Dutch · Amsterdam, Netherlands · Born 30 September 1962Dutch defensive midfielder and one third of AC Milan's legendary 'Dutch Trio', who won two European Cups with Milan and the 1988 European Championship with the Netherlands.
Franklin Edmundo Rijkaard was born on 30 September 1962 in Amsterdam to a Dutch mother and a Surinamese father. He grew up playing football with Ruud Gullit, whose own father had arrived in the Netherlands alongside Rijkaard's, and the two would go on to become lifelong teammates. Rijkaard made his senior debut for Ajax on 23 August 1980 at age 17, scoring in a 4-2 win over Go Ahead Eagles. Over seven and a half seasons at Ajax, Rijkaard won three Eredivisie titles and three KNVB Cups, along with the 1986-87 European Cup Winners' Cup, before a disagreement with coach Johan Cruyff led to his departure in 1987. After a difficult loan spell at Sporting CP and Real Zaragoza, he joined AC Milan in 1988, where under Arrigo Sacchi he was reinvented as a holding midfielder, forming the famous 'Dutch Trio' alongside Ruud Gullit and Marco van Basten. At Milan, Rijkaard won two Serie A titles and back-to-back European Cups in 1989 and 1990, scoring the only goal of the 1990 final against Benfica. Internationally, he was part of the Dutch side that won UEFA Euro 1988, playing as a central defender in the 2-0 final win over the Soviet Union, and later reached the semi-finals of Euro 1992 and played at the 1990 and 1994 World Cups, earning 73 caps and 10 goals for the Netherlands. Rijkaard returned to Ajax in 1993 for the final two seasons of his playing career, forming the experienced defensive core alongside Danny Blind of the team that went unbeaten in the 1994-95 Eredivisie season. He capped his playing career in perfect fashion, winning the 1995 UEFA Champions League as Ajax defeated his former club Milan 1-0 in the final — his last match as a professional. He later enjoyed a notable coaching career, most prominently leading Barcelona to consecutive La Liga titles and the 2006 Champions League.
Being one third of AC Milan's legendary 'Dutch Trio' and winning the European Cup twice
How They Played
Tactically intelligent, physically dominant midfielder equally effective at centre-back
Lasting Impact
Widely regarded as one of the greatest defensive midfielders in football history
| Club | Period | Apps |
|---|---|---|
 Netherlands | — | 73 |
Dutch Athletes