Frank de Boer facts for kids
De Boer as manager of Ajax in 2011
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| Personal information | ||||||||||||||||||||||
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| Date of birth | 15 May 1970 | |||||||||||||||||||||
| Place of birth | Hoorn, Netherlands | |||||||||||||||||||||
| Height | 1.79 m | |||||||||||||||||||||
| Playing position | Centre-back, left-back | |||||||||||||||||||||
| Youth career | ||||||||||||||||||||||
| 1984–1988 | Ajax | |||||||||||||||||||||
| Senior career* | ||||||||||||||||||||||
| Years | Team | Apps† | (Gls)† | |||||||||||||||||||
| 1988–1999 | Ajax | 328 | (30) | |||||||||||||||||||
| 1999–2003 | Barcelona | 144 | (5) | |||||||||||||||||||
| 2003–2004 | Galatasaray | 15 | (1) | |||||||||||||||||||
| 2004 | Rangers | 15 | (2) | |||||||||||||||||||
| 2004–2005 | Al-Rayyan | 16 | (5) | |||||||||||||||||||
| 2005–2006 | Al-Shamal | 1 | (0) | |||||||||||||||||||
| Total | 519 | (43) | ||||||||||||||||||||
| National team | ||||||||||||||||||||||
| 1990–2004 | Netherlands | 112 | (13) | |||||||||||||||||||
| Teams managed | ||||||||||||||||||||||
| 2006–2010 | Ajax (youth) | |||||||||||||||||||||
| 2010–2016 | Ajax | |||||||||||||||||||||
| 2016 | Inter Milan | |||||||||||||||||||||
| 2017 | Crystal Palace | |||||||||||||||||||||
| 2018–2020 | Atlanta United | |||||||||||||||||||||
| 2020–2021 | Netherlands | |||||||||||||||||||||
| 2023 | Al Jazira | |||||||||||||||||||||
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Honours
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Frank de Boer (born 15 May 1970) is a famous Dutch former football player and current coach. He was a great defender. Frank de Boer played most of his career for Ajax, a top Dutch club.
With Ajax, he won many important titles. These included five Eredivisie titles, which is the main Dutch league. He also won the UEFA Champions League, a huge European club competition. Later, he played for Barcelona in Spain for five years. There, he won the Spanish league title. Frank de Boer also played for other teams like Galatasaray, Rangers, Al-Rayyan, and Al-Shamal.
He is one of the most capped players for the Netherlands national team. He played 112 games for his country. He was the captain of the Dutch team, called Oranje. He led them to the semi-finals of the 1998 FIFA World Cup and UEFA Euro 2000. Frank has a twin brother, Ronald de Boer, who also played football. They were teammates at many clubs and for the national team.
After retiring as a player, De Boer became a coach. He started with the Ajax youth team. In 2010, he became the main coach for Ajax. He won the Eredivisie title in his first season. He even won four league titles in a row with Ajax, which was a record! He also coached Inter Milan in Italy, Crystal Palace in England, and Atlanta United in the USA. From 2020 to 2021, he coached the Netherlands.
Contents
Frank de Boer's Club Journey
Playing for Ajax
Frank de Boer started his football career at Ajax. He first played as a left-back before becoming a centre-back. This was the position he played for many years, even for his national team. While at Ajax, he won the 1991–92 UEFA Cup and the 1994–95 UEFA Champions League. These are two major European club trophies. He also helped Ajax win five Eredivisie titles and two KNVB Cups.
After a long time at Ajax, Frank and his twin brother Ronald wanted to leave. They had a special agreement with the club. If a good offer came for one brother, they could leave if the other stayed. But Ajax changed their mind. This led to some legal issues, but eventually, they were allowed to move on.
Time at Barcelona
In January 1999, Frank and Ronald de Boer joined Barcelona in Spain. They moved for about £22 million. They joined their old Ajax coach, Louis van Gaal, at the Camp Nou stadium. In their first season, they won the Spanish league title. However, they couldn't win as many trophies as they did with Ajax.
Other Teams and Retirement
In 2003, Frank de Boer moved to Galatasaray in Turkey. Then, in January 2004, he joined his brother Ronald at Rangers in Scotland. He played 17 games for Rangers and scored two goals.
After the UEFA Euro 2004 tournament, the De Boer brothers moved to Qatar. They played for Al-Rayyan. Frank de Boer then played briefly for Al-Shamal. He announced his retirement from playing football in April 2006.
Playing for the Netherlands
Frank de Boer played for the Netherlands 112 times. This made him one of the most capped players for his country. He made his first appearance for the Netherlands in September 1990 against Italy.
He played for the Netherlands in the 1994 and 1998 FIFA World Cups. He also played in the 1992, 2000, and 2004 UEFA European Championships. He missed Euro 1996 because of an injury.
At the 1998 World Cup, he made a famous 60-yard pass. This pass helped Dennis Bergkamp score a last-minute goal against Argentina. This goal knocked Argentina out of the tournament. In Euro 2000, the Dutch team reached the semi-finals. Frank de Boer became the first Dutch male footballer to play 100 games for his country in 2003. He ended his international career after an injury at Euro 2004.
How Frank Played Football
Frank de Boer was a very talented and complete defender. Besides his strong defensive skills, he was also known for his speed. He had great technical ability and could pass the ball very accurately. He was a true leader on the field.
He could carry the ball out of defense and start attacks. He was good at reading the game and stopping opponents' passes. Frank was a smart and elegant left-footed defender. He could play both as a left-back and in the center of defense. He was also good at taking free kicks. He was known for his accurate, bending shots from outside the penalty area.
Frank de Boer as a Coach
In 2007, Frank de Boer started coaching at his old club, Ajax. He was in charge of the club's youth teams. During the 2010 World Cup, he was an assistant coach for the Netherlands national team. The Dutch team reached the final of that tournament.
Coaching Ajax
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On 6 December 2010, Frank de Boer became the temporary coach of Ajax. His first game was a Champions League match against Milan, which Ajax won 2–0. De Boer then led Ajax to win the Eredivisie title in his first season. This was a great start to his coaching career.
In two and a half years, he won three league championships with Ajax. This meant he had won eight titles in total with Ajax, including his time as a player. In 2013, he won the Rinus Michels Award for best manager in the Netherlands. This was for leading Ajax to their third straight Eredivisie title.
On 27 April 2014, De Boer won his fourth league title in a row with Ajax. This was a new record in the Dutch league. It was also the first time Ajax had won four straight Eredivisie titles. Frank de Boer has won nine Eredivisie championships with Ajax as a player and manager, which is another record. On 11 May 2016, he left Ajax after a disappointing season.
Coaching Other European Clubs
On 9 August 2016, De Boer signed a three-year contract with Internazionale in Italy. His first game was a friendly match that Inter won 2–0. However, Inter struggled under his leadership. They lost many games in the league and in the Europa League. After only 85 days, Frank de Boer was sacked on 1 November 2016. He said he "needed more time" to make a difference.
On 26 June 2017, De Boer became the new manager of Premier League team Crystal Palace in England. He signed a three-year deal. But he was sacked just ten weeks later. Crystal Palace lost their first four league matches without scoring a single goal. This was a very short time in charge. His only win was in a cup game against Ipswich Town.
Coaching in the USA and National Team
On 23 December 2018, Frank de Boer became the head coach of Major League Soccer team Atlanta United in the USA. In his first season, the team won the U.S. Open Cup and the Campeones Cup. They also finished second in their league conference. On 24 July 2020, Atlanta and De Boer decided to part ways.
On 23 September 2020, De Boer was appointed the new manager of the Netherlands. He signed a contract until the end of 2022. He managed the Netherlands at the UEFA Euro 2020 tournament. They won their group but lost 2–0 to Czech Republic in the round of 16. Because of this, he left the national team on 29 June 2021.
Coaching Al Jazira
On 5 June 2023, Frank de Boer became the head coach of UAE Pro League club Al Jazira in the United Arab Emirates. He signed a two-year contract. However, on 11 December 2023, he was sacked. The club was in 7th place in the league, and they had lost a cup match.
Trophies and Awards
Frank de Boer won many trophies as both a player and a manager.
As a Player
Ajax
- Eredivisie (5): 1989–90, 1993–94, 1994–95, 1995–96, 1997–98
- KNVB Cup (2): 1992–93, 1997–98
- Johan Cruijff Shield (3): 1993, 1994, 1995
- UEFA Champions League: 1994–95
- UEFA Cup: 1991–92
- UEFA Super Cup: 1995
- Intercontinental Cup: 1995
Barcelona
- La Liga: 1998–99
Al Rayyan
- Emir of Qatar Cup: 2005
Netherlands National Team
- FIFA World Cup fourth place: 1998
Individual Awards
- ESM Team of the Year: 1995–96
- FIFA World Cup All-Star Team: 1998
- UEFA Euro Team of the Tournament: 2000
- Golden Foot: 2016 (as a football legend)
As a Manager
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Ajax
- Eredivisie (4): 2010–11, 2011–12, 2012–13, 2013–14
- Johan Cruyff Shield: 2013
Atlanta United
- Campeones Cup: 2019
- U.S. Open Cup: 2019
Individual Awards
- Amsterdam Coach of the Year (De Fanny) (2): 2012, 2014
- Rinus Michels Award (2): 2013, 2014
- JFK's Greatest Man Award: 2013
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See also
In Spanish: Frank de Boer para niños
- List of footballers with 100 or more caps
