 Krol in 1974 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 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) | Left back,Sweeper | |||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 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 U-21 (Assistant) | |||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 1994–1995 | Egypt U-23 | |||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 1995–1996 | Egypt[3] | |||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 1997–1999 | Zamalek | |||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 1999 | Al-Wahda Abu Dhabi | |||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 1999–2001 | Netherlands (Assistant) | |||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 2002–2005 | Ajax (Assistant) | |||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 2006–2007 | Ajaccio | |||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 2007–2008 | Zamalek | |||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 2008–2011 | Orlando Pirates | |||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 2012–2013 | CS Sfaxien | |||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 2013 | Tunisia | |||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 2014 | Espérance de Tunis | |||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 2014 | Al-Ahli Tripoli | |||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 2015 | Raja Club Athletic | |||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 2016 | Club Africain | |||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 2018–2019 | CS Sfaxien | |||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 2020 | Kuwait SC[4] | |||||||||||||||||||||||||
Medal record
| ||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| *Club domestic league appearances and goals | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Rudolf Jozef Krol (born 24 March 1949) is a retiredDutchfootballer who wascapped 83 times for theNetherlands national team. Most of his career he played for his home town club,Ajax, and he became a coach after retirement.[5] Regarded as one of the bestdefenders of all time, Krol mainly played as asweeper orleft-back, however 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 ability to start attacking plays after winning back the ball.[6][7]
He began his career atAjax under managerRinus Michels in 1968. In his first season at the club he did not play much. After the departure of left-backTheo van Duivenbode in the summer of 1969 toFeyenoord, Krol became a regular player. WithWim Suurbier he formed a defensive duo, nicknamed Snabbel and Babbel. When Ajax reached theUEFA European Cup in1971, and won, Krol did not play because of a broken leg. Krol did play in the European Cup finals of1972 and1973. While others such asJohan Cruijff andJohan Neeskens left for new pastures, Krol, captain since the departure ofPiet Keizer in October 1974, stayed at Ajax until June 1980.
He moved to theNorth American Soccer League to play for theVancouver Whitecaps[8] for one season. He then joinedS.S.C. Napoli where he played for the next four seasons. His last club before he retired in 1986 was the French clubAS Cannes, at the time inLigue 2 (the French 2nd division).
Internationally, Krol made his debut for theNetherlands in 1969 againstEngland, 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 Cruijff's goal againstBrazil and scored a 25-yard screamer againstArgentina.
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 Cruijff.
Krol played for the Netherlands as captain at the1980 European Championship. He played for part of the qualifying forEuro 84, and played his last international in 1983.
In his managerial career, he has been head coach ofEgypt, and has been assistant manager of the Netherlands (underFrank Rijkaard andLouis van Gaal) and Ajax (underRonald Koeman). He becameinterim manager of Ajax after the resignation of Koeman. He was manager ofAC Ajaccio in FranceLigue 2 from 2006 to 2007. He returned as manager ofEgyptian giantsZamalek in August 2007. He had previously managed them from 1994 to 1999, winning theEgyptian Cup in 1999, theAfrican Cup of Champions Clubs in 1996 and the Afro-Asian Club Championship 1997, the last two being the biggest club level prizes available toCAF clubs. Krol's return to Zamalek was meant to be a stabilizing presence, the club having gone through several managers in the preceding two seasons.His stay however would be a short one. He ended his sole season by winning oneEgyptian Cup with Zamalek, within one season he would leave and sign a three-year contract with the South African giantsOrlando Pirates.
In the three years with the Orlando Pirates he won two South African cups (and a finalist once) and won the national league, all in his last year in charge of the team.Those cups include MTN8 and Nedbank Cup. Despite that success his contract was not renewed.
He won the Tunisian championship with CS Sfaxien in 2012–2013, after a fierce battle with the other 3 of the Tunisian big 4. After that success, he was contacted to lead theTunisian national team in the play off qualifying to the 2014 world cup against Cameroon. He accepted that role and simultaneously became manager of CS Sfaxien and Tunisia in September 2013.[9] He won the2013 CAF Confederation Cup with Sfaxien. He resigned from his duties as Sfaxien coach after the second leg of the final against TP Mazembe on 30 November 2013. He quit as the national team interim coach following Tunisia's loss in the World Cup play-off.
In January 2014, he was appointed new head coach of Tunisian sideES Tunis.[10]
On 6 July 1972, Krol married Yvonne van Ingen.[11] The couple have a daughter.[12] On 26 September 1974, together with teammateArie Haan, he opened a snack bar on Reguliersbreestraat in Amsterdam.[13]
Ajax
Netherlands
Individual
Ajaccio
Zamalek
Orlando Pirates
CS Sfaxien
Esperance
Raja Casablanca
Egyptian Olympic Team (U23)
Egypt
Netherlands (ass. Coach under Frank Rijkard)
Individual
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