Boudewijn Zenden facts for kids

Quick facts for kids
Boudewijn Zenden

Zenden playing for Liverpool in 2005
Personal information
Date of birth	(1976-08-15) 15 August 1976 (age 48)
Place of birth	Maastricht, Netherlands
Height	1.73 m
Playing position	Midfielder
Youth career
1985–1987	MVV
1987–1993	PSV
Senior career*
Years	Team	Apps†	(Gls)†
1993–1998	PSV	112	(32)
1998–2001	Barcelona	64	(2)
2001–2004	Chelsea	43	(4)
2003–2004	→ Middlesbrough (loan)	31	(4)
2004–2005	Middlesbrough	36	(5)
2005–2007	Liverpool	23	(2)
2007–2009	Marseille	54	(6)
2009–2011	Sunderland	47	(4)
Total		410	(59)
National team
1997–2004	Netherlands	54	(7)
Teams managed
2012–2013	Chelsea (assistant manager)
2013–2015	Jong PSV (assistant manager)
Honours Men's football Representing  Netherlands UEFA European Championship Bronze 2000 Belgium-Netherlands Bronze 2004 Portugal
Senior club appearances and goals counted for the domestic league only. † Appearances (Goals).

Boudewijn Zenden (born 15 August 1976), also known as Bolo, is a Dutch former football player. He mostly played as a left winger or an attacking midfielder.

In 1997, Zenden was named the Dutch Football Talent of the Year. He played for four teams in the English Premier League, appearing in 180 games and scoring 19 goals. He also played in the top leagues in the Netherlands, Spain, and France. These teams included PSV, Barcelona, and Marseille. Zenden played 54 games for the Netherlands and scored seven goals. He represented his country in two UEFA European Championships and the 1998 FIFA World Cup.

Early Life and Talents

Boudewijn Zenden was born in Maastricht, Netherlands. His father, Pierre Zenden, was a judoka (a judo expert) and a sports broadcaster.

When Boudewijn was a child, he played both football and judo. He was very good at judo and earned his black belt at age 14. He even won the judo championship in his home province of Limburg three times!

In 1985, a Dutch football club called MVV Maastricht signed Zenden. Two years later, he joined the youth academy of PSV, a bigger club. Zenden has been a strict vegetarian since he was 19 years old.

Club Career Highlights

PSV

At PSV, Zenden became a key player on the left wing. He helped PSV win the Eredivisie championship in the 1996–97 season. This was also when he received the 1997 Dutch Talent of the Year award. After another good season, he moved to the Spanish club Barcelona in 1998.

Barcelona

At Barcelona, Zenden joined many other Dutch players under coach Louis van Gaal. He often played as a left wing-back, which is a more defensive role. He helped Barcelona win the 1998–99 La Liga championship. After his coach left in 2000, Zenden played less often. In 2001, the English club Chelsea bought him.

Chelsea

Zenden played for Chelsea for two years. He reached the FA Cup final in 2002, but his team lost to Arsenal. He had some trouble staying in the starting team because of injuries.

Middlesbrough

In 2003, Zenden was loaned to Middlesbrough. Here, he found great success! He scored the winning goal in the 2004 League Cup final against Bolton Wanderers. This goal helped Middlesbrough win their first major trophy ever!

When his contract with Chelsea ended in 2004, he joined Middlesbrough permanently. He played as a central midfielder and was voted the Middlesbrough fans' Player of the Year in 2005.

Liverpool

Zenden joined Liverpool in 2005, right after they won the UEFA Champions League. He played as a left midfielder and helped Liverpool win the 2005 UEFA Super Cup. However, he got a serious knee injury in December 2005, which kept him out for the rest of that season.

He recovered for the next season and was part of the team that won the 2006 FA Community Shield. Zenden played in the Champions League final against Milan, where Liverpool lost. He scored two goals during his time at Liverpool.

Marseille

In 2007, Zenden signed a two-year contract with Marseille in France. He found it harder to play regularly there. After his contract ended, Zenden said he wanted to finish his career in England.

Sunderland

Zenden playing for Sunderland in 2010

In October 2009, Zenden joined Sunderland. He often came on as a substitute. In January 2010, he scored his first goal for the club against his old team, Chelsea. He scored another goal in a 3–1 win against Tottenham Hotspur.

In May 2010, Zenden signed a new one-year contract. He became famous on YouTube for a fun goal celebration with teammate Asamoah Gyan. Zenden scored his first goal of the 2010–11 Premier League season against Bolton, which he dedicated to his father. He left Sunderland at the end of that season.

International Career

Zenden first played for the Netherlands national team in April 1997. He was chosen to play in the 1998 World Cup in France. He scored a goal in the third-place playoff against Croatia. After scoring, he tried an acrobatic somersault to celebrate, but he didn't quite land it!

Zenden played very well in UEFA Euro 2000. His speed and ability to play both as a forward and a defender made him a valuable player. He scored goals against Denmark and France, helping the Netherlands win their group. He also helped his team reach the semi-finals, where they lost on penalties.

He also played in UEFA Euro 2004. After this tournament, Zenden was no longer chosen for the national team by the new coach.

Managerial Career

After retiring as a player, Zenden became an assistant manager. In 2012, he joined his former club Chelsea as an assistant manager. He also worked as an assistant manager for Jong PSV from 2013 to 2015.

Honours

PSV

• Eredivisie: 1996–97
• KNVB Cup: 1995–96
• Johan Cruyff Shield: 1996, 1997

Barcelona

• La Liga: 1998–99

Chelsea

• FA Cup runner-up: 2001–02

Middlesbrough

• Football League Cup: 2003–04

Liverpool

• FA Community Shield: 2006
• UEFA Super Cup: 2005
• UEFA Champions League runner-up: 2006–07

Individual

• Dutch Young Player of the Year: 1997

See also

In Spanish: Boudewijn Zenden para niños