Clarence Seedorf facts for kids
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| Personal information | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Full name | Clarence Clyde Seedorf | ||
| Date of birth | 1 April 1976 | ||
| Place of birth | Paramaribo, Suriname | ||
| Height | 1.77 m (5 ft 10 in) | ||
| Position(s) | Midfielder | ||
| Team information | |||
|
Current team
|
Esteghlal Tehran (senior consultant) | ||
| Youth career | |||
| 1982–1983 | VV AS' 80 | ||
| 1983–1986 | Real Almere | ||
| 1986–1992 | Ajax | ||
| Senior career* | |||
| Years | Team | Apps | (Gls) |
| 1992–1995 | Ajax | 65 | (15) |
| 1995–1996 | Sampdoria | 32 | (3) |
| 1996–2000 | Real Madrid | 121 | |
| 2000–2002 | Inter Milan | 64 | (8) |
| 2002–2012 | AC Milan | 300 | (47) |
| 2012–2014 | Botafogo | 67 | (17) |
| Total | 654 | (107) | |
| International career | |||
| 1994–2008 | Netherlands | 87 | (11) |
| Managerial career | |||
| 2014 | AC Milan | ||
| 2016 | Shenzhen | ||
| 2018 | Deportivo La Coruña | ||
| 2018–2019 | Cameroon | ||
| 2025– | Esteghlal Tehran (senior consultant) | ||
| *Club domestic league appearances and goals | |||
Clarence Clyde Seedorf (born on 1 April 1976) is a famous Dutch former professional football player and manager. Many people think he is one of the greatest midfielders of all time. He currently works as a senior sports advisor and consultant for Esteghlal Tehran Football Club in Persian Gulf Pro League.
Seedorf is known as one of the most successful players in UEFA Champions League history. He is the only player to have won the UEFA Champions League with three different clubs. He won it once with Ajax in 1995, once with Real Madrid in 1998, and twice with AC Milan in 2003 and 2007.
He also played for the Netherlands 87 times. He took part in three UEFA European Football Championships (1996, 2000, 2004) and the 1998 FIFA World Cup. In these three big tournaments, his team reached the semi-finals.
In 2004, the legendary player Pelé chose Seedorf to be part of the FIFA 100 list of the world's greatest living players. Seedorf has won many titles, both in his home country and across Europe.
Contents
Becoming a Football Star
Born in Paramaribo, Suriname, Seedorf moved to Almere, Flevoland, in the Netherlands when he was two years old. He grew up in a family that loved football. His younger brothers, Jürgen and Chedric Seedorf, and his father, Johann Seedorf, were all involved in the sport.
Seedorf started playing football at age six for local amateur teams VV AS '80 and Real Almere. Soon, Ajax, a big Dutch club, discovered him. He was recruited by Urgent Scoutingteam, a talent agency started by Johan Cruyff. This agency also found other famous players like Frank and Ronald de Boer, Edgar Davids, and Patrick Kluivert.
Following Clarence, his brothers and cousin Stefano also joined Ajax's youth teams.
Playing for Top Clubs
Ajax Days
Seedorf came from the famous Ajax Youth Academy. He started his professional career as a right midfielder for Ajax in the early 1990s. He played his first game on 29 November 1992 against Groningen. He was only 16 years and 242 days old, making him Ajax's youngest player at that time.
He quickly became a key player for manager Louis van Gaal. In the 1993–94 season, his second with the club, he helped Ajax win three trophies: the Eredivisie league title, the KNVB Cup, and the Dutch Super Cup. One of his teammates was Frank Rijkaard, a player Seedorf had looked up to.
The next season, Seedorf helped his team win the Super Cup and Eredivisie again. They also won their fourth European Cup trophy in 1995. They beat AC Milan in the final. Seedorf played an important part in that final game. He was part of a group of friends at Ajax called "De kabel" (The Cable), which included Edgar Davids and Patrick Kluivert.
Sampdoria Adventure
After his success with Ajax, Seedorf decided not to renew his contract. He signed a one-year deal with Italian team Sampdoria in Serie A. He didn't win any trophies there, but he played in 32 matches and scored three goals. His good performance led him to a transfer to Real Madrid in Spain.
Real Madrid Success
Seedorf joined Real Madrid in 1996 and was a regular player for his first three seasons. In his first year, he helped the team win the La Liga title. In his second season (1997–98), he was crucial in Real Madrid's Champions League win. They beat Juventus 1–0 in the final, giving Seedorf his second Champions League title.
While at Real Madrid, Seedorf scored a memorable long-range goal against Atlético Madrid in 1997. Towards the end of his time there, his role became less central. He moved back to Italy in 1999, joining Inter Milan.
Inter Milan Chapter
On 24 December 1999, Seedorf moved to Inter Milan. He helped the team reach the Coppa Italia final that season, where they lost to Lazio. Seedorf scored Inter's only goal in that final. Even though he didn't win major trophies with Inter, fans remember him for two amazing long-range goals against Juventus in a 2–2 draw in 2002.
AC Milan Glory Years
After two years with Inter, Seedorf moved to their city rivals, AC Milan, in 2002. He quickly found success, winning the Coppa Italia in 2003, which was Milan's first in 26 years. In the same season, Seedorf won his third Champions League medal. This made him the first player ever to win the Champions League with three different clubs. Milan beat Juventus in an all-Italian final after a penalty shootout.
The next season (2003–04), Seedorf helped Milan win the Serie A title. This was his fourth national league title, adding to his two Dutch titles with Ajax and one Spanish title with Real Madrid.
Seedorf was a key player when Milan reached the Champions League final again in 2005. They lost to Liverpool in a dramatic game where Milan gave up a 3–0 lead.
In the 2006–07 season, Seedorf and teammate Kaká played incredibly well together. They helped Milan reach another Champions League final, again against Liverpool. This time, Milan won 2–1, and Seedorf earned his fourth Champions League medal. That same year, Milan won the 2007 FIFA Club World Cup. Seedorf became the first European player to win this trophy with three clubs. He won the Silver Ball award for his great performances in the tournament.
At the end of the 2006–07 season, Seedorf was named the best midfielder in the Champions League. He played his 100th Champions League game on 4 December against Celtic.
With Milan, Seedorf formed a strong midfield team with Gennaro Gattuso and Andrea Pirlo. This trio played together for many years, supporting attacking players like Kaká and Ronaldinho.
Seedorf became the foreign player with the most appearances for Milan, playing 395 games. He also became the ninth-highest scoring foreign player for the club, with 58 goals.
In 2010, Seedorf faced racist chants from Lazio fans during a game. This led to the Italian Football Federation fining Lazio and the players' union calling for an end to racism in football.
Seedorf won his second Italian league title (Scudetto) with Milan in the 2010–11 season. He played a vital role, scoring four goals in 36 appearances. He also won the 2011 Supercoppa Italiana against Inter Milan.
In 2012, Seedorf was ranked seventh among the 20 best players in the Champions League's 20-year history by UEFA's official magazine. On 14 May 2012, he announced that his last game for Milan would be that day. He left Milan after 10 wonderful years, having won two Champions League titles, two Scudettos, and a Coppa Italia.
Botafogo Adventure
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On 30 June 2012, Seedorf signed a two-year contract with Brazilian club Botafogo. He made his debut on 22 July. On 5 August, he scored his first goal for Botafogo from a free kick. On 3 February 2013, Seedorf scored his first hat-trick (three goals in one game) against Macaé.
On 10 March 2013, Seedorf won his first title with Botafogo: the 2013 Taça Guanabara. On 5 May, he won the 2013 Campeonato Carioca, his first official title with the club. On 6 June, Seedorf scored his 100th goal in domestic league play across all his clubs. On 14 January 2014, Seedorf announced he was retiring from playing football to become the manager of AC Milan.
International Career with the Netherlands
Seedorf played for the Netherlands because Surinamese rules prevented him from representing his birth country, Suriname, if he took Dutch citizenship. He received his first call-up on 14 December 1994, at age 18, against Luxembourg. Seedorf scored in his debut, helping his team win 5–0 in a Euro 1996 qualifying match.
He was part of the Dutch squad for the UEFA European Championships in 1996, 2000, and 2004, as well as the 1998 FIFA World Cup. In all three of these tournaments, the Netherlands reached the semi-finals. In Euro 1996, his missed penalty kick was important in the quarter-final shootout loss to France.
Seedorf played his last of 87 games for the Netherlands in 2007. He decided not to play in UEFA Euro 2008 due to disagreements with the national team manager, Marco van Basten.
How Seedorf Played
Seedorf was nicknamed "Il Professore" (The Professor) because he was a very smart and versatile player. He was strong, fast, and had great stamina. This allowed him to play anywhere in midfield, helping both in attack and defense. He usually played as a playmaker in the center, but he could also play as an attacking midfielder, on the wing, or in a holding role.
He was a world-class midfielder with excellent technique and ball skills. He could keep the ball under pressure and pass it accurately to teammates. Seedorf was also good at scoring goals from far away with powerful shots. He was also a skilled free-kick taker. Despite his strong and energetic style, Seedorf was known for his good behavior and was only sent off twice in his whole career. He was also praised for playing at a high level for a very long time.
Managerial Career
Seedorf became the new head coach of AC Milan on 16 January 2014. He ended his playing contract with Botafogo early to take the job. Milan was in 11th place in the Serie A league at the time. On 19 January, he won his first game as manager against Hellas Verona.
Even though he led the club to a five-match winning streak and a victory in the Milan derby against Inter, Seedorf was dismissed by Milan on 9 June 2014. He was only in the job for four months. During his time, Milan earned 35 out of a possible 57 points, which was the fourth-best record in Serie A during that period.
Seedorf was appointed manager of Chinese team Shenzhen in July 2016 but was replaced five months later. In February 2018, Seedorf became the manager of Spanish club Deportivo La Coruña. He led the team to only two wins in sixteen matches, and Deportivo was relegated from La Liga. He left the club at the end of the season.
In August 2018, Seedorf was appointed manager of the Cameroon national team. His former teammate Patrick Kluivert joined him as assistant manager. However, after a disappointing 2019 Africa Cup of Nations, where Cameroon was eliminated in the round of 16, he was sacked in July 2019.
Life Outside Football
Seedorf is very smart and can speak six languages fluently: Dutch, English, Italian, Portuguese, Spanish, and Sranan Tongo. He was known as an intelligent person in football. In 2011, he was studying for a master's degree in business at Bocconi University in Milan. This is why he earned the nickname "il professore" ("the professor").
Seedorf was married to Luviana Seedorf, and they owned a restaurant called Finger's in Milan. They have four children. After separating from his wife, he began a relationship with Sophia Makramati and converted to Islam in March 2022.
Seedorf has also worked in media. In 2009, he wrote a column for The New York Times called "Seedorf responds." He also worked as a television pundit for the BBC during the 2010 FIFA World Cup and UEFA Euro 2012.
Because of his strong connection to his birth country, Suriname, he is involved in many social projects there. He built his own Clarence Seedorf Stadium in Suriname. He also supports projects for good causes through his Champions for Children Foundation. For his work, Suriname honored him as Commander of the High-Order of the Yellow Star, and in 2011, he was made a Knight of the Order of Orange-Nassau.
In 2012 and 2014, Seedorf took part in Soccer Aid, a charity football match at Old Trafford. He played for "The Rest of the World" team against England. In 2014, he scored three goals, and his team won 4–2, helping to raise over £4 million for charity.
Clarence's nephew, Collin Seedorf, is also a professional footballer.
Career Statistics
Club
| Club | Season | League | National cup | Continental | Other | Total | ||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Division | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | ||
| Ajax | 1992–93 | Eredivisie | 12 | 1 | 3 | 0 | 3 | 0 | – | 18 | 1 | |
| 1993–94 | Eredivisie | 19 | 4 | 2 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 24 | 4 | |
| 1994–95 | Eredivisie | 34 | 6 | 3 | 0 | 11 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 49 | 6 | |
| Total | 65 | 11 | 8 | 0 | 16 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 91 | 11 | ||
| Sampdoria | 1995–96 | Serie A | 32 | 3 | 2 | 1 | – | – | 34 | 4 | ||
| Real Madrid | 1996–97 | La Liga | 38 | 6 | 4 | 0 | – | – | 42 | 6 | ||
| 1997–98 | La Liga | 36 | 6 | 0 | 0 | 11 | 0 | 2 | 1 | 49 | 7 | |
| 1998–99 | La Liga | 37 | 3 | 5 | 1 | 8 | 3 | 2 | 0 | 52 | 7 | |
| 1999–2000 | La Liga | 10 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 6 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 16 | 0 | |
| Total | 121 | 15 | 9 | 1 | 25 | 3 | 4 | 1 | 159 | 20 | ||
| Inter Milan | 1999–2000 | Serie A | 20 | 3 | 5 | 2 | – | – | 25 | 5 | ||
| 2000–01 | Serie A | 24 | 2 | 4 | 0 | 7 | 3 | 1 | 0 | 36 | 5 | |
| 2001–02 | Serie A | 20 | 3 | 2 | 1 | 10 | 0 | – | 32 | 4 | ||
| Total | 64 | 8 | 11 | 3 | 17 | 3 | 1 | 0 | 93 | 14 | ||
| AC Milan | 2002–03 | Serie A | 29 | 4 | 3 | 2 | 16 | 1 | – | 48 | 7 | |
| 2003–04 | Serie A | 29 | 3 | 5 | 0 | 8 | 0 | 3 | 0 | 45 | 3 | |
| 2004–05 | Serie A | 32 | 5 | 4 | 1 | 13 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 49 | 7 | |
| 2005–06 | Serie A | 36 | 4 | 2 | 1 | 11 | 1 | – | 49 | 6 | ||
| 2006–07 | Serie A | 32 | 7 | 5 | 0 | 14 | 3 | – | 51 | 10 | ||
| 2007–08 | Serie A | 32 | 7 | 0 | 0 | 7 | 2 | 3 | 1 | 42 | 10 | |
| 2008–09 | Serie A | 33 | 6 | 1 | 0 | 7 | 0 | – | 41 | 6 | ||
| 2009–10 | Serie A | 29 | 5 | 0 | 0 | 8 | 1 | – | 37 | 6 | ||
| 2010–11 | Serie A | 30 | 4 | 2 | 0 | 8 | 0 | – | 40 | 4 | ||
| 2011–12 | Serie A | 18 | 2 | 3 | 1 | 8 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 30 | 3 | |
| Total | 300 | 47 | 25 | 5 | 100 | 9 | 7 | 1 | 432 | 62 | ||
| Botafogo | 2012 | Série A | 24 | 8 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 25 | 9 |
| 2013 | Série A | 34 | 8 | 8 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 42 | 8 | |
| Total | 58 | 16 | 8 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 67 | 17 | ||
| Career total | 640 | 100 | 57 | 7 | 159 | 16 | 14 | 2 | 842 | 124 | ||
International
| National team | Year | Apps | Goals |
|---|---|---|---|
| Netherlands | 1994 | 1 | 1 |
| 1995 | 7 | 3 | |
| 1996 | 11 | 2 | |
| 1997 | 7 | 0 | |
| 1998 | 12 | 1 | |
| 1999 | 7 | 0 | |
| 2000 | 10 | 2 | |
| 2001 | 4 | 1 | |
| 2002 | 2 | 1 | |
| 2003 | 7 | 0 | |
| 2004 | 9 | 0 | |
| 2005 | 0 | 0 | |
| 2006 | 1 | 0 | |
| 2007 | 8 | 0 | |
| 2008 | 1 | 0 | |
| Total | 87 | 11 | |
- Scores and results list the Netherlands' goal tally first, score column indicates score after each Seedorf goal.
| No. | Date | Venue | Opponent | Score | Result | Competition |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 14 December 1994 | De Kuip, Rotterdam |  Luxembourg |
5–0 | 5–0 | UEFA Euro 1996 qualifying |
| 2 | 29 March 1995 | De Kuip, Rotterdam |  Malta |
1–0 | 4–0 | UEFA Euro 1996 qualifying |
| 3 | 11 October 1995 | Ta' Qali National Stadium, Attard | Malta |
4–0 | 4–0 | UEFA Euro 1996 qualifying |
| 4 | 15 November 1995 | De Kuip, Rotterdam |  Norway |
1–0 | 3–0 | UEFA Euro 1996 qualifying |
| 5 | 4 June 1996 | De Kuip, Rotterdam |  Republic of Ireland |
2–1 | 3–1 | Friendly |
| 6 | 14 December 1996 | King Baudouin Stadium, Brussels |  Belgium |
2–0 | 3–0 | 1998 FIFA World Cup qualification |
| 7 | 21 February 1998 | Orange Bowl, Miami |  United States |
2–0 | 2–0 | Friendly |
| 8 | 7 October 2000 | GSP Stadium, Nicosia |  Cyprus |
1–0 | 4–0 | 2002 FIFA World Cup qualification |
| 9 | 2–0 | |||||
| 10 | 6 October 2001 | GelreDome, Arnhem |  Andorra |
2–0 | 4–0 | 2002 FIFA World Cup qualification |
| 11 | 16 October 2002 | Ernst-Happel-Stadion, Vienna |  Austria |
1–0 | 3–0 | UEFA Euro 2004 qualifying |
Managerial Statistics
| Team | From | To | Record | |||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| G | W | D | L | GF | GA | GD | Win % | |||
| AC Milan | 16 January 2014 | 9 June 2014 | 22 | 11 | 2 | 9 | 28 | 26 | +2 | 50.00 |
| Shenzhen | 7 July 2016 | 5 December 2016 | 14 | 4 | 4 | 6 | 17 | 24 | −7 | 28.57 |
| Deportivo La Coruña | 5 February 2018 | 22 May 2018 | 16 | 2 | 6 | 8 | 14 | 25 | −11 | 12.50 |
| Cameroon | 4 August 2018 | 16 July 2019 | 13 | 4 | 5 | 4 | 10 | 11 | −1 | 30.77 |
| Total | 64 | 21 | 17 | 26 | 69 | 84 | −15 | 32.81 | ||
Honours and Awards
Ajax
- Eredivisie: 1993–94, 1994–95
- KNVB Cup: 1992–93
- Johan Cruijff Shield: 1993
- UEFA Champions League: 1994–95
Real Madrid
- La Liga: 1996–97
- Supercopa de España: 1997
- UEFA Champions League: 1997–98
- Intercontinental Cup: 1998
AC Milan
- Serie A: 2003–04, 2010–11
- Coppa Italia: 2002–03
- Supercoppa Italiana: 2011
- UEFA Champions League: 2002–03, 2006–07
- UEFA Super Cup: 2003, 2007
- FIFA Club World Cup: 2007
Botafogo
- Campeonato Carioca: 2013
Individual Awards
- Dutch Football Talent of the Year: 1993, 1994
- ESM Team of the Year: 1996–97
- UEFA Team of the Year: 2002, 2007
- UEFA Best Midfielder Award: 2006–07
- FIFA Club World Cup Silver Ball: 2007
- FIFPro World XI Nominee: 2007
- Real Madrid Team of the Century: 2008
- Bola de Prata: 2013
- Knight of the Order of Orange-Nassau
- Commander of the Honorary Order of the Yellow Star
- Nelson Mandela Legacy Champion
- FIFA 100
- AC Milan Hall of Fame
- Golden Foot Award Legends: 2018
See also
In Spanish: Clarence Seedorf para niños
- List of footballers with 100 or more UEFA Champions League appearances
- List of men's footballers with the most official appearances
