krol captained the Dutch team 45 times, third most behindVirgil van Dijk andFrank de Boer.[21]
Krol started his career as manager withK.V. Mechelen in July 1989, but he was sacked in January 1990.[22] In his managerial career, he has been head coach ofEgypt,[3] and has been assistant manager of the Netherlands (underFrank Rijkaard[23] andLouis van Gaal[24]) and Ajax (underRonald Koeman[25]). He became theinterim manager of Ajax after the resignation of Koeman in February 2005.[26]He was manager ofAjaccio in FranceLigue 2 from 2006 to 2007.[27]
Krol managedZamalek from 1997 to 1999[28], winning theAfro-Asian Club Championship in1997. He returned as manager of Zamalek in August 2007.[28] Krol's return to Zamalek was meant to be a stabilizing presence, after the club having gone through several managers in the preceding two seasons. He won theEgypt Cup with Zamalek in2008, but left shortly after.[29] He then signed a three-year contract with the South African giantsOrlando Pirates.[30] In his three years with the Orlando Pirates, he won two South African cups (the MTN8 and Nedbank Cup) and the national league, all in his last year in charge of the team.[31] Despite that success his contract was not renewed.[32]
After his stint in South Africa, he was contacted to lead theTunisia national team in the play-off qualifying round for the 2014 World Cup against Cameroon. He accepted that role and simultaneously became manager ofCS Sfaxien and Tunisia in September 2013.[33] In 2013, Krol won the2013 CAF Confederation Cup and the Tunisian championship with Sfaxien, after a fierce battle with the other three of the Tunisian big four.[34][35] He quit as the national team interim coach following Tunisia's loss in the World Cup play-off and he resigned from his duties as Sfaxien coach after the second leg of the final against TP Mazembe on 30 November 2013.[36]
In January 2014, he was appointed new head coach of Tunisian sideES Tunis.[37]
| Club | Season | League | National cup[a] | Continental | Other | Total | ||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Division | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | ||
| Ajax | 1968–69 | Eredivisie | 1 | 0 | — | — | — | 1 | 0 | |||
| 1969–70 | Eredivisie | 34 | 2 | 5 | 0 | 10[b] | 0 | — | 48 | 2 | ||
| 1970–71 | Eredivisie | 24 | 2 | 4 | 0 | 7[c] | 0 | — | 35 | 2 | ||
| 1971–72 | Eredivisie | 33 | 0 | 5 | 0 | 9[c] | 0 | — | 47 | 0 | ||
| 1972–73 | Eredivisie | 34 | 3 | 1 | 0 | 7[c] | 1 | 4[d] | 0 | 46 | 4 | |
| 1973–74 | Eredivisie | 34 | 3 | 4 | 0 | 2[c] | 0 | 2[e] | 0 | 42 | 3 | |
| 1974–75 | Eredivisie | 24 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 6[f] | 1 | — | 31 | 2 | ||
| 1975–76 | Eredivisie | 31 | 3 | 3 | 0 | 6[f] | 0 | 3[g] | 0 | 43 | 3 | |
| 1976–77 | Eredivisie | 33 | 1 | — | 2[f] | 1 | — | 35 | 2 | |||
| 1977–78 | Eredivisie | 34 | 2 | 7 | 0 | 6[c] | 0 | — | 47 | 2 | ||
| 1978–79 | Eredivisie | 24 | 2 | 5 | 0 | 6[f] | 0 | — | 35 | 2 | ||
| 1979–80 | Eredivisie | 33 | 4 | 6 | 0 | 7[c] | 4 | — | 46 | 8 | ||
| Total | 339 | 23 | 41 | 0 | 68 | 7 | 9 | 0 | 456 | 30 | ||
| Vancouver Whitecaps FC | 1980 | NASL | 14 | 0 | — | — | — | 14 | 0 | |||
| Total | 14 | 0 | — | — | — | 14 | 0 | |||||
| SSC Napoli | 1980–81 | Serie A | 29 | 1 | — | — | — | 29 | 1 | |||
| 1981-82 | Serie A | 27 | 0 | 6 | 0 | 1[f] | 0 | — | 34 | 0 | ||
| 1982–83 | Serie A | 30 | 0 | 7 | 0 | 4[f] | 0 | — | 41 | 0 | ||
| 1983–84 | Serie A | 21 | 0 | — | — | — | 21 | 0 | ||||
| Total | 107 | 1 | 13 | 0 | 5 | 0 | — | 125 | 1 | |||
| AS Cannes | 1984-85 | Ligue 2 | 34 | 0 | 3 | 0 | — | — | 37 | 0 | ||
| 1985-86 | Ligue 2 | 29 | 0 | — | — | — | 29 | 0 | ||||
| Total | 63 | 0 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | — | 66 | 0 | |||
| Career total | 523 | 24 | 57 | 0 | 73 | 7 | 9 | 0 | 661 | 31 | ||
| National team | Year | Apps | Goals |
|---|---|---|---|
| Netherlands | 1969 | 1 | 0 |
| 1970 | 2 | 0 | |
| 1971 | 2 | 0 | |
| 1972 | 5 | 0 | |
| 1973 | 7 | 0 | |
| 1974 | 14 | 2 | |
| 1975 | 6 | 0 | |
| 1976 | 6 | 1 | |
| 1977 | 6 | 0 | |
| 1978 | 14 | 1 | |
| 1979 | 6 | 0 | |
| 1980 | 6 | 0 | |
| 1981 | 5 | 0 | |
| 1982 | 2 | 0 | |
| 1983 | 1 | 0 | |
| Total | 83 | 4 | |
| No. | Date | Venue | Opponent | Score | Result | Competition |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 27 March 1974 | De Kuip,Rotterdam, Netherlands |  Austria | 1–1 | 1–1 | Friendly |
| 2 | 26 June 1974 | Parkstadion,Gelsenkirchen, Germany |  Argentina | 3–0 | 4–0 | 1974 FIFA World Cup |
| 3 | 13 October 1976 | De Kuip, Rotterdam, Netherlands |  Northern Ireland | 1–1 | 2–2 | 1978 FIFA World Cup qualification |
| 4 | 20 September 1978 | Goffertstadion,Nijmegen, Netherlands |  Iceland | 1–0 | 3–0 | UEFA Euro 1980 qualification |
During the 1974 FIFA World Cup, Krol made an own goal in thematch against Bulgaria.[46]
Ajax[47]
Netherlands
Individual
Ajaccio
Ajax (as assistent to managerRonald Koeman)
Zamalek
Orlando Pirates
Sfaxien
Esperance
Raja Casablanca
Kuwait
Egyptian Olympic Team (U23)
Egypt
Netherlands (as assistant to managerFrank Rijkaard)
Individual
|  | |
