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Michael Reiziger

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Michael Reiziger
Reiziger in 2013
Personal information
Full name Michael John Reiziger
Date of birth (1973-05-03) 3 May 1973 (age 51)
Place of birth Amstelveen, Netherlands
Height 1.78 m (5 ft 10 in)
Position(s) Defender
Team information
Current team
 Jong Ajax (manager)
Youth career
Sint Martinus
1985–1990 Ajax
Senior career*
Years Team Apps (Gls)
1990–1996 Ajax 83 (1)
1992–1993 → Volendam (loan) 10 (2)
1993–1994 → Groningen (loan) 34 (6)
1996–1997 Milan 10 (0)
1997–2004 Barcelona 173 (0)
2004–2005 Middlesbrough 22 (1)
2005–2007 PSV 24 (1)
Total 356 (11)
International career
1994–2004 Netherlands 72 (1)
Managerial career
2017– Jong Ajax
*Club domestic league appearances and goals

Michael John Reiziger (Dutch pronunciation: [ˈmɑikəl ˈɟɔn ˈrɛizəɣər], born 3 May 1973) is a Dutch former professional footballer who played mainly as a right back, and is the current manager of Eerste Divisie club Jong Ajax.

After making a name for himself at Ajax, with whom he won one Champions League, he went on to represent four teams in as many countries, notably Barcelona, for which he played in 249 official games in seven years, as well as spells at Milan, Middlesbrough and PSV Eindhoven.

Reiziger represented the Dutch national team for a full decade, competing at three European Championships and the 1998 World Cup and finishing fourth in the latter tournament.

Playing career

Born in Amstelveen, North Holland to Surinamese parents,[1] Reiziger started his career with hometown's AFC Ajax, making his first-team debut at the age of 17 then serving two consecutive loan spells, with FC Volendam and FC Groningen: with the latter, in the 1993–94 season, he scored a career-best six goals while operating also as a midfielder.

Upon his return to Ajax, Reiziger established himself as a renowned defensive element, helping the club to, among other conquests, the 1994–95 edition of the UEFA Champions League. In 1996 he signed for A.C. Milan, but after a season marred by injury, he departed for FC Barcelona where he spent the following seven years, arriving at the same time as compatriot and former Ajax boss Louis van Gaal; though not an undisputed starter, he nonetheless featured heavily for the Catalans, amassing more than 200 overall appearances and helping the club to back-to-back La Liga titles.[2]

In 2004, Reiziger moved to Middlesbrough on a Bosman transfer. He scored once in the league for Boro, against Aston Villa in December 2004.[3] However, after another campaign plagued by physical problems, he left and returned to the Netherlands to see out his career at PSV Eindhoven (in his second year he won the Eredivisie, and was also reunited with Ajax, Barça and national teammate Patrick Kluivert, although the two rarely ever played).[4]

Reiziger (wearing No.2) in the Dutch wall, facing a free kick against Sweden at Euro 2004.

Shortly after signing for PSV, Reiziger said he would consider playing for the Netherlands again if the opportunity arose, but he was never recalled again, amassing 72 appearances in ten years.[5]

Reiziger made his debut for the Dutch national team on 12 October 1994, against Norway. He played for his country at the UEFA Euro 1996, 1998 FIFA World Cup, Euro 2000 and Euro 2004, retiring from international play after the latter.[6]

Coaching career

Following his retirement from playing, Reiziger settled in Barcelona, before being introduced into the coaching side of the game in 2013, when he became attached to Sparta Rotterdam as a youth level coach. He subsequently went on to become the assistant manager of the senior team to Gert Kruys, and later Alex Pastoor, a role he held between 2014 until his departure in 2017.[7]

On 20 June 2017, it was confirmed that Reiziger would return to Ajax, after being appointed as manager of their reserve squad of the Eerste Divisie, replacing Marcel Keizer.[8][9] In his first season in charge, Reiziger led the side to their first ever Eerste Divisie title, the highest level title the side have ever won.[10] This position would have resulted in promotion to the Eredivise, though being a reserve team meant that they were illegible for promotion, with rules stating that the side had to be at least one division below the first team.[10] During this season, Reiziger acted as caretaker manager of the first team for one match, following the dismissal of Marcel Keizer, winning this game against Willem II 3–1.[11] In spite of this, the job went to Erik ten Hag.[11]

Career statistics

As a player

Club

[12]

Club performance League Cup League Cup Continental Total
Season Club League Apps Goals Apps Goals Apps Goals Apps Goals Apps Goals
Netherlands League KNVB Cup League Cup Europe Total
1990–91 Ajax Eredivisie 1 0
1991–92 1 0
1992–93 1 0
1992–93 Volendam 10 2
1993–94 Groningen 34 6
1994–95 Ajax 34 0
1995–96 26 1
Italy League Coppa Italia League Cup Europe Total
1996–97 Milan Serie A 10 0 4 0 14 0
Spain League Copa del Rey Supercopa de España Europe Total
1997–98 Barcelona La Liga 29 0 4 0 2 0 6 0 44 0
1998–99 26 0 0 0 2 0
1999–2000 29 0 4 0 2 0
2000–01 25 0 7 0 0 0
2001–02 13 0 0 0 0 0
2002–03 21 0 1 0 0 0
2003–04 30 0 4 0 0 0
England League FA Cup League Cup Europe Total
2004–05 Middlesbrough Premier League 18 1 1 0
2005–06 4 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 4 0
Netherlands League KNVB Cup League Cup Europe Total
2005–06 PSV Eredivisie 13 0
2006–07 12 1
Total Netherlands 132 10
Italy 10 0 4 0 14 0
Spain 173 0 20 0 6 0
England 22 1
Career total 337 11

International

Source: [13]

Honours

Player

Ajax

Barcelona

PSV

Manager

Jong Ajax

References

  1. ^ "Why Suriname would have won the 1998 World Cup". Making Plans for Nigel. 22 May 2012. Retrieved 6 March 2016.
  2. ^ "El primer Barça de van Gaal (parte I): 1997, llegada y planificación" [The first Barça of van Gaal (part I): 1997, arrival and planning] (in Spanish). Sphera Sports. 3 March 2017. Retrieved 25 October 2017.
  3. ^ "Middlesbrough 3–0 Aston Villa". BBC Sport. 18 December 2004. Retrieved 23 October 2009.
  4. ^ PSV release Kluivert and Reiziger; UEFA, 11 May 2007
  5. ^ "Michael Reiziger – International Appearances". RSSSF. Retrieved 18 April 2014.
  6. ^ Reiziger retires from Dutch cause; UEFA, 2 August 2004
  7. ^ "Michael Reiziger will coach Ajax Reserves". Ajax website. 21 June 2017. Retrieved 16 May 2019.
  8. ^ "Michael Reiziger opvolger van Marcel Keizer bij Jong Ajax" [Michael Reiziger succeeds Marcel Keizer at Young Ajax]. Algemeen Dagblad (in Dutch). 20 June 2017. Retrieved 21 June 2017.
  9. ^ "Reiziger volgt Keizer op bij Jong Ajax" [Reiziger follows Keizer at Young Ajax] (in Dutch). Nederlandse Omroep Stichting. 20 June 2017. Retrieved 21 June 2017.
  10. ^ a b "Summary - Eerste Divisie - Netherlands - Results, fixtures, tables and news". Soccerway. Retrieved 17 May 2019.
  11. ^ a b "Ajax sack Marcel Keizer and assistant Dennis Bergkamp after Cup exit". The Guardian. Retrieved 17 May 2019.
  12. ^ "Michael Reiziger". Footballdatabase. Retrieved 2 October 2015.
  13. ^ a b "Michael Reiziger". EU-Football.info. Retrieved 2 October 2015.
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